Skip to content
Core Features

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.

Raycast Root Search showing file search resultsRaycast Root Search showing file search results

Get Started

  1. Start typing a file or foldder 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.

File Search matches on file name alone and doesn't index file contents. Any searches for content within a file will not show matching results.

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.

Your file index is stored locally on your device and is never synced or uploaded to Raycast servers.

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.

Raycast Settings showing File Search extension
  • 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.

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.

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.

Ask Finder

You can use the @finder AI Extension in Chat to chat with files on your computer using the same index as File Search. You can ask questions like "find the PDF I downloaded last week from Apple" or "open the most recent screenshot from this morning" to find what you're looking for without knowing the exact file name.

Quick AI using the @finder AI Extension to find a project brief

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