What Is Corespotlightd on Mac

What does corespotlightd do in macOS?

Corespotlightd is a component of Spotlight, the system-wide search function that’s baked into macOS. It gives developers the ability to add data to the Spotlight index so that content inside third-party apps can be returned in your Spotlight search results.

For example, lots of Mac users prefer to use third-party email clients rather than Mail. Corespotlightd, also known as Core Spotlight, allows Spotlight to see the messages inside those apps so that they can be found when you search for them—assuming the developer adds this functionality.

Why does corespotlightd use high CPU on Mac?

Corespotlightd on Mac usually requires a little more CPU power and RAM when it periodically indexes data so that it can be found when you perform a Spotlight search. It can also be triggered when you make changes to files, add or remove an external disk, or update your apps.

However, if corespotlightd high CPU and RAM usage seems to be constant, this could signify an issue with the process or with the data that Core Spotlight is trying to index.

A note from our experts: 

 

A really easy way to free up RAM and increase Mac performance when corespotlightd slows you down is to use MacKeeper’s Memory Cleaner. It quickly clears old data from system RAM to give the programs you’re currently using more space. Here’s how to use it:

1. Download and install MacKeeper.
2. Select Memory Cleaner in the sidebar, then click Open.
3. Click Clean Memory to free up RAM and improve performance.

1. Indexing data volumes

We’ve noticed that one of the most common causes of corespotlightd high CPU usage is the indexing of data on different volumes or disks. This takes place whenever you connect a storage device, such as a hard disk or flash drive, to your Mac, and it allows Spotlight to see the files on that device.

2. Spotlight cache issues

Cache issues that prevent Spotlight from properly indexing data can also cause high CPU and RAM usage, since the corespotlightd process continually tries to index files in a seemingly never ending loop.

3. Hardware limitations

Although Spotlight doesn’t require a super powerful Mac, we’ve found that corespotlightd can bog down particularly old machines due to hardware limitations, especially with more recent macOS versions that have more powerful Spotlight search that returns data from even more sources.

4. Software bugs

Bugs in macOS and third-party software, particularly those that prevent Core Spotlight from properly doing its job, have also been known to cause corespotlightd issues, including high CPU usage that can cause MacBook overheating.

How to fix corespotlightd high CPU usage on Mac

To fix corespotlightd high CPU usage on your Mac, try this:

1. Stop corespotlightd process.
2. Restart your Mac.
3. Reindex disks.
4. Update your macOS.
5. Clear Spotlight cache.
6. Exclude unnecessary files from indexing.

1. Stop corespotlightd process

If you want to know how to see how much CPU is being used on Mac and stop the corespotlightd process, use Activity Monitor like so:

1. Open Activity Monitor from Applications > Utilities.
2. Find corespotlightd in the list of processes and select it.
3. Click the X button, then select Force Quit.

2. Restart your Mac

A simple restart is often the best way to kill a background process on Mac, including corespotlightd when it faces issues. Try this:

1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen, then choose Restart.
2. Select Restart again to confirm.

3. Reindex disks

When you reindex your disks, it forces corespotlightd to stop indexing their data, then restarts it again. Follow these steps:

1. In System Settings, select Spotlight > Search Privacy.
2. Click the + button, choose your disk, then select Choose.
3. After a minute or so, select your disk in the Privacy window, then click the – button.

Spotlight should now start indexing your disk again.

4. Update your macOS

Installing the latest macOS update can fix bugs that cause corespotlightd to misbehave. Here’s how:

1. In System Settings, select General > Software Update.
2. If a new macOS release appears, click Update Now.

If you know how to check MacBook performance with Activity Monitor, you can keep an eye on CPU usage after updating macOS to see if this fixed the issue.

5. Clear Spotlight cache

You can clear and rebuild the Spotlight cache to ensure that corrupt cache files aren’t causing corespotlightd to misbehave. The process for this is exactly the same as the process for reindexing your disks, so simply follow the steps outlined above.

6. Exclude unnecessary files from indexing

If you find that certain files or folders cause corespotlightd high CPU usage, which is often the case with particularly large files, you can exclude them from Spotlight indexing like so:

1. Select Spotlight in the sidebar in System Settings.
2. Choose Search Privacy.
3. Click the + button.
4. Find and select any files or folders you want to exclude from indexing, then click Choose.

Corespotlightd should not skip your selected files while continuing to index everything else as normal.

Conclusion

Spotlight is one of the most useful features in macOS, but its accompanying corespotlightd process can sometimes run into issues that cause it to have a higher than normal impact on CPU and RAM usage. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to fix it, as we’ve outlined above.

A super simple way to free up RAM on Mac, which will boost system performance, is with MacKeeper’s Memory Cleaner utility. It purges old data from memory in just a couple of clicks, giving your active software more resources for better performance.