Spotlight can search your Mac, but it may also show web results, Siri Suggestions, news, apps, and other online content. If you want a cleaner search window focused on files and apps, you can turn off these results in System Settings.
The exact options can vary slightly depending on your macOS version, but the relevant controls are in Siri & Spotlight and Spotlight settings.
Quick Answer
To stop Spotlight from showing web results and Siri Suggestions:
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Select Siri & Spotlight in the sidebar.
- Turn off options such as Show Siri Suggestions, Show related searches, or similar web and suggestion settings.
- Scroll to Results from Apple and disable categories you do not want Spotlight to display, such as Web Images, News, and Suggested Searches.
- Open Spotlight settings and turn off Show Related Searches if that option is available.
You can also prevent Spotlight from searching specific apps or folders if you want to reduce unrelated results.
What You Can Disable in Spotlight
Spotlight combines several types of information in one search:
- Files and folders stored on your Mac
- Applications
- Contacts, messages, calendars, and other personal data
- Siri Suggestions
- Web searches
- News and image results
- Definitions and other reference information
- Recent or suggested searches
You do not have to disable Spotlight entirely. Most people only need to turn off web-based categories and suggestions while keeping local searches enabled.
The setting names depend on your macOS version. If you do not see an option with the exact wording used below, look for a similar setting under Siri & Spotlight, Spotlight, or Results from Apple.
Turn Off Siri Suggestions in Spotlight
Siri Suggestions can display recommended apps, searches, contacts, and other content as you type. To disable them:
- Click the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of the screen.
- Select System Settings.
- Click Siri & Spotlight in the sidebar.
- Look for settings related to Siri Suggestions, suggestions in Spotlight, or personalized results.
- Turn off the available option that allows Siri to provide suggestions in Spotlight.
On some versions of macOS, you may see a setting such as Show Siri Suggestions. On others, suggestion controls may appear under a section called Results from Apple or within the Spotlight settings.
After changing the setting, open Spotlight by pressing Command-Space and test a search. Existing results may remain visible briefly while Spotlight refreshes its search display.
What This Changes
Turning off Siri Suggestions affects recommended content in Spotlight. It does not necessarily disable Siri everywhere on your Mac. Siri may still be available through its menu bar button, keyboard shortcut, or Siri & Spotlight settings.
It also does not prevent Spotlight from finding your own files, applications, or other indexed content unless you disable those categories separately.
Disable Web Results and Related Searches
Web results can appear when Spotlight cannot find a local match or when macOS considers an online result relevant. To limit this behavior:
- Open System Settings from the Apple menu.
- Select Siri & Spotlight.
- Scroll through the available Spotlight result options.
- Turn off Show Related Searches, if available.
- Disable any option referring to web searches, web results, or online results.
Depending on your version of macOS, the setting may be labeled differently. Commonly related controls include:
- Show Related Searches
- Show Siri Suggestions
- Search the Web
- Web Images
- News
- Suggested Searches
If you see Results from Apple, expand that section and turn off categories that provide online content. You can leave local categories such as Applications, Documents, or Folders enabled.
If You Still See a Search-the-Web Option
Some macOS versions continue to show a way to search the web even after related searches and suggestions are disabled. This may be a built-in Spotlight action rather than a result category.
In that case, disable every available online category under Siri & Spotlight and Spotlight, then test Spotlight again. You may still be able to select a browser or a web-search action manually, but automatic web suggestions should be reduced.
Remove Unwanted Result Categories
Spotlight lets you choose which types of results appear. Removing categories is useful if you want Spotlight to behave more like a local file and app launcher.
- Open System Settings.
- Choose Siri & Spotlight.
- Scroll to the list of searchable result categories.
- Turn off categories you do not want.
- Leave Applications, Documents, and other useful local categories enabled.
You may be able to disable categories such as:
- Contacts
- Events & Reminders
- Messages
- Maps
- Music
- News
- Web Images
- Definitions
- Other
The available list varies by macOS version and installed apps.
Disabling a category does not delete anything. It only stops Spotlight from displaying that type of information in its results.
Prevent Spotlight from Searching Specific Apps or Folders
If Spotlight shows suggestions from particular apps, you can exclude those apps from search.
- Open System Settings.
- Select Siri & Spotlight.
- Scroll down and choose Spotlight Privacy or Spotlight Privacy & Security, depending on the wording shown.
- Click the Add button, usually represented by a plus sign.
- Select the app, folder, or disk you want to exclude.
- Click Choose.
You can also drag a folder or disk into the privacy list in Finder.
Important Warning
Adding a folder or disk to Spotlight Privacy changes system search behavior. Spotlight will stop indexing that location, so its files may no longer appear in Spotlight results. This does not delete the files, but it can make them harder to find through Spotlight.
Do not add your entire startup disk unless you intentionally want to disable most Spotlight file searching. If you exclude a folder that contains important documents, you can remove it later from the privacy list to restore indexing.
