What it does
ugrep is a file pattern searcher with interactive terminal search, fuzzy search, archive handling, filters and formatted output.
Use a literal, regex or fuzzy query with a defined file scope, or refine it through the interactive terminal view. The ug command loads optional .ugrep preferences; ugrep leaves that configuration out for scripts. Recursive -r skips symlinks, while -R follows file and directory symlinks. Results can be formatted as text, JSON, XML or CSV. Document search through ug+ uses external filters such as pdftotext or pandoc, so those tools must be available. Its replacement option changes output text rather than editing the searched files in place.
Strengths
- Interactive and fuzzy search modes
- Archive search and output formatting
Best for
- Finding text across a file collection
Sources
- The ugrep file pattern searcher (Oct 26, 2026)
- ugrep command/configuration and recursive scope (Oct 26, 2026)
- ugrep BSD-3 licence (Oct 26, 2026)
- ugrep external filters and output-only replacement (Oct 26, 2026)