HoudahSpot

To get started, simply type what you’re looking for in the quick search field. Maybe you remember that your file contains words like “invoice” or “logo” — that’s perfectly enough. Hit Return to see the results once you’re ready.

Add more criteria to refine your search. HoudahSpot can search by name, text, size, date, tag, author, resolution — and even combine different criteria to return the results that match at least one of those. You can also set the app to search across specific locations and exclude the rest.

HoudahSpot knows a lot about files stored on your Mac. But you can decide what properties should be displayed — names or tags, date last modified or date created, file path or file size. Maybe all of them? Choose from among hundreds of columns to customize your search results.

Learn about file properties from a handy Info pane. Peek inside your files with Quick Look and Text Preview. HoudahSpot can highlight search terms as well as fold text preview to show only the parts that contain these search terms. No need to open the file to know whether it’s the one.

Save time with HoudahSpot’s search templates. They allow you to combine and save custom properties for specific file types. For instance, if you need to find an audio file, you can set up a template with properties like genre, composer, and bit rate. The app comes with a few ready-to-use templates.

Once you get to know the ropes, try a few power user features to streamline file search even more. Run HoudahSpot searches from third-party apps, automate search with Apple Script, drop files onto the Info pane to inspect their properties, and more.