Search a Folder from Finder

You don't have to index your whole disk. Keep AnySearch focused on the folders you care about (say, just Documents), and when you occasionally need to search somewhere else, right-click that folder in Finder and let AnySearch scope the search to it on demand.

How it works

  1. In Finder, right-click (or Control-click) the folder you want to search.
  2. Open the Services submenu and choose Search in AnySearch.
  3. AnySearch comes to the front with the search already scoped to that folder. Start typing — results are limited to files inside it.

If the folder isn't part of your regular index yet, AnySearch indexes it on demand the moment you invoke the service, so you still get results. This runs independently and never interrupts or slows your main background index.

Why use it

  • Index less, search anywhere. Point your regular index at a few key folders and reach the rest only when you need to.
  • Zero setup per search. No need to add the folder as a scan root or pick it from a dropdown — the right-click does it.
  • Scoped results. The search is automatically constrained to the folder you clicked, so you don't wade through matches from everywhere else.

Enabling the service

The Search in AnySearch service registers automatically after you launch AnySearch once. If you don't see it in the Services menu:

  • Open System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Services and make sure Search in AnySearch is checked under the Files and Folders section.
  • The item only appears when you right-click a folder (not a file).

macOS App Store sandbox apps need your explicit permission to read a folder's contents. The first time you search a new folder, AnySearch saves a security-scoped bookmark for it so future searches work without re-prompting. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.

Tips

  • The clicked folder becomes the active Folder filter, so you can layer on other filters (extension, date, size) on top of it.
  • To clear the scope and search everything again, reset the Folder dropdown to All in the toolbar.
  • Want full-text search inside that folder's documents? Turn on the Content toggle after the folder is scoped. See Content Search.