Finding specific things

Smart Folders

Updated 2026-07-31 · 3 min read

A Smart Folder is a saved question, not a folder. It re-answers itself each time you open it.

Creating one

File → New Smart Folder, or run any Finder search and click Save.

Set the scope, add criteria with +, then save. It appears in the sidebar and re-evaluates on every open.

The ones worth having

• Big files — File Size greater than 1 GB
• Recent work — Last modified within 7 days, excluding Library
• Screenshots — Name begins with "Screenshot"
• Installers — Name ends with .dmg or .pkg
• Untouched for a year — Last opened before a date

Editing

Right-click the Smart Folder → Show Search Criteria. The rules reappear and can be changed.

Where they are stored

~/Library/Saved Searches

They are .savedSearch files — property lists holding a Spotlight query. They can be copied between Macs.

The limitation

A Smart Folder is a Spotlight query, so it inherits every Spotlight exclusion. A Smart Folder for "everything over 1 GB" will silently miss large files inside ~/Library, inside packages, and on unmounted drives — which are exactly the places large files hide.

Saved searches in a tool with a complete index do not have that gap, which matters most for precisely this kind of housekeeping query.

Common questions

Can I share a Smart Folder with another Mac?

Yes. Copy the .savedSearch file from ~/Library/Saved Searches.

Do Smart Folders take up space?

No. They store a query, not copies of files.