I find the Spotlight to be quite slow in my system (not sure why, but maybe a lot of databases to search). As a result, I often bail out before Spotlight finds anything. It often fails to find files I know exist, and I can often find them manually faster than Spotlight.
I’ve tried several times to “reset” things so Spotlight rebuilds its database. But it never seems to “stick.” After a reboot, Spotlight has forgotten much of what it might have learned.
Interestingly, Spotlight is a bit better on my laptop than on my iMac. I keep several “backup” disks, so maybe Spotlight wastes time searching those before searching my SSD main drive?
A final thought: Spotlight could be MUCH more useful if it had a readable “path” feature. Right now, the path reveal is hidden by a trick keystroke, and even then displays in tiny-font, truncated form which makes it useless for files buried within multiple folders.
I use Houdah Spot for finding files and command-space for launching apps.
Which is ironic, since it uses the Spotlight database to find things. Is Spotlight getting any updates/refinements in the next MacOS?
At first I thought I was going to be able to use spotlight to find image files by keyword. But I rapidly learned that no matter how long it had had to catalog image files with their full panoply of keywords and file names etc., spotlight was a complete failure. There were times when I had a directory open and knew an image file was in it, and spotlight was unable to locate the specific file for me.
I gave up. Now I use NeoFinder to locate the master image file and the filename, and from there use the search function in Adobe Bridge to locate the file for launching. Spotlight is useless to me, and Cmd-F, for Find is pretty close as well.
Very annoying.
NeoFinder is an asset (mostly image based) databasing application privately created by a guy in Germany. It is the best databaser for such things that I’ve ever encountered. It builds from scanning the header of each image file, and allows searching by all the IPTC data embedded in the file, including a thumbnail.
I don’t believe Spotlight was even mentioned during WWDC23, so doubt that it will change noticeably in Sonoma. What refinements are hoping for?
Cmd-F simply uses the Spotlight database in a different UI from Cmd-Space.
you can change Cmd-Space to something else via System settings – I use Control Space
I use Spotlight primarily to find and launch apps that I don’t have in my dock. There are a few things that are used seldom enough (Disc Utility, e.g.) that they don’t get a space on the dock and I don’t want to go through Finder to get to them. Otherwise, looking for documents (and most anything else) I use EasyFind, which seems more powerful and configurable than Spotlight.
Try the MacMost.com website for all things Apple …
20 Things You Can Do With Spotlight Besides Searching For Files
and
Tips and Tricks For Using Mac Spotlight
Strangely, I started out thinking I had no use for it, but reading about it makes it seem like it might be useful. I’m sure I read about it when it came out.
I do use Alfred to find files and sometimes look through folders quickly. I usually remember the file names so that is not too much of a problem for me. It is handy to be able to navigate through folders in Alfred results using ⌘ + ↑ and ⌘ + ↓ (Cmd + Up/Down Arrows). There are also shortcuts/workflows to open most recently downloaded files, search in DevonThink, etc.
I too only use the search function via the Finder window; I stopped using Spotlight years ago, when it stopped working for me. (Somehow, it was always finding the wrong things, or missing things that I knew perfectly well really did exist.)
I had no idea that Spotlight can now do all of the functions in that checklist! It sort of seems like Apple wants it to be a replacement for widgets on the Mac; at least, many of the functions on that list are things I used to do with widgets, when widgets were a thing.
BTW, David C.: Love your B5 icon! 
Have you tried InfoClick?
Diane
I use Find Any File most often, an EasyFInd on occasion, to find files. Very fast an effective of both internal drive and external drives. When Spotlight indexing worked on my M1 MacMini prior to Monterey, I occasional used Houdah Spot. I use Launchbar solely to launch apps.
Which is greater: “Daily” or “Frequently”?
I use it much more frequently than daily. I selected Daily.
I have a ScanSnap document scanner. Everything important that comes into my house gets scanned to a searchable PDF…
I use spotlight all the time.
The thing I really miss in the current version of macOS is the CoverFlow view of a directory. Gallery view just isn’t as good. Anybody got a 3rd party equivalent?
I use spotlight mainly to relaunch Quicksilver when it has crashed. And sometimes to find files changed on a specific date, using the Finder window search pane (which uses Spotlight I guess, but is not invoked by the method mentioned in the poll).
I use Spotlight quite a bit, despite the fact that it is unreliable, sometimes slow, buggy, and all in all very frustrating.
I’ve got a very fast, modern MacBook Pro, and Spotlight regularly fails to find things I know are there.
I also use Quicksilver and FindAnyFile.
I use Spotlight almost exclusively to search for documents’ content to find these documents, and to launch apps.
Internet searches I do exclusively through Startpage.com to avoid Google’s spying.
What I miss in Spotlight settings is the possibility to be able to arrange the order of the search categories. this would help me to more efficiently spot what I am looking for.
I only use it for things that I cannot find with LaunchBar. When I’m searching for specific text within a final, or a specific file name.