Mac Index Search – CLI Commands
Basic Search
mdfind "search term"
Search in a Specific Folder Only
mdfind -onlyin ~/Documents "search term"
Search by File Name
mdfind "kMDItemFSName == '*.pdf'"
Search by File Type
mdfind "kMDItemContentType == 'com.adobe.pdf'"
Show Metadata of a File
mdls /path/to/file.pdf
Live Search (stays open and shows new matches)
mdfind -live "search term"
Combined Attributes
mdfind "kMDItemAuthor == 'Max' && kMDItemContentType == 'com.adobe.pdf'"
Overview
| Command | Purpose |
|---|
mdfind | Spotlight search |
mdls | Show metadata |
mdutil -s / | Check index status |
mdutil -E / | Rebuild index (requires sudo) |