Direct answer
The short version
Editor location history is an ordered list of code locations visited in an editor. Go Back moves toward earlier files or cursor positions and Go Forward reverses that navigation. It is separate from Undo, which changes file contents, and separate from recent files, which is a broader destination list.
Key takeaways
- Go Back changes the viewed location without undoing code.
- Definitions, references, searches, and deliberate cursor jumps can create useful entries.
- Quick Open is better when you know a file name; history is better when you know the sequence.
- Cross-app restore can reconnect an editor location to browser, terminal, and Finder context.
What a code-location history records
Editors such as VS Code and Cursor maintain navigation locations as you follow symbols, open search results, and move among files. An entry can include the file and a cursor or selection position, although exact behavior depends on the editor, command, and settings.
Small cursor movements should not all become separate stops. The editor groups navigation so Back remains useful rather than replaying every keystroke.
- Followed a definition or reference: Go Back.
- Know the destination file: Quick Open.
- Need an already visible editor: select its tab.
- Need to reverse typed code: Undo.
- Need the app used before the editor: app switching or cross-app Back.
Go Forward and branching editor navigation
After moving Back, Go Forward can revisit the newer code location. If you navigate somewhere new from the older point, the editor may replace the former forward route with a new branch, following the familiar history model used by browsers.
Treat history as a short-term path, not a project index. Symbols, source search, file search, bookmarks, tests, and source control are more durable ways to retrieve important code.
Where cross-app editor restoration fits
A debugging trail may leave the editor for documentation, a terminal result, or a Finder fixture. The editor’s own history cannot include those external stops.
ReturnFast can capture supported editor windows and, when usable accessibility data is available, a file path and line. Restoring that position is best effort; renamed files, changed workspaces, closed state, or missing path data may result in window-level fallback.
Use editor history first
Retrace code-to-code movement with the editor’s own Go Back and Go Forward.
Use cross-app history for detours
Return through the browser, terminal, Finder, and editor trail.
Keep durable anchors
Use tests, commits, issue notes, and reproducible commands for long-lived work.
Further reading and product details
Frequently asked questions
Is editor Go Back the same as Undo?
No. Go Back changes the viewed code location. Undo reverses an edit or command that changed content.
Does every cursor movement enter history?
No. Editors generally group or filter movements so navigation history represents useful jumps rather than every keystroke.
Can ReturnFast always reopen the exact editor line?
No. File-and-line restoration is best effort and depends on the path, workspace, installed editor, and accessibility data still being usable.