How to Enable or Disable Automatically Find Additional Relevant Search Index Locations in Windows 11
- 7 steps
- Needs administrator rights
Automatically find additional relevant search index locations is a Windows 11 search feature. It watches which files you work with and adds folders outside the usual ones (Documents, Pictures, Desktop and so on) to the search index. Once a folder is indexed, content searches for documents, pictures and other items in it are faster, and you don’t have to add each folder by hand.
Recent Windows 11 builds include this option. You can turn it on or off at any time. It works the same on Home and Pro, and you don’t need administrator rights to change it. If the option isn’t there, your build may be older. Run Windows Update and check again. The label may also differ slightly between builds.
Open Settings Privacy & security Search and switch on “Automatically find additional relevant locations” to have Windows index more folders based on your file activity. Turning it off stops new folders being added, and the change applies immediately with no restart. If you don’t see the switch, update Windows and check again.
Turning On Automatic Search Indexing
If you want Windows to find more of your files for you, turn the feature on. The steps below take about a minute.
Step 1Open Windows Settings
- Press Win+I. The Settings app opens.
You can also click the Start button, the Windows logo on the taskbar, and select the Settings gear icon. If the gear isn’t pinned to the Start menu, click All apps and pick Settings from the list.
Step 2Go to Privacy & Security
- In the left pane of Settings, click Privacy & security. The privacy options appear on the right.
Step 3Find the Search Settings
- Scroll down the list on the right and click Search. This opens the settings for Windows Search. On some builds the page is called Searching Windows. It is the same page.
You should now see the search settings, including the file-finding options and the indexing settings.
Step 4Activate Automatic Indexing
This is the page where you control how far Windows looks when you search for files. With the automatic option on, Windows checks more folders on your drives and adds the relevant ones to the index. Searches then cover more of your files and come back faster.
- Find the option for automatically finding additional relevant locations.
- Check the switch. In newer versions of Windows 11 it is usually On by default. If it already shows On, your PC is already expanding its index based on your activity, and you don’t need to do anything.
- If the switch shows Off, click it so it shows On.
The feature lets Windows review your file activity to decide what to index. If you have privacy concerns about that, leave it Off. Turning it off stops Windows adding new locations automatically. Locations already added may remain in the index until you remove them under the indexing options on the same page.
Step 5Close Settings
- Close the Settings window once the switch shows the state you want, On or Off.
The change applies immediately. You don’t need to restart or sign out. To undo it, reopen the same page and flip the switch back.
References:
Summary
In short, Windows 11 can index more file locations automatically, based on how you use your PC. To control it, go to Settings Privacy & security Search and switch the Automatically find additional relevant locations for what you want option on or off.
Have a question about this guide?
Answered by AI from this guide. Good questions may be added to this page — please don't include personal details.
Did this guide fix your problem?
About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
No comments yet — be the first to share your thoughts!