$ balooctl status ~/*
File: /home/otto/bin
Basic Indexing: Done
File: /home/otto/Desktop
Basic Indexing: Done
File: /home/otto/Documents
Basic Indexing: Done
File: /home/otto/Downloads
Basic Indexing: Done
File: /home/otto/Fincher
Basic Indexing: Done
Content Indexing: Done
File: /home/otto/Music
Basic Indexing: Done
File: /home/otto/not-indexed.tmp
Basic Indexing: Disabled
File: /home/otto/Pictures
Basic Indexing: Done
File: /home/otto/Public
Basic Indexing: Done
File: /home/otto/public_html
Basic Indexing: Done
File: /home/otto/Templates
Basic Indexing: Done
File: /home/otto/test-0000.xwd
Basic Indexing: Done
Content Indexing: Done
File: /home/otto/test-0001.xwd
Basic Indexing: Done
Content Indexing: Done
File: /home/otto/Videos
Basic Indexing: Done

$ balooctl status -f simple ~/*
Basic indexing done:/home/otto/bin
Basic indexing done:/home/otto/Desktop
Basic indexing done:/home/otto/Documents
Basic indexing done:/home/otto/Downloads
Content indexing done:/home/otto/Fincher
Basic indexing done:/home/otto/Music
Indexing disabled:/home/otto/not-indexed.tmp
Basic indexing done:/home/otto/Pictures
Basic indexing done:/home/otto/Public
Basic indexing done:/home/otto/public_html
Basic indexing done:/home/otto/Templates
Content indexing done:/home/otto/test-0000.xwd
Content indexing done:/home/otto/test-0001.xwd
Basic indexing done:/home/otto/Videos

$ balooctl status -f json ~/*
[
{
"file":"/home/otto/bin",
"indexing":"basic",
"status":"done"
},{
"file":"/home/otto/Desktop",
"indexing":"basic",
"status":"done"
},{
"file":"/home/otto/Documents",
"indexing":"basic",
"status":"done"
},{
"file":"/home/otto/Downloads",
"indexing":"basic",
"status":"done"
},{
"file":"/home/otto/Fincher",
"indexing":"content",
"status":"done"
},{
"file":"/home/otto/Music",
"indexing":"basic",
"status":"done"
},{
"file":"/home/otto/not-indexed.tmp",
"indexing":"basic",
"status":"disabled"
},{
"file":"/home/otto/Pictures",
"indexing":"basic",
"status":"done"
},{
"file":"/home/otto/Public",
"indexing":"basic",
"status":"done"
},{
"file":"/home/otto/public_html",
"indexing":"basic",
"status":"done"
},{
"file":"/home/otto/Templates",
"indexing":"basic",
"status":"done"
},{
"file":"/home/otto/test-0000.xwd",
"indexing":"content",
"status":"done"
},{
"file":"/home/otto/test-0001.xwd",
"indexing":"content",
"status":"done"
},{
"file":"/home/otto/Videos",
"indexing":"basic",
"status":"done"
}
]

$ balooctl status -h
Usage: balooctl [options] command status enable disable start stop restart suspend resume check checkDb index clear config monitor indexSize

Options:
  -f, --format <format>  Output format <json|simple|multiline (default)>.
                         Only applies to "balooctl status <file>"
  -v, --version          Displays version information.
  -h, --help             Displays this help.

Arguments:
  command                The command to execute
  status                 Print the status of the indexer
  enable                 Enable the file indexer
  disable                Disable the file indexer
  start                  Start the file indexer
  stop                   Stop the file indexer
  restart                Restart the file indexer
  suspend                Suspend the file indexer
  resume                 Resume the file indexer
  check                  Check for any unindexed files and index them
  checkDb                Check database for consistency
  index                  Index the specified files
  clear                  Forget the specified files
  config                 Modify the Baloo configuration
  monitor                Monitor the file indexer
  indexSize              Display the disk space used by index

$ balooctl status /does/not/exist
stderr:
Ignoring non-existent file /does/not/exist