diff --git a/include/AST/ParsedAST.h b/include/AST/ParsedAST.h
index 0ea733ee..98dd4de5 100644
--- a/include/AST/ParsedAST.h
+++ b/include/AST/ParsedAST.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 namespace clice {
 
 struct ParsedAST {
+    clang::FileManager& fm;
     clang::Preprocessor& pp;
     clang::SourceManager& sm;
     clang::ASTContext& context;
diff --git a/include/Feature/SemanticTokens.h b/include/Feature/SemanticTokens.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6484e19e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/Feature/SemanticTokens.h
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#pragma once
+
+namespace clice::feature {}
diff --git a/src/AST/ParsedAST.cpp b/src/AST/ParsedAST.cpp
index 109dd1d4..5067aa27 100644
--- a/src/AST/ParsedAST.cpp
+++ b/src/AST/ParsedAST.cpp
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<ParsedAST> ParsedAST::build(llvm::StringRef filename,
     }
 
     auto result = new ParsedAST{
+        .fm = instance->getFileManager(),
         .pp = instance->getPreprocessor(),
         .sm = instance->getSourceManager(),
         .context = instance->getASTContext(),
diff --git a/src/Feature/SemanticTokens.cpp b/src/Feature/SemanticTokens.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c3a18a96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Feature/SemanticTokens.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+#include "AST/ParsedAST.h"
+#include "Feature/SemanticTokens.h"
+
+namespace clice::feature {
+
+namespace {
+
+#define Traverse(NAME) bool Traverse##NAME(clang::NAME* node)
+#define WalkUpFrom(NAME) bool WalkUpFrom##NAME(clang::NAME* node)
+#define VISIT(NAME) bool Visit##NAME(clang::NAME* node)
+#define VISIT_TYPE(NAME) bool Visit##NAME(clang::NAME node)
+
+class SemanticToken {};
+
+class Highlighter : public clang::RecursiveASTVisitor<Highlighter> {
+public:
+    Highlighter(ParsedAST& ast) : fm(ast.fm), pp(ast.pp), sm(ast.sm), context(ast.context), tb(ast.tb) {}
+
+    std::vector<SemanticToken> highlight(llvm::StringRef filepath) {
+        std::vector<SemanticToken> result;
+
+        auto entry = fm.getFileRef(filepath);
+        if(auto error = entry.takeError()) {
+            // TODO:
+        }
+        auto fileID = sm.translateFile(entry.get());
+
+        this->fileID = fileID;
+        this->result = &result;
+
+        // highlight from tokens
+        // TODO: use TokenBuffer to get tokens
+
+        // TODO: highlight from directive
+
+        // highlight from AST
+        TraverseDecl(context.getTranslationUnitDecl());
+
+        return {};
+    }
+
+private:
+    void addAngle(clang::SourceLocation left, clang::SourceLocation right) {}
+
+public:
+    Traverse(TranslationUnitDecl) {
+        for(auto decl: node->decls()) {
+            // we only need to highlight the token in main file.
+            // so filter out the nodes which are in headers for better performance.
+            if(sm.isInFileID(decl->getLocation(), fileID)) {
+                TraverseDecl(decl);
+            }
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    WalkUpFrom(NamespaceDecl) {}
+
+    VISIT(DeclaratorDecl) {
+        for(unsigned i = 0; i < node->getNumTemplateParameterLists(); ++i) {
+            if(auto params = node->getTemplateParameterList(i)) {
+                addAngle(params->getLAngleLoc(), params->getRAngleLoc());
+            }
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    VISIT(TagDecl) {
+        for(unsigned i = 0; i < node->getNumTemplateParameterLists(); ++i) {
+            if(auto params = node->getTemplateParameterList(i)) {
+                addAngle(params->getLAngleLoc(), params->getRAngleLoc());
+            }
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    VISIT(FunctionDecl) {
+        if(auto args = node->getTemplateSpecializationArgsAsWritten()) {
+            addAngle(args->getLAngleLoc(), args->getRAngleLoc());
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    VISIT(TemplateDecl) {
+        if(auto params = node->getTemplateParameters()) {
+            addAngle(params->getLAngleLoc(), params->getRAngleLoc());
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    VISIT(ClassTemplateSpecializationDecl) {
+        if(auto args = node->getTemplateArgsAsWritten()) {
+            addAngle(args->getLAngleLoc(), args->getRAngleLoc());
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    VISIT(ClassTemplatePartialSpecializationDecl) {
+        if(auto params = node->getTemplateParameters()) {
+            addAngle(params->getLAngleLoc(), params->getRAngleLoc());
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    VISIT(VarTemplateSpecializationDecl) {
+        if(auto args = node->getTemplateArgsAsWritten()) {
+            addAngle(args->LAngleLoc, args->RAngleLoc);
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    VISIT(VarTemplatePartialSpecializationDecl) {
+        if(auto params = node->getTemplateParameters()) {
+            addAngle(params->getLAngleLoc(), params->getRAngleLoc());
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    VISIT(CXXNamedCastExpr) {
+        addAngle(node->getAngleBrackets().getBegin(), node->getAngleBrackets().getEnd());
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    VISIT(OverloadExpr) {
+        addAngle(node->getLAngleLoc(), node->getRAngleLoc());
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    VISIT(CXXDependentScopeMemberExpr) {
+        addAngle(node->getLAngleLoc(), node->getRAngleLoc());
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    VISIT(DependentScopeDeclRefExpr) {
+        addAngle(node->getLAngleLoc(), node->getRAngleLoc());
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    VISIT_TYPE(TemplateSpecializationTypeLoc) {
+        addAngle(node.getLAngleLoc(), node.getRAngleLoc());
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    VISIT_TYPE(DependentTemplateSpecializationTypeLoc) {
+        addAngle(node.getLAngleLoc(), node.getRAngleLoc());
+        return true;
+    }
+
+private:
+    clang::FileManager& fm;
+    clang::Preprocessor& pp;
+    clang::SourceManager& sm;
+    clang::ASTContext& context;
+    clang::syntax::TokenBuffer& tb;
+
+    clang::FileID fileID;
+    std::vector<SemanticToken>* result;
+};
+
+}  // namespace
+
+}  // namespace clice::feature