# Node/file pick list does not appear when calling org-road-node-find

**URL:** <https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/node-file-pick-list-does-not-appear-when-calling-org-road-node-find/3902>\
**Category:** Troubleshooting\
**Created:** [February 21, 2026, 8:16pm UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/node-file-pick-list-does-not-appear-when-calling-org-road-node-find/3902 "2026-02-21T20:16:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sbishop33](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/org-roam.discourse.group/sbishop33/32/1700_2.png) [@sbishop33](https://org-roam.discourse.group/u/sbishop33)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2026, 8:16pm UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/node-file-pick-list-does-not-appear-when-calling-org-road-node-find/3902/1 "2026-02-21T20:16:18Z")

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Complete newbie to org-roam!

When trying to open a node using org-roam-node-find, a pick list does not appear. Instead, I am prompted to type in a file name. This will become impossible as the nodes multiply! How can I change this behavior? I have org-roam-db-autosync-mode in my .emacs file per the manual. When I run org-roam-db-sync this message is displayed: “Processing modified files …. done”. So it appears that all of the nodes are being indexed.

Why do I not see a list of files instead of just a prompt to enter a file name?

Thanks for any help!

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**Author:** ![nobiot](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/org-roam.discourse.group/nobiot/32/159_2.png) [@nobiot](https://org-roam.discourse.group/u/nobiot)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2026, 4:58pm UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/node-file-pick-list-does-not-appear-when-calling-org-road-node-find/3902/2 "2026-02-22T16:58:09Z")

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> [@sbishop33](#):
>
> Why do I not see a list of files instead of just a prompt to enter a file name?

I am guessing this is because you use the default completion. I suggest you try [`Vertico`](https://github.com/minad/vertico). I use it and it gives me a list of **node titles** without typing anything.

One other thing is that I guess you don’t see “file names” listed, do you? What you see should be list of titles, not file names.

- File names are like this: `~/Documents/areas/2024-09-29T000330_pcase_let_example.org`.
- Its title that shows up in my node list is like this “Emacs pcase-let destructuring example”.

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**Author:** ![sbishop33](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/org-roam.discourse.group/sbishop33/32/1700_2.png) [@sbishop33](https://org-roam.discourse.group/u/sbishop33)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2026, 2:55pm UTC](https://org-roam.discourse.group/t/node-file-pick-list-does-not-appear-when-calling-org-road-node-find/3902/3 "2026-02-24T14:55:20Z")

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Vertico works. Thanks for the tip!