How to Complete a PDF Search for Text in an Instant

If you need to complete a PDF search for text but do not know-how, you may feel frustrated and hopeless. Fortunately, the task is not complicated - even for novice computer users - when you know what steps you need to take. We are here to help you figure it out, whether you want to use a web browser, a PDF reader or our free, user-friendly PDF editor.  

 

How to Complete a Browser PDF Search for Text

You can search for text in a PDF file from any browser on any computer operating system without changing your settings or functions. Whether you use Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari, the steps are basically the same. Here is the process that you should follow:

1. Open your chosen PDF via a browser by right-clicking on the file and then choosing "Open with" and the browser you intend to search from.
2. If you have a Windows computer, press CTRL+F to open the Find function. If you have a Mac computer, press CMD+F to open this function. You can also find this option in your menu bar.
3. Type the word or phrase that you are seeking in the search box.
4. Use the arrows next to your browser's search box to sort through the results of your search.

What do you do when you are ready to end your search? Simply click the "X" button that appears at the edge of the search box.  

Search for Text in a PDF With a PDF Reader

Some people like opening and searching PDF files with their computers' PDF readers. If this sounds like you, you will be happy to learn that the process for searching for PDF text is just as simple in a PDF reader as it is in a browser:

1. Open your chosen PDF with your computer's PDF reader, which may be installed by default.
2. In Windows, press CTRL+F to open the PDF search box. In Mac, use CMD+F.
3. Enter your desired word or phrase in the search box on your screen.
4. After entering your word, the first match for it will be highlighted on the PDF.
5. To sort through your results, press Enter or the right arrow that appears next to the search box.

If you want to go back to a text result during your search, hit the left arrow. Once you are ready to finish your search, click CTRL+F or CMD+F to close the search box.  

Complete a PDF Search With PDFSimpli

If you would like to try a PDF search tool that is free, easy and even full-featured, consider giving PDFSimpli a try. Here are the easy steps to follow to search a PDF on our website:

1. Navigate to the PDFSimpli home page at www.pdfsimpli.com.
2. Choose the "Edit PDF" button on the home screen.
3. Choose the PDF you want to search by uploading it via one of the provided options.
4. When the PDF editor loads, choose the "Find" button on the menu bar.
5. A search bar will pop up. Type in your chosen word or phrase and filter through the results using the arrow buttons.
6. To highlight all matches for your search term at once, choose the "Highlight all" button next to the search bar.

When you are ready to end your search, you can save the PDF using our editor or close your file out by clicking the "PDFSimpli" logo. Remember that PDF search tools are not case-sensitive, so you do not have to worry about getting your capitalization right in order to thoroughly search for your desired term. If you want to make your search case-sensitive, you can do so with PDFSimpli. Just choose the "Match case' box next to the search bar.  

Make PDF Manipulation Easier

PDFSimpli offers more than just PDF reader tools - we provide our users with file converters, eSign features and more. When you are ready to check out our wide variety of free PDF software that requires no downloads, head over to www.pdfsimpli.com to get started.