I can’t search within folders under Tags in Finder

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Level 1

4 points

I can’t search within folders under Tags in Finder

Hi, I’ve tagged some folders for quick access. However, when I open these folders from the Finder sidebar under Tags and try to search within them, no files are found.

If I navigate into the directory normally and search, the files appear. But when I access that folder via tags from sidebar, the search results are empty.

I’ve seen people online suggesting the use of Smart Folders, but I have the same issue there — still no results.

Is it not possible to search within folders accessed via Tags?

MacBook Pro (M3 Pro, 2023)

Posted on Aug 15, 2025 12:48 AM

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Answer 1

VikingOSX

Level 10

122,172 points

Aug 15, 2025 02:11 PM in response to cptnkly

The Tags sidebar listing lets you locate the tagged folder by its tag color, but nothing inside it as it has no other search criteria to use to find content within the folder. You actually need to construct a Spotlight search string to find a specific file in a tagged folder.

I have a folder on my Desktop named Images with a Green tag. In that folder is a PNG image I am interested in finding:

(kind:folder AND tag:green) OR name:ds1

Using the menu bar Spotlight tool 🔍 I use the preceding Spotlight syntax:

If I open a Finder Window to my Desktop where that Images folder is located, I get this result. I have stretched the window for the entire Spotlight search string to appear:

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Answer 2

cptnkly Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 20, 2025 12:22 AM in response to VikingOSX

Yes, it seems like it was only intended for pinning something. But I still don’t understand why, when I tag a folder here, I can’t search inside it. After all, if I tag a folder and then click on that tag to go into the folder, when I search inside the folder it should perform the search based on the actual folder path and show the results, shouldn’t it?

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Answer 3

VikingOSX

Level 10

122,172 points

Aug 20, 2025 05:14 AM in response to cptnkly

The Finder design allows you to locate the tagged folder from the Finder sidebar and nothing more. To see that folder contents, you will need to double-click it.

You use the Spotlight syntax I provided when you want to locate something in that tagged folder without visiting the Finder Tags sidebar.

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