aerial.nvim
A Neovim plugin that provides a code outline window for quick navigation and skimming using LSP and Tree-sitter.
What is aerial.nvim?
aerial.nvim is a Neovim plugin that displays a sidebar or floating window showing the structure of your code, including functions, classes, methods, and other symbols. It enables developers to quickly understand and navigate large codebases by providing a bird's-eye view of the current file.
Neovim users working with large or complex codebases across multiple languages who need efficient navigation and structural overviews. It's particularly useful for developers using LSP or Tree-sitter setups.
Developers choose aerial.nvim for its multi-backend support (LSP, Tree-sitter, Markdown, AsciiDoc, man pages), flexible layout options, and deep integration with the Neovim ecosystem including Telescope, fzf, and Lualine. Its lightweight, fast, and highly configurable design prioritizes user customization.
Overview
Neovim plugin for a code outline window
Use Cases
Best For
- Navigating large code files with many functions, classes, or methods
- Getting a quick structural overview of unfamiliar codebases
- Jumping between symbols in Neovim with keyboard shortcuts or mouse clicks
- Integrating code outlines with popular Neovim plugins like Telescope, fzf-lua, or Lualine
- Working with multiple file types including programming languages (via LSP/Tree-sitter) and documentation formats (Markdown, AsciiDoc, man pages)
- Customizing symbol display with filtering, icons, and highlight groups for personalized workflows
Not Ideal For
- Users on Neovim versions prior to 0.11 who need a stable, mainline-supported plugin without managing branches
- Developers without a configured LSP client or Tree-sitter parsers seeking immediate, out-of-the-box symbol extraction
- Teams wanting a simple, no-configuration sidebar outline with minimal setup overhead
- Projects involving code files consistently exceeding 10,000 lines or 2MB in size, as aerial disables automatically beyond these limits
Pros & Cons
Pros
Leverages LSP, Tree-sitter, and documentation backends to provide comprehensive symbol coverage across over 50 languages and file types, as detailed in the supported treesitter list.
Seamlessly works with popular plugins like Telescope for fuzzy finding and Lualine for status line updates, enhancing the overall editing experience with minimal friction.
Offers extensive configuration options for window layout, highlighting, keymaps, and symbol filtering, allowing users to tailor the outline precisely to their workflow needs.
Includes quick jump commands, tree folding sync, and autojump options that streamline moving through large codebases, with configurable post-jump actions for better visibility.
Cons
The setup requires navigating a complex array of options and callbacks, which can be overwhelming for users who prefer a more straightforward, plug-and-play solution.
Functionality is contingent on having LSP clients or Tree-sitter parsers properly configured, adding an extra layer of setup before aerial can be fully operational.
Automatic disabling on files larger than 10,000 lines or 2MB, as per the disable_max_lines and disable_max_size settings, can render it useless for very large files without configuration changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
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