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Spotlight
by
HONGMIN LI
· GitHub ↗
· v2.1.0
· MIT-0
681
Downloads
0
Stars
2
Active Installs
5
Versions
Install in OpenClaw
/install spotlight
Description
Search files and content using macOS Spotlight indexing (mdfind). Use when the user asks to search local files, documents, or directories on macOS. Supports...
Usage Guidance
This skill appears to do what it says: a simple local Spotlight search helper. Before installing, ensure you'll run it on macOS (mdfind must be available), and be aware it will return full file paths from directories you specify — do not ask the agent to automatically open/read files without confirming with you first. Also note the registry metadata could be improved to declare macOS as the required platform and to document the dependency on mdfind/mdutil.
Capability Analysis
Type: OpenClaw Skill
Name: spotlight
Version: 2.1.0
The skill is a legitimate wrapper for the macOS Spotlight search utility (mdfind). The bash script (scripts/spotlight-search.sh) safely handles directory scoping and result limiting without any evidence of data exfiltration, persistence, or malicious execution. Furthermore, SKILL.md includes proactive security instructions for the AI agent, such as requiring user confirmation before reading files and explicitly forbidding unauthorized sudo commands.
Capability Assessment
Purpose & Capability
The skill's name/description and included script consistently implement macOS Spotlight searches (uses mdfind -onlyin). Minor inconsistency: the registry metadata does not declare an OS restriction or required binaries, but the script requires macOS tools (mdfind) to work. This is an implementation/metadata omission rather than a functional mismatch.
Instruction Scope
SKILL.md instructs the agent to run the provided script, present file paths, and only read file contents with explicit user permission. The script itself only enumerates Spotlight results from a user-specified directory and prints paths/types/sizes — it does not read file contents, call remote endpoints, or access unrelated system files. It does print full file paths (which can reveal sensitive locations) but that is expected for a search tool and is emphasized in the documentation.
Install Mechanism
No install spec; this is instruction-only with an included shell script. No downloads or external installers are invoked. Risk from installation is minimal because nothing is written/downloaded automatically.
Credentials
The skill requests no environment variables, credentials, or config paths. This is proportional to its function. Note: because it outputs full file paths, using it will surface local path information — the SKILL.md appropriately instructs to obtain user consent before reading files.
Persistence & Privilege
always:false and no special privileges are requested. The skill does not attempt to persist, modify other skills, or require elevated privileges. The documentation explicitly warns against running sudo commands.
How to Use
- Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
- Run the install command in chat:
/install spotlight - After installation, invoke the skill by name or use
/spotlight - Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
Version History
v2.1.0
Security fix
v2.0.0
Clean release: English UI, privacy protection, external drive support, SIGPIPE fix
v1.0.2
Remove Chinese comments and examples; Use English for all output messages; Remove privacy-sensitive example paths
v1.0.1
Fix SIGPIPE error when using head with large result sets; Add support for external drives search
v1.0.0
- Initial release of the Spotlight skill for macOS local file and content search using Spotlight indexing (mdfind).
- Supports fast searching inside PDFs, Word documents, text files, and more, including multilingual content.
- Includes quick start instructions, output formatting, and advanced Spotlight query syntax.
- Documents integration into LLM workflows (search + extract + summarize pattern).
- Notes limitations (macOS only, indexed directories required) and troubleshooting tips.
Metadata
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Spotlight?
Search files and content using macOS Spotlight indexing (mdfind). Use when the user asks to search local files, documents, or directories on macOS. Supports... It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 681 downloads so far.
How do I install Spotlight?
Run "/install spotlight" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.
Is Spotlight free?
Yes, Spotlight is completely free, licensed under MIT-0. You can download, install and use it at no cost.
Which platforms does Spotlight support?
Spotlight is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (cross-platform).
Who created Spotlight?
It is built and maintained by HONGMIN LI (@li-hongmin); the current version is v2.1.0.
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