> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.lilfella.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Open a folder

> Choose the workspace Fella can inspect and understand how the catalog is built.

The selected folder defines the workspace available to built-in file and table tools.

## Open a workspace

<Steps>
  <Step title="Choose the folder">
    Click **choose a folder** below the composer, drag a folder into the window, or use `/open`.

    ```text filename="fella command" theme={null}
    /open /path/to/your/files
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the catalog">
    Run `/files` to see loaded tables and documents plus noticed files that could not be used.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Ask or refine the scan">
    Ask a question, or add `.fellaignore` and run `/reindex` to change what is catalogued.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What the scan does

Fella walks to a bounded depth, silently skips hidden entries, does not follow symlinks, and applies `.fellaignore` from the workspace root. A root `fella.md` is skipped as data because it is user-authored context.

The default scan depth is eight directories. `FELLA_SCAN_DEPTH` can override it for a controlled environment.

After scanning, Fella reports both usable sources and files it noticed but could not load. Use `/files` to inspect the catalog and `/reindex` after changing the folder.

## Workspace names

Tabular files become table names derived from their filename:

```text filename="catalog naming" theme={null}
Bank Statement 2024.csv -> bank_statement_2024
123 transactions.json   -> t_123_transactions
report.csv + report.json -> report and report_2
```

Names are lowercased, punctuation becomes underscores, leading digits get a `t_` prefix, and collisions get a numeric suffix. Multi-sheet workbooks append the sheet name to the file stem. `/schema <name>` shows row count, columns, types, and null percentages.

## Ignore a path

Create `.fellaignore` in the workspace root. Put one filename or workspace-relative path prefix on each line:

```text filename=".fellaignore" theme={null}
private/
old-export.csv
receipts/archive/
# comments are allowed
```

Blank lines and lines starting with `#` are ignored. Other entries match an exact filename, an exact workspace-relative path, or a workspace-relative directory prefix. Glob patterns are not supported.

## Reopen safely

Fella starts without mounting the last workspace. The welcome screen can offer a one-click reopen; pressing `Enter` with an empty composer can also reopen it. Reopening a conversation from history mounts its saved workspace when that folder still exists.

<Warning>
  The built-in workspace tools stay within the catalogued folder, and `run_python` runs in an embedded guest without filesystem access. See [privacy and security](/developer-platform/using-fella/privacy).
</Warning>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Understand file types" icon="files" href="/developer-platform/using-fella/files">
    See which files become tables and which stay documents.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Add workspace context" icon="file-pen-line" href="/developer-platform/using-fella/context-and-memory">
    Explain your own vocabulary with `fella.md`.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>