What you get for a .METADATA_NEVER_INDEX file
We don't have a dedicated viewer for this format, so we identify and inspect it instead — honestly, only what can be read from the file.
Drop your .METADATA_NEVER_INDEX file
Choose it or drag it in. It's read right here in your browser.
We identify it
We read the magic bytes to tell what the file really is, its MIME type, and whether the name matches the contents.
See the details
Any metadata we can extract (dimensions, EXIF/GPS, document author and dates), a hex view, plus readable text and strings found inside.
What is a .METADATA_NEVER_INDEX file?
Plain text that programs, servers and people write every day.
A .METADATA_NEVER_INDEX file is a system data file used by Apple's Mac OS X. It serves as a directive to the Spotlight search utility to prevent the indexing of the directory in which it is located. These files are primarily utilized by the operating system and the Spotlight search service.
Programs that open .METADATA_NEVER_INDEX files
| Full name | macOS Spotlight "Never Index" Marker File |
|---|---|
| Developer | Apple |
| First released | Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, 2005 (with the introduction of Spotlight) |
| Category | Text & Code |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream |
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Frequently asked questions
Is my .METADATA_NEVER_INDEX file uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read and highlighted for you.
Why do some characters look wrong (é, ł)?
That usually means the file was saved in one encoding and opened in another. We detect UTF-8, UTF-16 and the Windows-1250/1252 code pages automatically and show which one was used.
Can it handle huge log files?
Yes, up to 50 MB. Only the lines on screen are drawn, so scrolling stays smooth. Syntax colours are switched off for files over 1.5 MB to keep things fast.
How do the log level filters work?
We find levels like ERROR, WARN, INFO and DEBUG on each line. Lines without a level, such as stack traces, stay with the entry above them, so filtering to errors keeps the full trace.
Can I edit the file?
This is a viewer. To change code, download it or copy it into your editor. Converting encodings and line endings is planned.
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