Written by
Sherry Song
Summary: If your macOS storage is being consumed by ~/Library/Metadata/Spotlight... or other metadata files, you may wanna clear them correctly. We introduce the proper methods to clean them, and you're highly recommended to use CleanMyJunk, ensuring a complete and safe removal.
There are many Mac users like you complaining about the issue that ~/Library/Metadata/SptlightKnowledgeEvents or ~/Library/Metadata/CoreSpotlight has taken up too much disk space on Mac:
I checked my system and found I have a lot of stuff in my Library folder. The Spotlight related data in Metadata consumes around 150 GB. I want to figure out how to clear this disk space. -discussion.apple.com
I was wondering why my system data was so large so I checked each of the Library folders' file size. The folder called Metadata takes up 77 GB and the CoreSpotlight takes up 30+ GB. What are these files? Can I delete them to clear up my system space? -reddit.com
Don't simply delete the folder directly, for this can lead to unintended system issues, such as Spotlight searching malfunctioning or system instability. Instead, a proper cleanup approach ensures your Mac stays optimized while preventing unnecessary Metadata accumulation.
The quickest and cleanest way to clean Metadata files
For users looking for a hassle-free solution, CleanMyJunk provides an effective and complete way to scan and remove unnecessary Mac caches, including but not limited to the Mac Metadata folder.
This tool ensures that only redundant and outdated files on Mac HDD and external SSD are erased while selecting essential system files intact on your own.
Simply run a scan, review the detected files, and proceed with cleaning system junk, temporary files, and unneeded data while Spotlight Knowledge Events takes up much.
- Free download, install, and open CleanMyJunk.
- Click Grant Access to allow the permissions.
- Select Quick Scan and wait.
- Choose and untick the files of MetaData, then click Clean at the bottom.
(The Spotlight related files are commonly in the System log or System junk.)
So easy and convenient to clean up your Mac Metadata huge caches as well as the other system junk~ Have a try!
How to deal with huge ~/Library/Metadata files?
If you prefer a manual approach to managing large Metadata files, including ~/Library/Metadata/SptlightKnowledgeEvents and ~/Library/Metadata/CoreSpotlight, just follow these steps:
# Check the folder size
Before making any changes, determine how much space Mac Metadata files are taking up. This needs Mac Terminal commands, so be careful.
- Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
- Type sudo du -sh ~/Library/Metadata.
- See the total size of the folder, and you can also click Finder > Go > Go to Folder > Type ~/Library/Metadata to see the space of each folder.
# Delete Metadata contents with commands
If the Metadata files are taking up excessive space, remember to delete the contents carefully not deleting the folder directly:
- Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
- Type sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Metadata/SpotlightKnowledgeEvents/* and press the Enter key.
(Or you can right-click unneeded files inside it and choose Move to Trash, then empty Trash.) - Type sudo mv ~/Library/Metadata/SpotlightKnowledgeEvents ~/.Trash/.
You can replace the SpotlightKnowledgeEvents with CoreSpotlight for your needs.
# Rebuild Spotlight Index
If Spotlight starts behaving abnormally after clearing metadata files, rebuilding its index can resolve the issue.
- Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
- Type sudo mdutil -E / and press the Enter key.
This will force macOS to reindex your entire drive, which may take some time but will restore search functionality.
# Disable Spotlight for Metadata events
To prevent macOS from continuously generating large metadata files like Spotlight Knowledge Events take up much, you can disable Spotlight indexing for these events.
- Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
- Type sudo mdutil -i off /Library/Metadata/SpotlightKnowledgeEvents and press the Enter key.
- To re-enable it later, use: sudo mdutil -i on /Library/Metadata/SpotlightKnowledgeEvents and press the Enter key.
(For the folder CoreSpotlight, just take SpotlightKnowledgeEvents place of CoreSpotlight.)
# Use Mac Safe Mode to clear Metadata caches
Booting into Mac Safe Mode can help clear system caches, including metadata files, without requiring manual deletion:
- Shut down your Mac.
- Turn it back on while holding the Shift key until the login screen appears.
- Log in and wait a few minutes for macOS to clean system caches automatically.
- Restart your Mac normally.
Have you solved the issue that the CoreSpotlight takes up much? Share this useful tool.
Bonus: How to prevent Metadata from generating junk?
To minimize the accumulation of unnecessary metadata files, causing the Metadata folder take up storage, follow these best practices:
- Regularly clear system caches: Use Safe Mode or tools like CleanMyJunk to periodically remove accumulated junk files.
- Delete unused language files and uninstall unused apps and manage indexing settings where possible.
- Monitor storage usage: Check metadata folder sizes from time to time using Terminal or About This Mac to identify any excessive growth.
- Remove old iOS backups and remove Time Machine snapshots.
By following these steps, you can keep your Mac's Library metadata from consuming excessive storage space. Always back up important data before deleting files.
Hope you can fix the problem, Spotlight Knowledge Events takes up much and efficiently manage large metadata files while keeping your Mac running smoothly.
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