Spootylight
●  Native for macOS

Search your Mac.
Then act.

Find files, folders and apps in plain English. Preview, navigate, collect and rename them without breaking your flow.

Get it for $5
⌥Space from anywhere · macOS 13+ · Apple silicon
FILTERS
RESULTS
AllAppsFilesFolders
⌘↵ FinderSpace PreviewTab Actions
AI Rename

Try a Spootylight search

Native SwiftFeels at home on your Mac
Local searchYour file index stays on device
Stable rankingThe top result stays put
No subscriptionPay once and keep it
MORE USEFUL THAN SEARCH

One palette for the work around your files.

01

Search becomes the selection

Type “images in Downloads this week,” select the results, then rename or copy the whole set. No manual folder hunting first.

12 SELECTED

IMG_7821.jpgCampaign_01.jpg

IMG_7822.jpgCampaign_02.jpg

IMG_7823.jpgCampaign_03.jpg

02

Open any path

Paste a path, type cd ~/Projects, or use a file URL. Return opens it; arrows move through folder history.

03

Preview at a glance

Press Space for native Quick Look. Image thumbnails appear before you open anything.

04

Actions that matter

Press Tab for rename, copy path, copy file, add to batch, or pin and unpin folders.

05

Apps and files together

Search installed apps alongside documents. Matching stays predictable while you type.

THE COMPLETE TOOLKIT

Everything Spootylight can do.

A focused file utility with the search, navigation and actions that normally require several separate apps.

⌕

Find exactly what you mean

  • Fuzzy filename search
  • Search indexed document contents
  • Filter by file type, folder and relative date
  • Understand phrases such as “PDFs in Documents this week”
  • Find large files, screenshots and named folders
  • Search apps, files and folders together
⌘

Move through your Mac

  • Open absolute, tilde, quoted and cd paths
  • Browse folders with left and right arrows
  • Jump through recents and pinned folders
  • Save reusable smart searches
  • Open apps and common locations
  • Reveal any result in Finder with Command-Return
✦

Act on every result

  • Quick Look with Space
  • Rename one file inline
  • Collect files across several searches
  • Batch replace, add text or number names
  • Copy a file or its path
  • Drag files straight into browsers and other apps
✓

Rename with confidence

  • Preview every new name before applying
  • Preserve file extensions automatically
  • Detect collisions before files change
  • Reject unsafe parent-and-child selections
  • Undo the current rename session
  • Keep the batch while changing searches
◐

Make it feel like yours

  • System, light and dark appearances
  • Configurable global shortcut
  • Immediate shortcut-conflict feedback
  • Menu-bar ghost for quick access
  • Mouse hover and full keyboard navigation
  • Click-away, Escape and visible close controls
↻

Stay fast and current

  • Native SwiftUI and AppKit interface
  • Fast cached startup
  • Two-stage results for quick first matches
  • Live file updates through macOS FSEvents
  • Stable selected result while search completes
  • Local catalog across home, iCloud and pinned folders
BUILT FOR MUSCLE MEMORY

Fast enough to disappear.

The interface tells you what each key will do. Customize the global shortcut and appearance in Settings.

⌥ SpaceShow Spootylight
↵Open result
⌘ ↵Reveal in Finder
SpaceQuick Look
TabMore actions
← →Browse folders
QUESTIONS, EXORCISED

Spootylight FAQ

The practical details before you invite a ghost onto your Mac.

How is Spootylight different from Spotlight?

Spotlight mainly finds and opens. Spootylight treats results as working material: select files directly from a search, preview them, collect them across queries, rename them, copy them, drag them out, or navigate their folders without leaving the palette.

What can I type into the search box?

Use ordinary names, fuzzy fragments, file paths, or phrases combining type, place and time. Examples include images in downloads this week, text in documents since yesterday, recent blender files, large files, and cd ~/Projects.

Does natural-language search send my filenames to AI?

No. Search parsing and the private file catalog run on your Mac. A command such as “chatgpt create an image…” opens ChatGPT in your browser and copies the prompt; that external action happens only when you choose it.

Can it search inside documents?

Yes, Spootylight can use the local macOS Spotlight content index. Files or locations excluded from Spotlight indexing cannot provide content matches, while filename search continues through Spootylight’s own catalog.

Is batch rename safe?

You see a live preview before applying changes. Extensions are preserved, existing destinations are never overwritten, conflicting names are blocked, and the current rename session can be undone.

Which folders does it search?

The catalog covers Applications, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Movies, Music, iCloud and CloudStorage. Pinning another folder adds it to future searches. macOS may ask you to grant access to protected locations.

Which Macs are supported?

The current build requires macOS 13 or newer and an Apple silicon Mac. Intel support is not currently advertised.

Is $5 a subscription?

No. It is a one-time purchase for one user and includes the complete app plus future 0.x updates. There is no recurring charge.

Does Spootylight replace Finder or Spotlight?

No. It works alongside both. Finder remains the file manager, and macOS Spotlight can continue indexing document contents for content search.

Will the public download be signed by Apple?

The current prototype is a development build. The public release is planned to be Developer ID signed and notarized before paid distribution.

Spootylight ghost icon
ONE-TIME PURCHASE

One tiny price.
No recurring haunting.

Get the complete native file palette for one Mac user, including future 0.x updates.

  • Natural-language search
  • Quick Look and file actions
  • Single and batch rename
  • No account inside the app

Requires macOS 13 or newer on an Apple silicon Mac.