Feature Suggestion: Highlight Current File in File Tree While Scrolling in "Files changed" Tab

[Omarosh]

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Context

When reviewing a pull request with many file changes, the "Files changed" tab shows the filename of the file currently being viewed at the top of the main pane. This is helpful for orientation.

However, the file list sidebar on the left does not visually indicate which file is currently in view while scrolling.

Suggested Improvement

As a reviewer scrolls through the diff, it would be very helpful if:

✅ The currently visible file is automatically highlighted in the left-hand file list (sidebar).

Why This Matters

This would make it easier to:

• Quickly know which file you’re currently viewing, especially in large PRs.
• Navigate back to previously viewed files more easily.
• Reduce cognitive load and scrolling effort.

Inspiration

This pattern is used in tools like IDEs (e.g., VS Code) and documentation platforms, where the active section or file is highlighted in the navigation sidebar.

Bonus (Optional Enhancement)

• Auto-scroll the sidebar while sc so the active file is always visible without manual scrolling.

Would love to hear if this is already possible or if it could be considered for a future UI update!

[chris-snyder-totara]

Yes please.

Current situation makes reviewing large PRs really cognitively taxing, because it's easy to scroll too far, and get into the next file's changes without realising that you're in a different place now.

I wish we could turn off the single-page PR view, and use navigation to jump between files.

But short of that, navigation should always update to show which file is currently in the viewport.

This feels like a bug not a feature.

[MichaelBlack-fd]

Huge missing feature, feels insane coming from Bitbucket where code reviews have all this quality-of-life stuff.

[shaunziman-medbrief]

I’m also coming from Bitbucket, where this behaviour exists natively. As you scroll through a pull request, the file currently in view is automatically highlighted in the left-hand file tree, and the sidebar follows your position so the active file remains visible.

That small amount of visual orientation makes a significant difference when reviewing large pull requests. Without it, it’s easy to lose track of which file you’re currently viewing, particularly when reviewing long diffs or moving between many related changes. As a result, GitHub reviews can become much more cognitively demanding than they need to be.

I’m aware of the existing “Viewed” checkbox, which allows reviewed files to be collapsed (a feature I appreciate). However, it serves a different purpose. While it helps reduce visual clutter, it doesn’t provide continuous orientation within the review. A dynamically highlighted file tree gives reviewers immediate context about where they are, how much of the pull request they’ve already covered, and how many files remain.

The existing file tree is already a valuable navigation tool, but I believe it would become substantially more effective if it reflected the reviewer’s current position in the diff. Beyond being a quality-of-life improvement, this would reduce cognitive load, make interrupted reviews easier to resume, and improve navigation through larger pull requests.

Bringing this behaviour to GitHub would make the review experience feel much closer to the seamless workflow that Bitbucket already provides.