From AppleSearch and Find File in 1994, demand for search has grown with rising storage capacity. Sherlock was released in 1998, then replaced by Spotlight in 2005. Twenty years later it’s still going strong.
Spotlight
Entering search queries directly into a Spotlight search box, using the raw query attribute in the Find window’s search bar, and using mdfind. Which is best?
How to create and use a Saved Search or Smart Folder, which isn’t a folder at all, how you can change its search, and how it works.
Using the Spotlight window and Finder’s Find window to locate local files that match your search criteria. Word boundaries and their effect on search results.
Applying a sequence of criteria to narrow search until you find your target. How incremental search can help. The role of predicates, and how to search the log.
How the name of one of the two ancient Greek Graces confuses Spotlight’s search box, and which characters can separate words.
Some services can only be run when a MacBook Air or Pro is awake and running on mains (AC) power. Here’s a list, and what you can do to ensure their work still gets done.
Finder tags should sync in iCloud Drive, and should be found when you use Spotlight search for their tag labels. Here’s what to check when there are problems.
How Spotlight works, Core and global Spotlight, importing failure, exclusions from indexing, re-indexing, excessive re-indexing, failure to find, iCloud Drive and network shares.
Try searching for something you know is in a file in ~/Library/Preference and you’re unlikely to get any success. This explains how, and why you can’t alter that.
The Eclectic Light Company 