Q: How do I stop spotlight from searching mail *attachments*
I regularly have to attach one file to 10+ emails. Spotlight seems to index every single attachment. So when I search for my copy of that file (e.g., the one in "Documents") to make some edits, Spotlight returns all of the attached files (which live somewhere in the Mail ecosystem). So it takes a long time to find the right copy of the many different files.
Is there a way to tell Spotlight to stop searching for mail attachments.
To clarify, I want to be able to search in the body, to/from, subject, etc. fields of mail. I just don't want to search for attachments.
What I've tried so far:
- put Mail Downloads folder in Spotlight privacy list (didn't work)
- put Library > Mail in Spotlight privacy list (prevented ALL searches in mail; not desirable)
I need a middle ground between 1 and 2.
Other info:
OS X 10.11.6
MacBook Air, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6), Finder, Spotlight, Mail
Posted on Aug 3, 2016 10:21 AM