Introduction

To collapse (fold) all methods in Visual Studio Code, press Ctrl+K Ctrl+0 on Windows/Linux or Cmd+K Cmd+0 on macOS. This folds every collapsible block in the file, giving you a bird's-eye view of your code structure. VS Code also offers level-specific folding, region folding, and language-aware folding that let you control exactly what gets collapsed.

Quick Reference: All Folding Shortcuts

All of these are chord shortcuts: press the first key combination, release, then press the second.

Fold All vs. Fold by Level

Fold All (Ctrl+K Ctrl+0) collapses every single block, including nested blocks inside methods. You see only the top-level declarations.

Fold by Level gives you finer control. For example, in a class file:

• Level 1 (Ctrl+K Ctrl+1) folds classes, leaving imports visible.
• Level 2 (Ctrl+K Ctrl+2) folds methods inside classes but keeps the class declaration expanded.
• Level 3 (Ctrl+K Ctrl+3) folds if/for/while blocks inside methods.

This is usually what developers actually want when they say "collapse all methods." Use Level 2 to fold methods while keeping the class structure visible.

Example: Level 2 fold on a TypeScript file

Before folding:

1class UserService {
2  private db: Database;
3
4  constructor(db: Database) {
5    this.db = db;
6  }
7
8  async getUser(id: string): Promise<User> {
9    const result = await this.db.query("SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = $1", [id]);
10    if (!result.rows.length) {
11      throw new NotFoundError("User not found");
12    }
13    return result.rows[0];
14  }
15
16  async createUser(data: CreateUserDTO): Promise<User> {
17    const existing = await this.getUser(data.email);
18    if (existing) {
19      throw new ConflictError("User already exists");
20    }
21    return this.db.insert("users", data);
22  }
23}

After Ctrl+K Ctrl+2:

1class UserService {
2  private db: Database;
3
4  constructor(db: Database) { ... }
5
6  async getUser(id: string): Promise<User> { ... }
7
8  async createUser(data: CreateUserDTO): Promise<User> { ... }
9}

You can see every method signature at a glance while the implementation details are hidden.

Using the Command Palette

If you forget a shortcut, open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and type "fold". You will see all available fold commands:

• Fold All
• Unfold All
• Fold Level 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
• Fold All Block Comments
• Fold All Regions
• Fold Recursively
• Unfold Recursively

Custom Fold Regions

You can define custom foldable regions using language-specific markers. These regions fold independently of the code structure and are useful for organizing files that do not have natural block boundaries.

JavaScript / TypeScript:

1// #region Database Helpers
2function connect() { /* ... */ }
3function disconnect() { /* ... */ }
4function healthCheck() { /* ... */ }
5// #endregion
6
7// #region Auth Middleware
8function authenticate() { /* ... */ }
9function authorize() { /* ... */ }
10// #endregion

Python:

1# region Database Helpers
2def connect():
3    pass
4
5def disconnect():
6    pass
7# endregion
8
9# region Auth Middleware
10def authenticate():
11    pass
12# endregion

C# / Java:

1#region Database Helpers
2public void Connect() { /* ... */ }
3public void Disconnect() { /* ... */ }
4#endregion

CSS / SCSS:

1/* #region Header Styles */
2.header { /* ... */ }
3.header-nav { /* ... */ }
4/* #endregion */

Fold all custom regions with Ctrl+K Ctrl+8 and unfold them with Ctrl+K Ctrl+9.

Configuring Fold Behavior in Settings

VS Code exposes several settings that control how folding works. Open Settings JSON (Ctrl+, then click the JSON icon) and add:

1{
2  "editor.showFoldingControls": "always",
3  "editor.foldingStrategy": "auto",
4  "editor.foldingHighlight": true,
5  "editor.unfoldOnClickAfterEndOfLine": false,
6  "editor.foldingMaximumRegions": 5000
7}

Language-specific folding strategy

Some languages (like Python or YAML) work better with indentation-based folding. You can set it per language:

1"[python]": {
2  "editor.foldingStrategy": "indentation"
3},
4"[yaml]": {
5  "editor.foldingStrategy": "indentation"
6}

Auto-Fold on File Open

VS Code does not auto-fold files on open by default, but you can achieve this with a task or an extension. The simplest approach is to use the Auto Fold extension from the Marketplace:

1. Install Auto Fold from the Extensions panel.
2. Set "autofold.default": 2 in your settings to auto-fold at level 2 when files open.

Alternatively, you can add a keybinding that runs fold after opening:

1{
2  "key": "ctrl+shift+o",
3  "command": "runCommands",
4  "args": {
5    "commands": [
6      "workbench.action.quickOpen",
7      "editor.foldLevel2"
8    ]
9  }
10}

Common Pitfalls

• Chord shortcuts not working. These are two-step shortcuts. Press Ctrl+K, release both keys, then press Ctrl+0. If you hold all keys at once, it will not register.
• Folding does not detect methods. If foldingStrategy is set to "indentation" for a language that has a language server (like TypeScript or Java), switch it to "auto" for structure-aware folding.
• Fold All collapses too much. Use level-specific folding (Ctrl+K Ctrl+2) instead of Fold All (Ctrl+K Ctrl+0) to keep class declarations visible.
• Folded code disappears from search. Ctrl+F searches all text including folded regions. Matches inside folded blocks will auto-expand when you navigate to them.
• Saving does not preserve fold state. Folds reset when you close and reopen a file. Use the "Remember Fold State" extension if you need persistence.
• Performance on very large files. Files with more than 5,000 foldable regions may lag. Increase foldingMaximumRegions or split the file.

Summary

• Fold all methods: Ctrl+K Ctrl+0 (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+K Cmd+0 (macOS).
• Fold only methods (keep class visible): Use Level 2 folding with Ctrl+K Ctrl+2.
• Unfold everything: Ctrl+K Ctrl+J.
• Use #region / #endregion markers for custom foldable sections in any language.
• Set "editor.foldingStrategy": "auto" for language-aware folding, or "indentation" for whitespace-based languages.
• All fold commands are accessible through the Command Palette by typing "fold".