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

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly. Rain Kengly is a wikiHow Technology Writer. As a storytelling enthusiast with a penchant for technology, they hope to create long-lasting connections with readers from all around the globe. Rain graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Cinema.

This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.

This article has been viewed 1,009,716 times.

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 of 2:

Using Desktop

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

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.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

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.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

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.

Advertisement Method 2 of 2:

Using Mobile

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

You can also view PDFs in your device's files.

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

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] X Research source

Fair Use (screenshot)
\n">

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

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.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Advertisement

Tips

Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Please provide your name and last initial Thanks for submitting a tip for review!