Possible to re-order Spotlight search results

[neilf]

Is this possible on MacOS Sierra?
i.e. results show all folders at the top, pdf second etc etc.

 

[ferrarr]

Have you gone into System Preferences > Spotlight, and checked the settings there?

 

[IWT]

Is this possible on MacOS Sierra?
i.e. results show all folders at the top, pdf second etc etc.

This is a highly relevant question. I would ordinarily say, dead easy, System Preferences > Spotlight > Search Results.

Then click on a name such as Applications or PDF Documents and move them up or down in the list to suit your requirements. And this works for me and has always done so.

However, I very recently bought my wife a new MacBook Pro which shipped with Sierra and no matter what I try on her behalf, it appears to be impossible to alter the order.

All I can say, is give it a go as described above and see if you can rearrange the order to suit you. This was the time- honoured way to do it. And very useful too.

But there may have been a change in the settings which only apply to new Macs.

Ian

 

[nickyr]

Try:

>Finder
>Preferences
>Advanced
tick the box "Keep folders on top when sorting by name"

 

[pm-r]

Yikes, a quick google search shows many users with the "no sort" options, so who knows what Apple has changed.

And I'm wondering if I should even post this rather geeky "fix" I stumbled upon:
https://www.reddit.com/r/mac/commen...el_capitan_and_macos/?st=j4w5l2zl&sh=11338a82

I sure hop this isn't what Apple's macOS is coming to for some users.






- Patrick
======

 

[neilf]

Try:

>Finder
>Preferences
>Advanced
tick the box "Keep folders on top when sorting by name"

That worked, thanks. Although it's only folders. If anyone wanted to list their pdf files, for example, how would that work?
I don't know if Apple have broken the sorting facility in preferences, or it was deliberate. If deliberate, then I'm not sure I understand what direction Apple are going in.

 

[nickyr]

That worked, thanks. Although it's only folders. If anyone wanted to list their pdf files, for example, how would that work?
I don't know if Apple have broken the sorting facility in preferences, or it was deliberate. If deliberate, then I'm not sure I understand what direction Apple are going in.

If you right click on the folder you want to view, then click on "Show view options", you'll get a choice to view files within the folder in whatever order you want, including type - which should group all PDFs, etc. together

 

[ferrarr]

I don't use it, but in Finder sidebar, click on "All My Files", this will list all your files. In the toolbar, select the gear icon, then select Arrange by, "kind".

 

[IWT]

Is this possible on MacOS Sierra?
i.e. results show all folders at the top, pdf second etc etc.

This is what I believe Neil wants. Not necessarily the ability to use Finder to display things in a certain order, nor to use the search function built into Finder; rather how use Spotlight and so arrange things that it includes/excludes options and searches those options in preference order.

In Neil's case, PDFs. In my case, I like Applications as my first choice because I mainly use Spotlight to open apps.

Whilst this was easy to previously, the function has been discontinued - or so it seems.

Ian

 

[pm-r]

If one selects their hard dive and opens it and then does any searching with the various options and also use the View (menu) sort order, one can get just about any find order they want.

And then of course, yup, you guessed right, there's always Find Any File.app
http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/

Sorry to keep repeating it, but it works and is also sortable…






- Patrick
======

 

[Dogbreath]

...and thus I will repeat....+1 for FAF.app