Turn Off Spotlight Suggestions for an Individual App
Some apps can contribute content to Spotlight. If one app is responsible for unwanted suggestions, you may be able to disable its search access without changing all Spotlight results.
- Open System Settings.
- Click Siri & Spotlight.
- Scroll down to the list of apps or result sources.
- Select the app.
- Turn off the options that allow the app’s content to appear in Spotlight.
For example, you might disable search access for Mail, Messages, or a third-party app while leaving document and application searches enabled.
If the app does not appear in the list, use Spotlight Privacy to exclude its data folder only when you know which folder contains the content. Excluding an app’s data manually can affect search more broadly than expected.
Configure Spotlight from the Menu Bar
Recent macOS versions may include a Spotlight pane in System Settings in addition to the controls under Siri & Spotlight.
To check:
- Open System Settings.
- Use the sidebar search field and type Spotlight.
- Open the matching settings pane.
- Review options for related searches, result categories, and privacy.
- Turn off web-related categories and unwanted suggestions.
If you cannot find a separate Spotlight pane, use the controls under Siri & Spotlight instead. Apple has moved and renamed some Spotlight options between macOS releases.
Test the New Spotlight Settings
After changing the settings, test Spotlight with a few searches:
- Press Command-Space.
- Search for the name of an app installed on your Mac.
- Search for a local document.
- Try a term that would normally produce web suggestions.
- Check whether the unwanted categories still appear.
If Spotlight still shows old suggestions, close the search window and open it again. You can also sign out of your user account and sign back in. This refreshes the user session without changing your files.
Do not restart or sign out while you have unsaved work in other apps.
Troubleshooting
The settings are missing
Use the search field in System Settings and search for Spotlight, Siri, or Suggestions. Open each relevant result and check for controls related to web searches and result categories.
The location and wording of these options can vary by macOS version.
Web results still appear
Check all of the following:
- Show Related Searches is turned off.
- Show Siri Suggestions is turned off.
- Web-related categories such as Web Images and News are disabled.
- Spotlight is not simply displaying a browser action that you selected manually.
- You have closed and reopened Spotlight after changing the settings.
If web content continues to appear, macOS may still provide a general online search option even though automatic suggestions are disabled.
Siri Suggestions return after an update
A macOS update can change the location or wording of Spotlight controls. Reopen System Settings, search for Spotlight, and review the available settings again.
Also check whether the setting was disabled globally or only for a particular app.
Spotlight no longer finds files
You may have accidentally excluded a folder or disk from Spotlight indexing.
- Open System Settings.
- Go to Siri & Spotlight.
- Open Spotlight Privacy.
- Select the excluded folder or disk.
- Click the Remove button, usually shown as a minus sign.
Spotlight may take time to index the location again. During indexing, some files may not appear immediately.
Results are incomplete after changing settings
Spotlight may need time to update its index after privacy or result-category changes. Keep your Mac connected to power if you are indexing a large disk, and wait before drawing conclusions from a single search.
Avoid deleting Spotlight index files or using Terminal commands unless you have a specific indexing problem. Rebuilding the index can take time and may temporarily use additional system resources.
You want fewer distractions, not fewer search results
If the main problem is alerts or banners rather than Spotlight results, adjust notification settings separately in System Settings > Notifications. Spotlight settings control search content; they do not control every notification shown by Siri or other apps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I disable web results but keep local Spotlight searches?
Usually, yes. Turn off related searches, Siri Suggestions, and web-based result categories while leaving local categories such as Applications, Documents, and Folders enabled.
Will turning off Siri Suggestions disable Siri?
No. These settings primarily control suggestions and Spotlight results. Siri itself may remain available unless you separately disable Siri in System Settings > Siri & Spotlight.
Does this delete my files or browsing history?
No. Disabling result categories only changes what Spotlight displays. It does not delete files, browser history, messages, or other data.
Can I turn off Spotlight completely?
You can exclude locations from Spotlight indexing, but doing so may prevent files from appearing in Spotlight. For most users, disabling web categories and unwanted apps is a better solution than excluding the entire startup disk.
Why do I still see suggested apps?
Suggested apps may come from Siri Suggestions, recent activity, or app-related result categories. Turn off Siri Suggestions and review the app-specific Spotlight settings under Siri & Spotlight.
Can I restore the original settings?
Yes. Return to System Settings > Siri & Spotlight and enable the result categories or suggestion options again. If you added a folder to Spotlight Privacy, select it and click the minus button to remove it.
Final Thoughts
To make Spotlight focus on your Mac instead of the web, disable Siri Suggestions, Related Searches, and online result categories in System Settings. Keep local categories enabled so you can still quickly find apps and files. If one app or folder causes unwanted results, adjust its Spotlight access rather than disabling search across your entire Mac.