The Services feature in macOS allows you to quickly perform actions – no matter what application you’re working in. HoudahSpot provides the following Services to start new searches from right where you currently are:
- Search in HoudahSpot
- Search Folders in HoudahSpot
- New HoudahSpot Search
Services are available system-wide. Just choose Services from any application’s main menu or from the context menu. Assigning a keyboard shortcut to a Service makes access even faster.
Let’s have a closer look at the Services offered by HoudahSpot:
Search in HoudahSpot
This Service starts a HoudahSpot search for the currently selected words. The item will only appear if some text is selected.
- Select text you want to use as search term.
- Choose Services > Search in HoudahSpot from the application’s main menu or from the context menu (ctrl-click or right-click).
- A HoudahSpot window opens, showing results for your search term.
Search Folders in HoudahSpot
This Service creates a new HoudahSpot search within the currently selected folder. Therefore, this item will only show up if a folder is chosen.
- In the Finder, select one or several folders.
- Choose Services > Search Folders in HoudahSpot from the main menu or from the context menu (ctrl-click or right-click).
- A HoudahSpot window opens and is ready for you to type in your search terms. The search location is restricted to the folder or folders chosen.
New HoudahSpot Search
This Service launches HoudahSpot and opens a new default search. The default setup of the search window can be changed by choosing Save As Default from HoudahSpot’s File menu.
Enabling Services and Assigning Shortcuts
To configure Services and assign keyboard shortcuts on your Mac, go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Services.
The Services New HoudahSpot Search and Search in HoudahSpot are listed under the Searching heading. The Search Folders in HoudahSpot can be found under Files and Folders.
