What is mdworker_shared on Mac?
By Junaid, maker of Taskglass · Last reviewed
Spotlight indexing worker; modern macOS runs several at once to read files for search.
mdworker_shared is the form of the Spotlight worker that current macOS mostly uses. Spotlight starts these workers to read different kinds of files and extract text and details for search. You'll often see several at a time, and they come and go as needed.
- Category
- Apple service
- Made by
- Apple
- Safe to quit:
- With care
Shown in Activity Monitor as mdworker_shared
Why is mdworker_shared using so much CPU or memory?
- Indexing after a macOS update, migration or new drive
- Many new or changed files, like downloads, photos or code
- Large or complex documents
What to do
- 1Let indexing finish with the Mac on and plugged in
- 2Exclude folders you never search in System Settings > Spotlight > Search Privacy
- 3Restart your Mac if they stay busy for days
Safe to quit? With care.
Spotlight starts new workers as needed; quitting one doesn't stop indexing.
Typical usage
Rough ranges on Apple Silicon Macs. Yours will vary.
- CPU
- 0% when idle; can be 10–100% each while indexing
- Memory
- 10–100 MB each
Related processes
- mdworkerA Spotlight worker that reads files and extracts searchable details for the index.
- mdsThe Spotlight metadata server: coordinates indexing so you can search your Mac instantly.
- mds_storesMaintains Spotlight's search index on disk, updating it as files change.
- corespotlightdIndexes content that apps share with Spotlight, like emails, notes and messages.
Part of the Taskglass Process Library