File Search

How It Works

Volt runs a background file indexer that:

1. Scans configured directories recursively
2. Indexes file metadata (name, path, extension, size, modification date) in a local SQLite database
3. Watches for changes via a file system watcher — new, renamed, and deleted files are updated automatically
4. Uses WAL mode for concurrent reads during search

The index is stored locally at:

%APPDATA%\volt\file_index.db

~/Library/Application Support/volt/file_index.db

~/.config/volt/file_index.db

Basic Search

Type a filename to search:

invoice.pdf         → Find files named "invoice.pdf"
project report      → Fuzzy match files containing these words
README              → Find all README files

Volt uses fuzzy matching — you don't need exact names. Results are scored and ranked:

Search Operators

Use operators to filter results precisely:

By Extension

ext:pdf             → All PDF files
ext:ts              → All TypeScript files
report ext:docx     → Word docs containing "report"

By Size

size:>10mb          → Files larger than 10 MB
size:<1kb           → Files smaller than 1 KB
size:>100kb         → Files over 100 KB

By Modification Date

modified:<7d        → Modified in the last 7 days
modified:<30d       → Modified in the last 30 days
modified:<1h        → Modified in the last hour

By Directory

in:documents        → Search only in Documents
in:downloads        → Search only in Downloads
in:desktop          → Search only on Desktop

Combining Operators

Operators can be combined for precise filtering:

ext:pdf size:>1mb modified:<30d          → Large PDFs modified recently
report ext:xlsx in:documents             → Excel files named "report" in Documents
ext:ts modified:<7d                      → TypeScript files changed this week

Configuring Indexed Folders

Control which directories Volt indexes in Settings → Indexing:

Default Indexed Locations

• Desktop
• Documents
• Downloads

Adding Folders

1. Open Settings (Ctrl+, / Cmd+,)
2. Go to the Indexing tab
3. Click Add Folder
4. Select the directory to index

Excluding Paths

Exclude specific paths from indexing to avoid noise:

• node_modules
• .git
• Build output directories
• Large media folders

File Extensions

Configure which file extensions to include or exclude. By default, Volt indexes common document, code, and media file types.

Index Management

Search Pipeline

Understanding how search works helps you get better results:

1. You type a query (150ms debounce)
   ↓
2. Volt searches in parallel:
   ├── Applications (fuzzy match)
   ├── Files (SQLite index + operators)
   └── Frecency suggestions (recent/frequent)
   ↓
3. Results are merged, scored, and sorted
   ↓
4. Plugin results are added (calculator, web search, etc.)
   ↓
5. Top results displayed (capped at maxResults setting)

Results from different sources are grouped by type: Applications, Files, Commands, Games.

Tips

• Fuzzy matching works everywhere — inv.pdf finds invoice.pdf
• Operators are case-insensitive — EXT:PDF and ext:pdf work the same
• Frecency applies to files too — recently opened files rank higher
• Preview files with Space or Ctrl+P before opening them
• Open containing folder with Ctrl+O / Cmd+O

Next Steps

• Configuration — Customize indexing and search settings
• Keyboard Shortcuts — File-specific shortcuts
• Basic Usage — Core concepts