METADATA_NEVER_INDEX File Documentation

Overview

Feature Value
File Format Name METADATA_NEVER_INDEX (Spotlight Never Index File)
Primary Purpose Prevent Spotlight from indexing specific locations
File Extension .noindex
Location Varies; placed in any directory to prevent indexing of that location
Introduced in macOS Not specifically tied to a macOS version; Spotlight feature related
Creator Apple Inc.
Visibility Typically hidden
Editable No, it's a placeholder file without content
MIME Type application/x-metadata-never-index
User Creation Can be created manually by users
System Level Can affect system-wide indexing if placed at the root level
Encoding N/A - No actual content
Size 0 KB (Empty file)
Accessibility Accessible via Finder if hidden files are shown, or via Terminal
Security Role Can be used to protect sensitive directories from being indexed and searched
Backup and Sync Included in backups unless explicitly excluded; Can be synced across systems
Relevance to Performance Can potentially improve system performance by reducing Spotlight's indexing load
Detection by Antivirus Typically ignored by antivirus software
Compatibility Specific to macOS and its Spotlight search feature
Alternative Uses None, serves a very specific function
Modification Simply deleting the file reverses its effect
Scriptable Can be created or deleted via shell scripts