File Search

File Search turns Raycast into the fastest way to find a file on your computer. Type in Root Search and matches appear inline as you go or use the Search Files command for richer details and metadata without opening Finder or Explorer.

Get Started

1. Start typing a file or folder name in Root Search. Matching results appear inline alongside your apps, commands, and history.
2. Press ↵ to open the selected result, or ⌘ / Ctrl K to open the Action Panel for more actions.
3. For a richer view, open the Search Files command. The command will show a wider results list, a details panel showing file metadata, and the same actions as Root Search. When the search field is empty, the command shows your Recently Used files.

What Gets Indexed

By default, Raycast indexes your home folder, and on Mac it also indexes /Applications. Hidden files are excluded, and Raycast respects .gitignore, .ignore, Git exclude files, and .rayignore files. Common noise like node_modules, *.tmp files, and system caches is filtered out automatically.

Permissions

On first launch, Raycast requests permission to scan your home folder. If you prefer, grant permission to individual folders instead and File Search will index just those. If you skip this during setup, you'll see a prompt when you open the Search Files command.

.rayignore

A .rayignore file works like .gitignore, but for Raycast's File Search. Place one in any folder to tell Raycast what to skip. List one path or glob pattern per line, and rules apply to that folder and all subfolders. This is useful when you want to exclude something from File Search without touching your Git config, such as a tracked build directory you don't want cluttering results.

The Exclude from Index action in Search Files handles this for you. Select a file, run the action, and Raycast walks up the directory tree to find the nearest .rayignore, appends the rule, or creates a new .rayignore in the file's parent folder if none exists.

Settings

All File Search settings can be found in Raycast Settings → File Search.

• Content Search: Also match on the text inside files, not just their names. See Content Search below.
• Search Scopes: Add or remove additional folders to be included when searching for files. Useful for bringing in an external drive or a specific project folder not in your home folder.
• Ignore Patterns: Comma-separated glob patterns to skip globally (for example *.log, build/**). Combine with .rayignore files for per-folder rules.
• Include Hidden Files: Index dotfiles, folders that start with ., and other hidden files on your system.
• Use Ignore Files: Respect .gitignore, .ignore, and .rayignore files. On by default.
• Keep Files from Removed Volumes: Preserve indexed results for files on external or network drives even when those drives are disconnected or unavailable.
• Enforce Low Disk Space Block: Stop indexing if the estimated index wouldn't fit in your available disk space. Off by default. See Enforce Low Disk Space Block below.
• Reset to Defaults: Restore all File Search settings to their defaults. See Reset to Defaults below.

If you would like to turn off File Search in Root Search, you can do so from Raycast Settings -> Launcher -> Include Files in Root Search.

Content Search

Content Search lets Raycast find files by what's inside them, not just their names. It uses your operating system's built-in search index (Spotlight on macOS, Windows Search on Windows), so it only works when that index is healthy and covers your File Search folders.

To turn it on, open Raycast Settings → File Search and toggle on Content Search. If the toggle is grayed out, your OS index isn't covering your File Search folders yet — fix that first (below), then enable it.

Enforce Low Disk Space Block

Off by default, and currently available to some users. When enabled, Raycast stops indexing your files if it estimates the index wouldn't fit in your available disk space, protecting you from a large index filling up your drive.

If indexing is blocked because you're low on space, Raycast shows a warning at the top of File Search settings ("You are low on disk space, which may prevent Raycast from indexing your files"). To resolve it, free up disk space, then re-run indexing. If you'd rather let indexing proceed regardless, turn this setting off.

Reset to Defaults

If your File Search settings get into a messy state, or you just want a clean slate, you can restore everything to its defaults in one step.

1. Open Raycast Settings → File Search.
2. Scroll to Reset to Defaults.
3. Click Reset.
4. Confirm in the dialog ("Reset File Search Settings?"). Your files will then be re-indexed.

Resetting restores all File Search settings to their defaults, including:

• Search directories (scopes) — back to the defaults (your Home folder and Applications).
• Ignore patterns / exclusions — back to the default set.
• Other toggles like Include Hidden Files, Use Ignore Files, and Keep Files from Removed Volumes.

After you confirm, Raycast re-indexes your files so search reflects the restored settings. Depending on how much you have indexed, this can take a little while to complete.

Actions

With a file selected in either Root Search or the Search Files view, press ⌘ / Ctrl K to open the Action Panel. Several File Search-specific actions you can use in Raycast:

• Show Details in File Search: Opens the Search Files command to the selected file with the details panel open.
• Quick Look: Preview the file without opening it.
• Open in Terminal: Opens the folder in your default terminal. Folders only.
• Save as Quicklink: Turn the file into a Quicklink so you can launch it by name later.
• Save as Duplicate: Creates a copy of the file alongside the original.
• Send to Quick AI / Send to AI Chat : Attach the file to a new Chat as context. Files only.
• Toggle Hidden Files: Includes hidden files on your computer in File Search.
• Index Files: Force a fresh scan of your file index. You can also use the Stop Indexing action from the indexing toast to pause it.

AI Extensions

File Search ships with AI Extensions you can call in AI Chat or Quick AI with an @ mention to ask about your files in natural language — for example "find the PDF I downloaded last week from Apple" or "open the most recent screenshot from this morning" — without knowing the exact file name.

• Ask File Search (@file-search) — queries Raycast's own File Search index, so it reflects your configured search scopes, ignore patterns, and (if enabled) Content Search.
• Ask Finder (@finder) — asks against macOS Finder.

Each can be given an alias and hotkey, and toggled on/off, from the AI Extensions section of File Search settings.

Both extensions are also available as fallback commands. This means you can type your file search into Root Search with no matching results and use the Use with Ask File Search or Use with Ask Finder command at the bottom of results to locate it on your Mac.

Troubleshooting

If File Search isn't working as expected, here are some common issues and steps to resolve them.