How to Add or Remove File Types for Search Index in Windows 11

Adding and removing file types for Windows 11 search helps you find your documents, pictures, and other files much faster. Windows 11 uses a process called indexing to create a special list of information about your files.

This list acts like an index in a book, letting your computer quickly locate what you’re looking for without checking every single file. It looks at file names, details, and even the text inside documents.

Windows 11 allows you to choose which file types it adds to or removes from the search index. For example, you can include `.docx` files but exclude `.tmp` files to make your searches faster.

How to Change File Types for Indexing

You can change which file types Windows 11 searches by going into your Settings. First, open Settings by pressing the ⊞ Win and I together. Then, click on Privacy & security, followed by Search, and finally Advanced indexing options to manage your file types.

1. Open Settings. You can do this by pressing the ⊞ Win+I on your keyboard.

   

2. In Settings, click on Privacy & security in the left-hand menu. Then, on the right side, click on Search.  Open Search settings

   

3. Scroll down to the Related settings section and click on Advanced indexing options.

   

4. In the Indexing Options window, click the Advanced button.

   

5. Click on the File Types tab.

   

Remove a File Type from Indexing

You can stop Windows 11 from searching specific file types by unchecking the file type in the "File types" list. This prevents the Windows Search Index from including that particular file type, speeding up searches for other files.

• Find the file extension (like “3fr”) in the list.
• Uncheck the box next to the extension you want to remove from the search 🔍 index.

Add a File Type to Indexing

You can add a new file type to the Windows 11 search index if you want Windows to find files with that specific extension. For example, to make Windows search `.docx` files, you would add `.docx` to the list of searchable file types.

• Check the box next to an extension (like “386”) that is already in the list but not being indexed.

Add a New File Type to Indexing

If you need Windows 11 to search for a file type that isn’t included by default, you can add it yourself. Go to the Indexing Options and find the box to add a new extension. Type the file extension, like ‘bak’, and click Add. Then, choose whether Windows should index just the file’s name and details or its content too.

• In the box labeled Add new extension to list, type the file extension (like "bak").
• Click the Add button.

• Now, you need to tell Windows how to index this new file type. Choose one of these options:
  
  • Index Properties Only: This means Windows will only search the file name and its details.
  • Index Properties and File Contents: This means Windows will search the file name, its details, and also the words inside the file.
  Windows will update the description based on your selection. "File Properties filter" means it will only search file names and details, while "Plain Text Filter" includes searching the words within the file.

10. When you are done making changes, click OK.

11. Click Close to close the Indexing Options window.

12. You can now close the Settings window.

Summary