Choose a folder
Select Downloads, Desktop, Documents, an external drive, or another folder through the standard macOS folder picker.
Private download source search for Mac
Find files by where they came from.
Download Detective is a focused native macOS utility that searches the download source metadata already stored on your Mac. Choose a folder, browse websites and domains in the sidebar, and find the file you remember downloading-even when you no longer remember its name.
Coming soon to theMac App Store
See how it works
100% localNo account, analytics, or cloud service
Native metadataReads download provenance saved by macOS
Read-only accessNever moves, renames, edits, or deletes files
A direct path back to a download
Choose. Search. Find.
Browse source domains
Download Detective reads public Spotlight provenance metadata and groups files under source websites such as github.com or drive.google.com.
Inspect and open
Search by filename, extension, path, domain, or full source URL, then open the file, reveal it in Finder, or visit its saved source page.
A clear view of your Downloads folder
Every saved source, organized.
The sidebar summarizes source domains and file counts. The native table keeps filenames, source websites, sizes, dates, and kinds easy to scan without slow thumbnail generation.
Search macOS download provenance
What is download source metadata?
Many Mac browsers and apps attach provenance information to downloaded files. Spotlight commonly exposes this as kMDItemWhereFroms: one or more URLs that can include the direct file address and the page that linked to it. Finder stores this useful history but offers only limited ways to search it.
Download Detective turns that existing metadata into a searchable Mac interface. It does not inspect browser history, monitor network traffic, recover deleted history, or contact the listed websites. If an app did not save source information, the file is clearly shown under Unknown Source.
Inspect the full trail
See the domain and every saved URL.
Select a result to see its kind, size, dates, location, primary domain, source URL, and additional provenance URLs. Native actions open the file, reveal it in Finder, copy its path, or open the source in your default browser.
A focused Finder companion
Fast, native, and deliberately simple.
- Immediate case-insensitive search across names, extensions, paths, domains, and URLs
- Source website counts with All Files and Unknown Source views
- Filters for images, documents, archives, video, audio, applications, and other files
- Sort by date, name, source, size, or kind
- Native Quick Look, Finder reveal, context menus, and keyboard shortcuts
- Security-scoped folder access and a local cache for faster reopening
Useful when a filename is not enough
Find old downloads in real Mac workflows
Developer downloads
Find release archives, documentation, and sample projects by searching for GitHub or another developer website.
Receipts and documents
Locate a PDF or attachment by the webmail, cloud drive, or portal it came from-even with a generic filename.
Creative assets
Trace images, archives, video clips, and design files back to their saved source pages without opening each file.
Private by design
Your filenames and download history stay on your Mac.
Download Detective has no account, backend, ads, analytics, telemetry, or tracking. Scanning and searching happen locally. The app performs no network request unless you explicitly choose Open Source URL, which hands the address to your default browser.
Read the Download Detective privacy policyDownload source search FAQ
Common questions
Can Download Detective recover missing download history?
No. It searches provenance metadata that already exists on each file. Some apps and browsers do not save this information, and metadata can be removed during file transfers.
Does it scan my whole Mac?
No. It scans only the folder you explicitly select through the standard macOS folder picker. Version 1 uses one active folder at a time.
Does it modify or organize files?
No. Download Detective is read-only. It does not move, rename, tag, edit, or delete files.
Does it need internet access?
No. Scanning, metadata reading, filtering, and search work offline. Open Source URL is the only action that can open a website, and it uses your default browser.
Which folders can I search?
You can choose Downloads, Desktop, Documents, another accessible folder, or an external drive. Access remains limited by the macOS App Sandbox.
Need help finding a download?