Fix Spotlight High CPU Usage in macOS 13

High CPU usage caused by the Spotlight indexer in macOS 13 Ventura typically stems from stuck background processes such as mds, mds_stores, or mdworker repeatedly scanning corrupted files or massive directories. This guide explains how to identify these processes, rebuild the Spotlight search index using both System Settings and Terminal, and exclude problematic directories to restore normal system performance.

Identify the Spotlight Process

Before taking action, confirm that Spotlight is the cause:

  1. Open Activity Monitor from Applications > Utilities.
  2. Click the CPU tab.
  3. In the search bar in the top-right corner, search for mds.
  4. Look for processes named mds, mds_stores, or mdworker. If any of these are consistently consuming a high percentage of CPU (over 50–100%), Spotlight indexing is either active or stuck in a loop.

Note: If you recently updated to macOS 13, restored from a backup, or transferred large amounts of data, high CPU usage is normal for the first 30 to 60 minutes while indexing finishes.

Method 1: Rebuild the Index via System Settings

Forcing macOS to discard and rebuild its search index resolves most indexing loops.

  1. Click the Apple menu and select System Settings.
  2. Scroll down the sidebar and select Siri & Spotlight.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the right pane and click the Spotlight Privacy button.
  4. Drag your primary storage drive (usually Macintosh HD) into the list, or click the + (plus) icon to add it.
  5. Confirm by clicking Done. This deletes the existing index.
  6. Re-open Spotlight Privacy, select Macintosh HD, and click the – (minus) icon to remove it.
  7. Click Done.

Spotlight will now begin re-indexing your drive from scratch.

Method 2: Force Re-index via Terminal

If the graphical interface fails to stop the high CPU usage, use Terminal to reset the indexing daemon.

  1. Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities.

  2. Turn off indexing for your main volume:

    sudo mdutil -i off /

    Enter your administrator password when prompted (characters will not show).

  3. Erase the existing Spotlight index database:

    sudo mdutil -E /

  4. Turn indexing back on:

    sudo mdutil -i on /

  5. Check the status to ensure the index is rebuilding properly:

    sudo mdutil -s /

Method 3: Exclude Problematic Folders and External Drives

Certain folders—such as large developer libraries (e.g., node_modules), virtual machine disks, or cloud storage caches—frequently trigger endless indexing cycles.

  1. Go to System Settings > Siri & Spotlight > Spotlight Privacy.
  2. Click the + (plus) button.
  3. Select and add the folders containing deep directory structures, code repositories, or large disk images.
  4. If you use external drives or network storage, add them here as well to prevent Spotlight from scanning them continuously.

Method 4: Restart the Spotlight Daemon

If the indexer process is frozen:

  1. Open Terminal.

  2. Run the following command to terminate the parent Spotlight process:

    sudo killall mds

    macOS will automatically restart the mds process within seconds, clearing temporary deadlocks without requiring a full system reboot.