What Explorer Does and Why You Need It
Explorer is the panel in Roblox Studio that shows you every object in your game world — every part, script, sound, and model — organized in a tree structure. It is how you see what exists in your game, select objects to edit them, and understand the hierarchy of your build. Without Explorer open, you are working blind.
Explorer appears by default when you first open Roblox Studio, but it closes easily by accident. If you cannot see the list of objects on the left side of your screen, Explorer is closed and you need to open it again.
Key Takeaways
- Explorer opens through the View menu at the top of Roblox Studio, or by pressing Ctrl+E on Windows or Cmd+E on Mac.
- Explorer should appear as a panel on the left side of your screen, showing all objects in your game organized in a tree.
- If Explorer stays closed after you open it, check that your View menu settings have not hidden it permanently.
- You can resize Explorer by dragging its edge, and you can dock it to different sides of the screen if the default position does not suit your workflow.
Opening Explorer Through the View Menu
The most reliable way to open Explorer is through the menu bar. Click View at the top of Roblox Studio. A dropdown menu appears with several options. Look for Explorer in that list and click it. Explorer should now appear as a panel, usually on the left side of your screen.
If Explorer is already open, clicking View > Explorer will close it instead. This toggle behavior is why Explorer sometimes disappears — you may have clicked it by accident while looking for something else in the View menu.
Using the Keyboard Shortcut
On Windows, press Ctrl+E to toggle Explorer open and closed. On Mac, press Cmd+E. This shortcut is faster than using the menu if you close Explorer often or switch between different panel layouts while working.
The shortcut works the same way as the menu option: it opens Explorer if it is closed, and closes it if it is open. If the shortcut does not work, check that you are focused on the Roblox Studio window and not on a text field inside a script or property panel.
What to Do If Explorer Does Not Appear
If you open Explorer and still do not see it, the panel may be hidden behind another panel or docked to a part of the screen you cannot see. Try dragging the edge of the Properties panel (usually on the right) to the left to make room. Explorer may be there but squeezed into a narrow strip.
If Explorer still does not show, close Roblox Studio completely and reopen it. Roblox Studio sometimes gets confused about panel positions after a crash or unexpected close. When you restart, the default layout usually returns and Explorer will be visible again.
Moving and Resizing Explorer
Once Explorer is open, you can resize it by moving your cursor to the edge between Explorer and the next panel (usually Properties). Your cursor will change to a resize arrow. Click and drag left or right to make Explorer wider or narrower.
You can also move Explorer to a different side of the screen. Right-click the Explorer tab at the top of the panel and look for docking options. This is useful if you prefer to have Explorer on the right side, or if you want to stack it with other panels like Properties or the Output window.
Understanding the Explorer Tree Structure
Once Explorer is open, you will see a tree of objects. At the top is usually Workspace, which contains all the visible parts and models in your game. Below Workspace are folders and parts organized by how you built them. Click the small arrow next to any folder to expand it and see what is inside.
You can click any object in Explorer to select it in the 3D view. The object will highlight in the viewport, and its properties will appear in the Properties panel on the right. This is how you navigate your game and make changes to individual parts without having to click them in the 3D space, which can be difficult if they are small or hidden behind other objects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Explorer close every time I close Roblox Studio?
Explorer does not stay closed between sessions — Roblox Studio remembers your panel layout and opens Explorer in the same position where you left it. If Explorer is not open when you restart, it means it was closed the last time you saved and exited. Open it again using View > Explorer or Ctrl+E.
Can I have Explorer open on both sides of the screen at once?
No, there is only one Explorer panel. You can resize it or move it to a different side, but you cannot duplicate it. If you need to see two different parts of your game at once, use the search box at the top of Explorer to filter objects by name instead.
What if I accidentally delete something from Explorer?
If you right-click an object in Explorer and delete it, you can undo the action by pressing Ctrl+Z when ready. Roblox Studio keeps an undo history, so you can step back through your recent changes. If you have already saved the file, the deletion is permanent and you will need to rebuild the object.
Does Explorer show scripts and sounds, or only visible parts?
Explorer shows everything in your game, including scripts, sounds, animations, and invisible objects. Visible parts appear with a part icon, scripts appear with a script icon, and so on. This is why Explorer is useful for finding a script you wrote but cannot remember the name of — you can browse the tree and look for the script icon.