Finding Files

Tuna has more than one way to find files.

The trick is to use each path for the kind of search it is actually good at:

• the main index for files Tuna should know about all the time
• Spotlight actions for one-off searches inside a folder
• Smart Folders for saved searches you expect to reuse

The Main Index

The main index is the normal file side of Tuna.

That includes the built-in file catalogs and any Indexed Folders you add in Settings -> Library.

Use it when:

• you want files to show up directly in Fuzzy Mode
• you want to browse first and decide on an action second
• you keep coming back to the same folders and documents

This is the best path when Tuna should steadily learn your habits. The same file can rise in ranking over time, and once the file is in front of you, all the usual actions are already there.

It is less ideal when the folder is huge, noisy, or only useful as a temporary search scope. In those cases, indexing everything can be heavier than you need.

Could be for your GIFs folder, your top-level work folder, your notes in Mardown.

The benefit on the main index is that it is fast and always at hand. But it doesn't scale to tens of thousands of files.

Spotlight Actions

Spotlight actions are for scoped searches.

You can stage a folder and use Spotlight Search For…. Or you can start with text and use Spotlight Search In… against a folder.

Use them when:

• you want to search for filenames, content, type, anything
• you already know which folder you want to search
• the search is ad hoc
• you want Spotlight-style terms like kind:pdf invoice

This is great for questions like "find PDFs in this client folder" or "search this project for files with report in the name" without turning that folder into a permanent catalog.

The tradeoff is that the result is temporary. Spotlight actions are excellent for "right now", but they are not the best home for searches you repeat every day.

Smart Folders

A Smart Folder saves two things:

• a folder
• an optional base Spotlight query

That makes it the right tool when the same scoped search keeps coming back.

Examples:

• PDFs in Contracts
• screenshots in Downloads
• design assets in a project folder

You can browse a Smart Folder directly, or use Search for … to add more terms on top of the saved query.

That gives you something in between the other two approaches: more reusable than a one-off Spotlight action, but more focused than adding a whole folder to the main index.

Which One To Use

• Use the main index when Tuna should know a folder continuously.
• Use Spotlight actions when you need a quick search in a known place.
• Use a Smart Folder when that quick search turns into a repeated workflow.

If an Indexed Folder starts feeling too broad or too heavy, that usually means you do not want "all files in here." You want a Smart Folder that captures the slice you actually care about.

If you want the broader command model around file selection and actions, read How Commands Work and Fuzzy Mode.