How to View Directory Trees with the tree Command

Published 2026-08-05 · Learn Linux

The tree command prints a directory's structure as an indented tree with branch lines. Run tree in a project and you see every folder and file in one view. It is the fastest way to understand a new codebase or check what a folder contains.

Print a directory tree

tree shows the current folder by default. Give it a path to view another folder. The output ends with a summary of how many directories and files were listed.

$ tree

$ tree /etc/nginx

Limit the depth with -L

Big trees are overwhelming. -L 2 shows only two levels, which is usually enough to grasp the structure.

$ tree -L 2

Show directories only with -d

To see just the folders, add -d. This is the fastest way to map a project's structure without file noise.

$ tree -d

Include file sizes with -h

Add -h to print a human-readable size next to every file. Pair it with -s for exact bytes.

$ tree -h --du

Save a tree to a file

Redirect the output to document your structure in a README: tree -L 2 > structure.txt. If tree is not installed, it is usually one apt away. See tree for all options.