Roo-Code/apps/docs/docs/basic-usage/context-mentions.md

description	keywords
Learn how to use context mentions (@) in Roo Code to reference files, folders, problems, terminal output, and Git commits for more accurate AI assistance.	Roo Code context mentions @ mentions file references folder mentions problems panel terminal mentions Git integration

Context Mentions

Context mentions are a powerful way to provide Roo Code with specific information about your project, allowing it to perform tasks more accurately and efficiently. You can use mentions to refer to files, folders, problems, and Git commits. Context mentions start with the @ symbol.

Context mentions overview showing the @ symbol dropdown menu in the chat interface.

---

Types of Mentions

File mentions add actual code content into the conversation for direct reference and analysis.

Mention Type	Format	Description	Example Usage
File	@/path/to/file.ts	Includes file contents in request context	"Explain the function in @/src/utils.ts"
Image	@/path/to/image.png	Includes image as inline visual content (file mention with vision support)	"What's wrong with this UI? @/screenshots/bug.png"
Folder	@/path/to/folder/	Includes contents of all files directly in the folder (non-recursive)	"Analyze the code in @/src/components/"
Problems	@problems	Includes VS Code Problems panel diagnostics	"@problems Fix all errors in my code"
Terminal	@terminal	Includes recent terminal command and output	"Fix the errors shown in @terminal"
Git Commit	@a1b2c3d	References specific commit by hash	"What changed in commit @a1b2c3d?"
Git Changes	@git-changes	Shows uncommitted changes	"Suggest a message for @git-changes"
URL	@https://example.com	Imports website content	"Summarize @https://docusaurus.io/"
Slash Command	/<command-name>	Executes a slash command (uses / not @)	"/test Run all tests"

File Mentions

File mentions incorporate source code with line numbers for precise references.

Capability	Details
Format	@/path/to/file.ts (always start with / from workspace root)
Provides	Complete file contents with line numbers
Supports	Text files, PDFs, and DOCX files (with text extraction)
Works in	Initial requests, feedback responses, and follow-up messages
Limitations	Very large files may be truncated; binary files not supported

Image Mentions

Image mentions are file mentions with special visual processing. When you mention an image file, and the model supports vision, the image is sent as inline visual content rather than text.

Capability	Details
Type	Sub-type of file mentions (not a separate mention type)
Format	@/path/to/image.png (same path format as file mentions)
Provides	Image sent as inline visual content to the model
Supports	PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, SVG, WEBP, ICO, AVIF
Best for	UI reviews, screenshot debugging, diagram analysis
Requires	A model with vision support (non-vision models can't interpret images)

Folder Mentions

Folder mentions include the content of all files within the specified directory.

Capability	Details
Format	@/path/to/folder/ (trailing slash required to distinguish from file mentions)
Provides	Complete contents of all files within the directory
Includes	Contents of non-binary text files directly within the folder (not recursive)
Best for	Providing context from multiple files in a directory
Tip	Be mindful of context window limits when mentioning large directories

Problems Mention

Problems mentions import diagnostics directly from VS Code's problems panel.

Capability	Details
Format	@problems
Provides	All errors and warnings from VS Code's problems panel
Includes	File paths, line numbers, and diagnostic messages
Groups	Problems organized by file for better clarity
Best for	Fixing errors without manual copying

For comprehensive details on how Roo Code integrates with VSCode's diagnostics system, see Diagnostics Integration.

Terminal Mention

Terminal mentions capture recent command output for debugging and analysis.

Capability	Details
Format	@terminal
Captures	Last command and its complete output
Preserves	Terminal state (doesn't clear the terminal)
Limitation	Limited to visible terminal buffer content
Best for	Debugging build errors or analyzing command output

Git Mentions

Git mentions provide commit details and diffs for context-aware version analysis.

Type	Format	Provides	Limitations
Commit	@a1b2c3d	Commit message, author, date, and complete diff	Only works in Git repositories
Working Changes	@git-changes	git status output and diff of uncommitted changes	Only works in Git repositories

URL Mentions

URL mentions import external web content and convert it to readable Markdown format.

Capability	Details
Format	@https://example.com
Processing	Uses headless browser to fetch content
Cleaning	Removes scripts, styles, and navigation elements
Output	Converts content to Markdown for readability
Limitation	Complex pages may not convert perfectly

Slash Command Mentions

Slash commands are processed by the mentions system but use a / prefix instead of @. They execute predefined commands to perform specific actions.

Capability	Details
Format	/<command-name> (uses / not @)
Provides	Executes the specified command and includes relevant context
Content Type	Processed as content block type "command"
Examples	/test, /init, /deploy, and other custom commands
Best for	Quick access to predefined workflows and actions

For comprehensive details on available slash commands and how to create custom ones, see Slash Commands.

---

How to Use Mentions

1. Type @ in the chat input to trigger the suggestions dropdown
2. Continue typing to filter suggestions or use arrow keys to navigate
3. Select with Enter key or mouse click
4. Combine multiple mentions in a request: "Fix @problems in @/src/component.ts"

The dropdown automatically suggests:

• Recently opened files
• Visible folders
• Recent git commits
• Special keywords (problems, terminal, git-changes)
• All currently open files (regardless of ignore settings or directory filters)

The dropdown respects .rooignore by default, hiding ignored files from suggestions. Enable the showRooIgnoredFiles setting to include ignored files in the dropdown (they'll appear with a 🔒 indicator). Common directories like node_modules, .git, dist, and out are also filtered to reduce noise.

---

Important Behaviors

Ignore File Interactions

Behavior	Description
Dropdown filtering	The @ dropdown hides .rooignore-matched files by default. Enable showRooIgnoredFiles to see them (marked with 🔒).
.rooignore bypass	File and folder @mentions bypass .rooignore checks when fetching content for context. Content from ignored files will be included if directly mentioned.
.gitignore bypass	Similarly, file and folder @mentions do not respect .gitignore rules when fetching content.
Git command respect	Git-related mentions (@git-changes, @commit-hash) do respect .gitignore since they rely on Git commands.

---

Related Features

• Diagnostics Integration - Learn about automatic error detection and smart severity filtering
• Code Actions - Discover quick fixes and AI assistance directly in your editor
• Shell Integration - Understand how terminal mentions work with shell integration