This post shows students and new users the steps to hide specific folders from Windows search results in Windows 11. Windows has a built-in search function that allows you to search for documents in a particular folder or on entire PCs.

The Windows Search service indexes content for faster results when searching for files and other content from defined locations. By default, Windows uses classic indexing to index and return search results. The classic indexing option will index content found in user profile folders, including documents, pictures, music, and the desktop.

With Improved Indexing option, Windows indexes everything on your computer, all hard drives and partitions, including your libraries and desktop by default.

Regardless of the indexing options you are using, you can hide specific folders that you don’t want Windows to search. Content that you don’t want included in your search results, which can bog down your systems, may be hidden from the Windows search service.

Here’s how to do it in Windows 11

How to hide content from Windows search results in Windows 11

As mentioned above, one can hide content in specific folders that they don’t want included in Windows search results.

For example, if you don’t want Windows to include web content in your search results, you can prevent Windows from including web content in your search results.

To start hiding specific folders from Windows search, continue below.

Windows 11 has a centralized location for most of its settings. From system settings to creating new users and updating Windows, everything can be done from your System settings crystal.

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To access the System Settings, you can use the Windows key + i shortcut or click Start ==> Settings as shown in the following picture:

windows 11 startup settings

Alternatively, you can use the search box on the taskbar and find Settings. Then select to open it.

The Windows settings panel should look similar to the image below. In Windows settings, click Privacy & Securityand select Looking for windows tile on the right panel as shown in the image below.

windows 11 searching windows

About him Looking for windows configuration panel, below Exclude folders from enhanced search, Select These folders will not be included when searching your PC.

Then click on the Add an excluded folder button.

Windows 11 excludes folders from search

Next, browse for the location and select the folder that you want to exclude from Windows search.

windows 11 select excluded folder

Any folder you exclude will appear in the list Folders excluded from improved search.

windows 11 excluded folder list

If you want to remove a folder from the list of excluded folders, just click the vertical ellipse (three dots) and select Remove.

remove folders from

Now you can close the Windows Settings app if you want.

You should do that!

conclusion:

In this tutorial we have seen how to add specific folders to the Windows search exclusion list. If you find any errors above or have something to add, use the comment form below.

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