How to Enable or Disable Indexing File Contents by File Type In Windows 11
- 13 steps
- Needs administrator rights
Windows 11 Search builds an index, which is a database of file details, so you can find documents, apps and emails quickly. Indexing file contents by file type lets Windows read the words inside specific formats, such as text files or Word documents, instead of only looking at file names.
You can change this setting per extension to speed up searches or save disk space. By default, Windows indexes file properties for all items. You decide which file extensions also get their text stored in the index.
- Index Properties OnlyWindows records basic file information, such as the name, location and dates. It does not read or store what is inside the file. You can still find the file by name, but you cannot search for words in its text.
- Index Properties and File ContentsWindows records the file’s properties and reads and catalogs the words and data inside the file, so that content becomes searchable.
Choosing "Index Properties Only" gives you a smaller index and saves disk space. The cost is that you can’t find a file by searching for text inside it. For most people, indexing file contents gives the better search experience, because Windows can find a document by what it says and not only by what it is called.
Open Settings, go to Privacy & security Search, click Advanced indexing options, then select Advanced File Types. Click an extension such as.docx.txt and choose Index Properties and File Contents. Windows then reads and catalogs the words inside that file type, so you can search by text. Pick Index Properties Only to undo it.
How to Change File Indexing Settings
You need to be signed in with an administrator account, or be able to enter administrator credentials, because the Advanced indexing settings ask for elevation. You can undo any change later by returning to the same screen and choosing the original option for that extension.
Step 1Open Windows Settings
- Press Win+I to open Settings.
The Settings app opens with the list of categories on the left.
Step 2Go to Search Settings
- In the left-hand menu of Settings, click Privacy & security.
- On the right side, scroll to the Windows permissions area and click Search.
You should now see the Search settings page, with options such as Find my files and Excluded folders.
Step 3Find Advanced Indexing Options
- Scroll down the right side of the Search page until you reach Related settings.
- Click Advanced indexing options.
The classic “Indexing Options” window opens. It lists the locations being indexed and shows how many items are indexed. You can also reach this window by typing "indexing options" into the Start menu search box.
Step 4Open the Indexing Options Window
- In the “Indexing Options” window, click the Advanced button.
- If User Account Control (UAC) asks for permission to make changes, click Yes.
If the button prompts for a password instead, your account is a standard one. Enter an administrator’s credentials to continue. The “Advanced Options” window then opens.
Step 5Select the File Types Tab
- At the top of the “Advanced Options” window, click the File Types tab. The other tab, Index Settings, holds options for file encryption, diacritics and the index location, so leave it alone for this task.
You should now see a long list of file extensions, each with a checkbox, plus a filter description column.
Step 6Choose a File Type
- Scroll through the list and click the extension you want to change, for example .docx or .txt. Click the name of the extension, not just its checkbox.
If the extension you want isn’t in the list, you can type it into the box under the list and click Add new extension to list. The checkbox next to an extension must stay ticked for Windows to index that type of file at all. If you clear it, Windows skips those files.
Step 7Choose How to Index
- With the extension still selected, choose one of the two options at the bottom of the window.
- Index Properties OnlyWindows records only basic information about files with this extension and does not read their contents. The “Filter Description” column shows “File Properties” for this extension.
- Index Properties and File ContentsWindows reads and records the words and data inside files of this type. For plain text files the “Filter Description” column shows “Plain Text Filter”. Other formats show the name of the filter that reads them, so the wording can differ from one extension to the next.
For example, if you select ".docx" and choose "Index Properties Only," Windows will no longer process the text inside your Word documents for search. If you choose "Index Properties and File Contents," Windows reads the text in those documents and makes it searchable.
Pick the option that matches how you want that one file type handled.
Step 8Repeat for Other File Types
- To change another file type, such as .pdf or .xlsx, click it in the list.
- Choose Index Properties Only or Index Properties and File Contents for it, as you did before.
Repeat this for every extension you want to change. Each extension keeps its own setting. If an option looks greyed out or does nothing, check that the extension is ticked in the list and that you opened the window with administrator rights.
Step 9Save Your Changes
- When you have finished, click OK at the bottom of the “Advanced Options” window.
The window closes and you return to “Indexing Options”. Click Close there as well.
Step 10Close Windows
Your new settings are saved as soon as you click OK. No restart is needed. Windows updates the index in the background, so you can close Settings and keep working.
That is the whole process. Windows now follows your preferences for the file types you changed. If you have a lot of files, the index can take a while to catch up. During that time, searches for text inside the affected files may return incomplete results. The “Indexing Options” window shows progress, and you can leave the computer running until it reports that indexing is complete. To reverse a change, repeat the steps and select the original option for that extension.
Summary
Managing how Windows 11 indexes file contents lets you decide whether search results include only basic file details or the text inside your documents. By adjusting these advanced options, you can keep the index small and searches quick, and still have Windows read the file types you care about.
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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.
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