# Browsing and partial clone (/docs/guides/browsing-and-partial-clone)

Look inside a repository without cloning it, then clone or save only the files you marked.

## Open the file browser [#open-the-file-browser]

Press `enter` on a repository and choose **Browse files…**. It works for any public repository, so you can search GitHub with `tab` and browse code that is not yours.

![The file tree of a repository](/screens/tree.png)

| Key     | Action                           |
| ------- | -------------------------------- |
| `↑` `↓` | move                             |
| `→`     | open a folder, or preview a file |
| `←`     | go up one folder                 |
| `/`     | filter the current folder        |
| `q`     | back to the menu                 |

## Preview a file [#preview-a-file]

Press `→` on a file. Markdown is rendered, and other text files are highlighted.

![A README previewed in the terminal](/screens/tree-preview.png)

## Mark files [#mark-files]

Press `space` on a file or folder to mark it. Marked paths are listed on the right.

![A marked file listed in the side panel](/screens/tree-marked.png)

## Clone only what you marked [#clone-only-what-you-marked]

Press `c`. gh-select runs a partial clone, which downloads only the marked paths.

![Terminal output after a partial clone](/screens/partial-clone.png)

The result is a normal git repository with only those files in it. Run `git sparse-checkout disable` inside it to get everything later.

## Save files without git [#save-files-without-git]

Press `s` to save the marked files, or the highlighted one, straight from GitHub. No git is involved.

- One file is saved into the download directory.
- Several files keep their folder structure inside a folder named after the repository.
- Files that already exist are never overwritten. The new copy gets a `-1` suffix.

The download directory is the current directory unless you set `--download-dir` or `GH_SELECT_DOWNLOAD_DIR`.

## Copy and share [#copy-and-share]

| Key | Action                                        |
| --- | --------------------------------------------- |
| `y` | copy the file's contents                      |
| `o` | open the file on github.com                   |
| `Y` | copy a permalink pinned to the current commit |
| `r` | copy the raw file URL                         |

## Other branches and tags [#other-branches-and-tags]

Press `b` to switch to another branch or tag. Preview, save and clone all follow it.

## Details [#details]

- A partial clone runs `git clone --filter=blob:none --sparse`, then a sparse checkout of your paths.
- Saving is limited to 200 files at a time. Use a partial clone for more.
- Previews are cut at 100 KB.

Every key is in the [keybindings reference](/docs/reference/keybindings).