To keep Alfred's results clean, we recommend use use the spacebar prefix (as in step 1) to search for files but if you're searching for types you want to include in default results (without a keyword or spacebar prefix), ensure these are checked in the Essentials or Extras. You can drag in additional folders if your files are stored outside of the existing scope. To review your settings, go to Preferences > Features > Default Results.Įnsure the file you're searching for is located within your search scope. " open" (or a quick press of the spacebar as a shortcut) to launch the file/app you're searching forĪlfred searches for files within his defined search scope.You can expand your search by prefixing your search with these keywords: The results included in Alfred's default results include applications, contacts and other file types you've specified in your Default Results preferences. Use the "find", "open", and "in" keywordsĪlfred uses an intelligent search scope to be fast and efficient. If the Built-in Troubleshooting tool has highlighted indexing issues, or you're experiencing any indexing issues on your Mac, these steps will guide you in resolving them. If the troubleshooting passed, try using Alfred's file search mode.
You may simply need to add a folder to Alfred's default search scope, but in the case of a metadata warning or failure, this will almost always be resolved by rebuilding your macOS metadata. Help > Troubleshooting > File Search Troubleshooting > Run TroubleshootingĬlick the "Run Troubleshooting" button and drop the file which cannot be found from Finder into the troubleshooting sheet, and Alfred will attempt to diagnose the file search issue. The built-in file troubleshooter can be run from Alfred's Preferences: Take a look at the Monterey-specific troubleshooting instructions if Alfred can't find files or apps in macOS 12 Monterey. Note: If you've upgraded to macOS 12 Monterey, please ensure that you're using Alfred 4.6.1+ and that Monterey is also up to date. Clicking on Dictionary opens the Dictionary app, where a thesaurus and Wikipedia view are also available using the buttons at the top.If Alfred can't find the files or applications you're looking for, take a look at these steps to troubleshoot the issue. Moving your cursor over in the search result displays a definition. If you type a word in Spotlight, one of the results is a dictionary definition of that word. Using Spotlight as a dictionary or calculator If you decide you no longer need a (typically large) DVD project file and delete it, it does not delete the movie from iMovie or Final Cut.Ī simple but efficient way to take advantage of Spotlight is to use it to launch apps. To quickly launch an app that is not on your dock, just type the first few letters in Spotlight and press the Enter key.
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Tangentially, if you have ever burned DVDs on your Mac, you may be able to free up significant space on your hard drive by searching for “.dvdproj” in Spotlight. For example, if you are trying to locate all the Pages files on you your computer you would type “.pages” in your Spotlight search.
To search for files by file extension, type the “.” in the search. For audio and video files, you can play or preview the file right in Spotlight, by moving your cursor over the file and clicking the play button. This works for many types of files such as images, documents of all kinds, and more. When the search result is displayed, you can mouse over the file name and a preview of it will appear to the left.
This also works for emails.įor example, in the search result above, the Documents section displays Evernote,_Getting_Started_925.pages because the word “article” is in the body of the document. So, if you have a document that you’ve lost, and you aren’t sure of the title, you can search using a word that you know is in the body of the document. On a Mac, Spotlight can be used to search your hard drive for any file, folder, or email based on the search criteria being in the title or the body.
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This article will outline some of the benefits of using Spotlight and how to use Smart Folders, which allow you to search for a file even if you don’t know its name. Spotlight is also capable of looking up dictionary definitions, launching apps, performing calculations, previewing audio, video, documents, and other files. There are many other things Spotlight can do, and searching for files is just one of them. In OS X, Spotlight is an effective way to search your entire hard drive for a file or folder, email, or any other file.
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