ripgrep

rg [options] pattern [path...]

ripgrep (rg) is a line-oriented search tool that recursively searches directories for regex patterns, optimized for speed through a Rust implementation and parallel directory traversal. It is typically several times faster than traditional grep, ag, or ack for searching large codebases.Smart defaults make it productive out of the box: it automatically respects .gitignore rules, skips binary files and hidden directories, and provides colored output with line numbers. These defaults eliminate the need for complex exclude patterns that are common with recursive grep usage. The --hidden flag includes hidden files, and -u flags progressively disable filters: -u searches ignored files, -uu also searches hidden files, and -uuu also searches binary files.Ripgrep supports full Unicode-aware regex syntax, PCRE2 patterns via -P, literal string matching with -F, and word boundary matching with -w. File type filters (-t) cover dozens of common programming languages and can be customized. Use --type-list to see all available types.

-i, --ignore-case

Case-insensitive search.

Case-sensitive search (overrides -i).

Case-insensitive unless pattern contains uppercase.

Only search files matching TYPE (e.g., py, js, rust).

Exclude files matching TYPE.

Show NUM lines before and after each match.

Show NUM lines after each match.

Show NUM lines before each match.

Print only file paths containing matches.

Print count of matches per file.

Treat pattern as a literal string, not a regex.

Match whole words only.

Match entire lines only.

Search hidden files and directories.

Include or exclude files matching glob (prefix with ! to exclude).

Reduce filtering. Repeat (-uu or -uuu) for more.

Enable multiline matching.

Use PCRE2 regex engine for advanced patterns.

Replace matches with STRING (supports capture groups).

Show line numbers (default when connected to terminal).

Suppress line numbers.

Do not respect .gitignore and other ignore files.

List all built-in file types.

Regex syntax defaults to Rust's regex crate, which differs from POSIX or PCRE in some areas (e.g., no backreferences without -P). The -u flag must be repeated for cumulative effect. By default, ripgrep does not search files listed in .gitignore, which can be surprising when searching outside of Git repositories with a global gitignore.

ripgrep was created by Andrew Gallant in 2016. It combines speed with smart defaults, becoming one of the most popular grep alternatives in modern development workflows.

grep(1), ag(1), ack(1), fd(1)