# Can I delete the .Spotlight-V100 index folder?

- URL: https://moreroom.app/folders/system-spotlight
- Item: Spotlight index
- Location: `/System/Volumes/Data/.Spotlight-V100`
- Verdict: Keep — your data — Your data. Shrink it from its app; don’t delete the folder.
- Comes back on its own: yes
- Source: MoreRoom rules catalogue (2026-10-17), by Yando Pte. Ltd.

## What is it?

The Spotlight search index for your startup disk, stored in `/System/Volumes/Data/.Spotlight-V100`. It lets Spotlight, Finder search and Mail find files and their contents instantly. It is usually a few GB; far more than that can mean a damaged index or folders full of many small files being indexed.

## What happens if you delete it?

macOS rebuilds the index automatically. A full rebuild can take hours, and search results are incomplete meanwhile.

## How to remove it properly

Do not delete it manually; it is protected by macOS. To rebuild an oversized index, open System Settings › Spotlight, click Search Privacy, add your disk, wait a few seconds, then remove it from the list. To keep it smaller, add folders you never search, such as virtual machines or build folders, to the same list.