How To Search a PDF for Words or Phrases

How to Search a PDF for Words (Basic Steps)

The quickest way to find text in any PDF is using keyboard shortcuts. This method works in virtually any PDF reader, including your web browser's built-in viewer.

1. Open your PDF file in any PDF reader or browser.
2. Press Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (Mac) to open the Find toolbar.
3. Type your search term into the search box that appears.
4. Use the navigation arrows next to the search box to move between search results.
5. Press “Esc” or click the X to close the search bar when you're done.

Most PDF readers also offer advanced search options like “Whole Words Only” (finds complete words, not partial matches) and “Case Sensitive” (matches exact capitalization). Some PDF readers also offer a “Replace” function alongside search for editing documents.

How to Search a PDF in Your Web Browser

All major browsers (Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Firefox) let you search PDFs directly and find specific words without downloading special software. To do that, follow this step-by-step guide:

1. While using any browser, open your PDF file using right-click and selecting “Open with.”
2. Depending on your operating system, press CTRL+F or CMD+F.
3. Alternatively, you can access the “Find” function in the menu bar.
4. Type and navigate between search results using the arrows next to the search box.
5. Click X or “Esc” to remove or hide the search bar.

How to Search Across Multiple PDFs at Once

Need to find something across an entire folder of PDFs? Advanced search features in some PDF readers let you search through multiple documents simultaneously.

1. Open your PDF reader and look for an “Advanced Search” option (usually found by clicking an arrow or gear icon next to the basic search bar).
2. Select “All PDF Documents in” and browse to choose your folder location.
3. Enter your search terms and choose any additional options like whole words or case sensitivity.
4. Review the results list, which will show matches across all PDFs in the selected location.
5. Click any result to jump directly to that document and location.

This feature is particularly helpful for researchers, legal professionals, and anyone managing large document collections. If your PDF reader doesn’t have an advanced search function, you can also try opening all the PDFs you want to search in using our PDF Reader. Once all the files have loaded, use the search function in the Smallpdf menu bar.

How to Use Advanced PDF Search Options

When basic search isn't enough, these advanced options help narrow your results and find exactly what you're looking for:

• Whole Words Only: Finds complete words instead of partial matches (searching “cat” won't find “catalog”).
• Case Sensitive: Matches exact capitalization (searching “PDF” won't find “pdf”).
• Proximity Search: Finds words within a certain distance of each other.
• Boolean Operators: Use AND, OR, and NOT to combine search terms (example: “contract AND salary” finds documents containing both words).
• Search Comments: Includes annotations and comments in your search.
• Search Bookmarks: Searches through document bookmarks and navigation elements.

These options are typically found in the advanced search menu or by clicking additional settings near your search bar.

How to Search a Scanned or Image-Based PDF

Scanned PDFs are essentially images, which means the text isn't searchable—yet. Here's how to fix that using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, which converts image text into searchable, selectable text.

While any “normal” text you'll find in a PDF is searchable, that doesn't apply to text appearing in an image. Because of that, you'll need to follow a few extra steps to convert a scanned document into a searchable PDF. Fortunately, this isn't a difficult process—at least, not with Smallpdf's PDF OCR tool. With this advanced option, you can convert PDF files containing inaccessible text into fully searchable documents.

Tips and Troubleshooting When PDF Search Doesn't Work

The dialog box is not case-sensitive, so you don't have to worry about capitalizing the text you want to search for. The search function will still match any of the words you typed in for you.

The Smallpdf reader automatically detects bookmarks and displays them on the left-hand side. This helps you find what you're looking for without even needing to use the search function.

Millions of students, teachers, and business professionals have to go through textbooks and lengthy manuals every day—and they appreciate our PDF reader for this overview and the PDF search function.

If your PDF search isn't working as expected, here are common issues and solutions:

• Can't find obvious text: The PDF might be image-only or scanned. Use OCR to make it searchable.
• Document is encrypted: Password-protected PDFs may have search restrictions. Enter the password first.
• Search terms don't match: Try variations of your search terms or disable “Whole Words Only” if enabled.
• Special characters: Some PDFs have encoding issues with special characters or symbols.

Do More With Your PDFs

Now that you know how to search PDF documents effectively, you might want to explore other ways to work with your files. Smallpdf offers a complete suite of PDF tools to help you convert, compress, edit, and organize your documents—all in one place.

Whether you need to convert PDFs to Word, compress large files, or add annotations, our tools make document management simple and secure. Start your free trial to access all Smallpdf tools and streamline your PDF workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I search for multiple words at once in a PDF?

Yes! Use Boolean operators like AND, OR, and NOT in advanced search. For example, “budget AND 2024” finds documents containing both terms.

Why can't I search text in my PDF?

Your PDF is likely image-based or scanned. Use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to convert the images into searchable text.

Can Google search inside PDF files?

Google can index and search PDF content that's publicly available online, but it can't search private PDFs on your device.

What's the difference between Find and Search in PDFs?

Find (Ctrl+F) searches within the current document, while Search typically refers to advanced features that can search across multiple documents or with complex criteria.

How do I search a password-protected PDF?

You'll need to enter the password first to unlock the PDF, then you can search normally. Some encrypted PDFs may have search restrictions even after unlocking.