How to Search for a Word or Phrase in a PDF Document

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A quick guide to find certain texts in a PDF file on desktop or mobile

Written by Rain Kengly

Last Updated: August 6, 2024 Fact Checked

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Using Desktop

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Using Mobile

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Video

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Q&A

If you have a long PDF document, you can easily search for words using the Find feature. This can be done in your default PDF reader, Google Chrome, or another browser. Here's how to search for a word or phrase in a PDF document using a desktop browser, iPhone, iPad, or Android.

Quick Steps

Open a PDF document in a web browser or reader.
Press CTRL + F (Windows) or CMD + F (Mac).
Enter your search in the field.
Click the arrows to navigate the search results.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Desktop

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1
Open your PDF in a web browser. This could be Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or another desktop browser.
- On Windows, right-click the PDF file. Hover over Open with and select your browser.
- On Mac, control-click the PDF file. Select Open with and select your browser.
- This will also work if you open a PDF in Adobe Reader or Mac Preview.
2
Press Ctrl+F (Windows) or ⌘ Cmd+F (Mac). This will open the Find feature.
- Keep in mind you can only search the text in a PDF document if it includes actual text. You won't be able to search through scanned documents or image-based documents.
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3
Enter your search. Make sure the spelling is correct. You'll automatically be taken to the first result.
- To go to the next search, click the down or right arrow.
- To match whole words (ex: search for "ate", but not "late"), check the box for Whole Words.
- If your search is case-sensitive, check the box for Match Case.
- To exit the search feature, click the X on the search toolbar.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Mobile

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1
Open the PDF file. Safari, Google Chrome, and other mobile browsers have PDF-viewing capabilities. When you open a PDF file from the web, it should open in a new tab.
- You can also view PDFs in your device's files.
2
Tap the magnifying glass icon. This will be at the bottom (iOS) or at the top-right corner (Android).
- If you're opening a PDF using your mobile browser, you may need to tap the Share icon or three-dots menu icon first. Then, tap Find on page.^{[1]
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3
Enter a word or phrase. Make sure to spell things correctly. Results will load as you type.
- Tap the down-arrow to go to the next result, and tap the up-arrow to go to the previous result.
- When you're finished, tap Done or click out of the search feature to return to the PDF.

Community Q&A

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Add New Question

Question

How do I find a non-embedded font in Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Professional?

Community Answer

You can use the control button and F to open a search box. Type the key words you are searching for and they will be highlighted for you.

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