Installation & Setup

QuickSift runs natively on Windows and macOS. No runtime dependencies, no admin privileges required. Download, install, and start exporting.

System Requirements

PlatformRequirement
WindowsWindows 10 or later (64-bit)
macOSmacOS 10.14 (Mojave) or later
Disk space~100 MB
InternetRequired for license validation and Cloud Bridge only

Installation

Windows

Download the installer

Download QuickSiftSetup.exe from quicksift.io.

Run the installer

Double-click the .exe. Windows SmartScreen may show a warning the first time — click More info then Run anyway.

Launch QuickSift

Find QuickSift in your Start menu or desktop shortcut. The 14-day trial starts automatically.

QuickSift Windows installer
QuickSift Windows setup wizard.

macOS

Download the disk image

Download QuickSift.dmg from quicksift.io.

Install the app

Open the .dmg and drag QuickSift to your Applications folder.

First launch

Right-click the app and choose Open the first time. macOS Gatekeeper requires this for apps downloaded outside the App Store.

QuickSift macOS DMG drag-to-install
QuickSift macOS drag-to-install.

The Interface

QuickSift uses a two-panel layout. The Source Tree on the left shows your file structure. The Selected Files panel on the right shows everything you’ve checked.

Main QuickSift window with both panels visible
The main QuickSift interface — source tree (left) and selected files (right).

Key areas

Your First Export

Browse to your project

Click Browse to select your project folder, then click Search to load the file tree.

Filter if needed

Use the Ext dropdown to filter by file type (e.g., .py, .js), or type in the Filter by name field to narrow by filename.

Check the files you want

Click checkboxes in the source tree. Check a folder to include everything inside it. The right panel updates in real time.

Choose an output

For AI context, Copy to Clipboard is usually fastest. For archival, choose Structured + Zip.

Export

Click Export Files. Done! Paste into Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, or wherever you need it.

Completed export with files selected and output ready

Tip: Save your selections as a project so you can re-export with one click next time. See Projects.

Tri-State Checkboxes

QuickSift uses tri-state checkboxes in the source tree. This is how they work:

ActionResult
Check an empty folderAll children become checked
Uncheck a fully checked folderAll children become unchecked
Check one child in a folderParent shows partial (dash) state
Uncheck the last childParent becomes unchecked
Click a partial folderAll children become checked