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Introduction | Start | Using | Gadgets | Search results | Preferences

Introduction - How Google Desktop works

You have lots of information on your computer, and you see a lot more on the web. With Google Desktop, you can quickly and easily find all this stuff right when you need it, including your files, emails, and web pages you've seen. When you look at a web page, read an email or edit a file, Desktop indexes that item and copies its contents into your local cache, where all this information will be instantly searchable, including older versions of files and web pages. And the Google Gadgets application lets you add a world of information to your Dashboard.

This page will help you get started using Google Desktop. You can also visit our Google Desktop Features page for additional information.

Starting Google Desktop

Do I need to do anything after installing Google Desktop to get it to work?

No, you don't. Once you've installed Desktop, it automatically starts indexing items that were already on your computer. It also indexes new items in real time as you see them. For example, it will find a web page immediately after you view it, or an email right after you read it (if you don't see the Desktop tab on your browser, restart the browser).

How long does the initial indexing take? Can I use my computer while it's going on?

Depending on how much data your computer contains, Desktop can take up to several hours to index all your existing information. This one-time indexing is designed to peacefully co-exist with your normal work, so you can keep on using your Mac while the indexing takes place.

What if there's stuff that I don't want Google Desktop to index?

You can tell Google Desktop not to index certain items simply by adding them to Spotlight's privacy list. You can also have Desktop remove specific files, folders, and URLs from its cache.

Using Google Desktop

How do I search my computer with Google Desktop?

You do desktop searches the same way you do Google web searches: simply enter your search terms into a query box.

You can get to a desktop search query box with the Google Desktop application running, press the ⌘ key twice to call up the Quick Search Box.

New! Using Google Gadgets

What are Google Gadgets?

Google Gadgets are small programs you can add to your Dashboard. You can choose from hundreds of gadgets created by Google and users around the world.

How do I use Google Gadgets?

To use Google Gadgets, just double-click the Google Gadgets application, choose a gadget, and click Add. Dashboard will open and your gadget will appear.

Viewing Search Results

The first Quick Search Box results are applications, if any, that match your search terms. This lets you use Desktop as an application launcher.

Just press Return to open the selected result, or use the arrow keys to select another result, then press Return. Or, use the mouse to click any result.

What if I want to see more results for these search terms?

Click the line that reads "See all desktop results"

What if I want to search the web for these terms?

Click the line at the bottom that reads "Search web".

Browser Search Results Page

In a web browser, your Desktop search results page lists all the items in your index that match your search terms. By default, it lists your most recent items first; you can click Sort by relevance near the top of the page to change the order of results.

A small icon to the left of each result identifies the result's type: email, web page, application, folder, document, and so on.

When you click on a result's title, you'll go to the current version of that result.

• If you click on a web page title link, you'll go to that web page.
• If you click on an email message subject link, you can read the email in your browser.
• If you click on a file title link, the most recent version of that file will open, using the appropriate application (for example, BBEdit for files you created with BBEdit).
• If you click on a folder link, the folder will open in the Finder.

What if I want to see an old version of a file or web page?

Just click on the item's Show cached link on the results page to see all versions of the item that Desktop has in its cache. This is particularly useful when you accidentally delete a file!

What if I only want to see one type of result - just emails, web pages, media files, and so on?

Near the top of your results page is a line that lists how many items Desktop found of each result type. Click on a result type and you'll get a page showing only results of that type; click emails, for instance, and you'll get a list of only email results.

Modifying Preferences

What if I have files and folders that I don't want Google Desktop to index?

Go to System Preferences → Spotlight → Privacy and add the files and folders you don't want indexed.

What if I don't want Google Desktop to show deleted documents?

Go to System Preferences → Google Desktop → Search Results and uncheck the "Display results for deleted documents" box.

What if I want Google Desktop to temporarily stop indexing and remembering what I look at?

Go to System Preferences → Google Desktop → Indexing and uncheck the "Enable Google Desktop indexing" box.

What if I stopped Google Desktop from indexing and I want it to start indexing again?

Go to System Preferences → Google Desktop → Indexing and check the "Enable Google Desktop indexing" box.