Indexing everything sounds thorough. It also balloons RAM, slows updates, and fills results with garbage you'll never open.
Blacklisting is as important as choosing what to include. A lean index rebuilds faster and returns fewer false positives.
Always exclude
node_modules, .git objects at scale, VM disk images, Steam library roots, Windows temp. Millions of tiny files, zero retrieval value.
Review yearly
New dev toolchain or game install and index jumps 30%. Open exclusions, add path, force rebuild. Synced cloud placeholder folders and backup mirrors that duplicate indexed paths elsewhere — exclude when they add noise, not files.
See also: Real-time indexing vs. scheduled scans, Keeping search fast when your disk is almost full.