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PDFs are one of the most common file types you can find online. Many people prefer using this format because it makes the information easy to access and read. When trying to determine if a particular PDF document is going to be useful for you, you may want to do a search within the text — and you may be looking for one specific word or phrase.

If you are wondering how to search a PDF in Chrome, there are some steps you’ll need to follow.

How to Search a PDF in Chrome – Single Words and Word Phrases

Since PDFs are so common, even the most basic PDF reader comes with a search feature. If you are wondering how to search a PDF in Chrome, here are the steps you’ll follow:

Step 1: Open Chrome

Opening your Chrome browser is necessary if you want it to help you search for words in a PDF.

how to search a pdf in google

Step 2: Open the PDF document

After you have opened Chrome, you’ll then want to open the PDF document you are hoping to search. This can be accomplished by clicking on the link, or by copying and pasting the link into the address bar.

Open the PDF document - how to search a PDF in chrome - how to search a pdf in google

Step 3: Open the search box

Once you have the PDF opened, when it comes to how to search a PDF in Chrome, you’ll need to open the search box.

A keyboard shortcut makes this process easy. If you have a Windows computer, you’ll hit Ctrl+F. For Mac users, you’ll need to hit Command+F.

Open the search box - how to search a PDF in chrome

Step 4: Enter your search term

The keyboard shortcut will open a search box at the top of the document. Chrome has an incredibly simple interface, so the only options you have include the word you want to enter, up and down arrows, and an X to close out the box.

To find the word you are looking for in the PDF, you will enter it into the dialogue box. If it exists in the text, you will see how many times it occurs in the PDF and which occurrence you are on.

You can navigate through the document using the up and down arrows. When you are finished with your search, you will use the X on the text box to close it out.

Enter your search term

How to Look for a PDF in Chrome

In addition to wondering how to search a PDF in Chrome for a specific word or phrase, you may also be wondering how to find PDF files. If that’s the case, then you’ll need to use Google for help. Here are the steps you’ll need to take if you are wondering how to search a PDF in Google.

Step 1: Open Chrome

If you want to find PDF files using Chrome, the first thing you need to do is open the browser on your computer.

Step 2: Open Google

Next, you’ll want to go to Google’s search page if your computer doesn’t automatically take you there when you open your browser.

To achieve this, you’ll need to go to the address bar and type in “google.com.” This will take you to the Google homepage. When asking how to search a PDF in Google, you have to be on the right site to achieve your goals.

look for the pdf you want to download

Step 3: Type in your search words

In the Google search box, you’ll need to type in the search words/phrases for what you’re looking for. If you are looking for something specific, such as a book, then you’ll want to put the title in quotation marks so that Google looks for that exact phrase.

If you are looking for something more general, then you don’t have to use quotation marks and it will broaden the search.

To look for your pdf first open google

Step 4: Specify you only want PDFs

After you have typed in your search words, you’ll then need to let Google know that you only want the results to show PDFs. You do this by typing “filetype:pdf” after your search terms.

look for the pdf on the search bar

Step 5: Press enter

When you are wondering how to search a PDF in Google, once you have entered your search terms and specified what file type you want Google to look for, you’ll then hit enter. The results should only show you links that are in PDF format.

How to Search for All PDF Files on a Mac

One of the other things you might be curious about, in addition to how to search a PDF in Chrome or how to search a PDF in Google, is how to search for all PDF files on a Mac.

This can be beneficial if you’re looking for a specific document that contains a particular word or phrase but you aren’t sure which PDF contains that information. If you have a lot of time on your hands, you can go through each one individually, but if you want to achieve this process quickly and easily, here are the steps you’ll need to follow.

Step 1: Download the right software

The first step to being able to search multiple PDF files on a Mac is to download the right software. There are several options you can choose from for this task, including the following:

Adobe Acrobat

There are different versions of Adobe Acrobat that you can download, and the simplest version is the reader. To be able to search through multiple files, you’ll need to download a professional version, such as Adobe Acrobat DC. This version costs, so you’ll have to decide if the investment is worth it or not.

Not only will it allow you to search multiple documents, but it has a variety of other features as well, including the ability to convert documents into PDFs, edit PDFs, and share them, among others. If these are tasks you perform often, then buying this product may be a good idea.

open adobe acrobat website

PDF Studio Viewer

Should you find that you are only searching multiple PDFs once in a while and you don’t need to be able to convert, edit or send them, then PDF Studio Viewer is a free option you might want to consider.

This PDF reader for Macs has advanced search options, so it may be just what you need to find what you’re looking for during your search.

open pdf studio website

PDF Expert

Another option you can consider is PDF Expert. This is another free option for Mac users that will help you search through multiple files.

Open pdf expert website

Step 2: Open the software

After you have determined which software option is the right one for you and downloaded it, you’ll then need to open it on your computer.

Step 3: Open the PDFs

Before you begin your search, you need to open each PDF document in your chosen PDF software. There should be tabs at the top that let you know which documents have been opened.

Step 4: Open the search box

The easiest way to open the search box in a Mac is to use the keyboard shortcut Command+F. This should then open near the top of your screen.

Step 5: Type in search word/phrase

After the search box has been opened, you’ll then need to type in the word or phrase you are looking for. If you want to look for an exact word or phrase, you will add quotation marks. For a more general search, you won’t use quotation marks at all.

Search the word or phrase

Step 6: Search all tabs

Once the word or phrase you are looking for has been entered, you’ll need to tell the program that it needs to search in “All Tabs.” This is typically a button right next to the search box that you’ll click with the mouse.

Browse through the PDF list

Step 7: Browse through the list

If the word or phrase you are looking for exists in any of the PDF documents, the software should create a list. To navigate to where the word or phrase can be found, all you need to do is click on the result and the software should take you to the exact page.

search all tabs on the document

How to Search a PDF in Chrome – Making Life Easier

The ability to search a PDF for a specific word or phrase can make life so much easier. With PDFs being incredibly common file types, even a basic PDF reader has a search feature. However, if you are wondering how to search a PDF in Chrome, the steps are as follows:

  • Open Chrome
  • Open the PDF
  • Hit Ctrl+F for Windows users, Command+F for Mac users
  • Type your word or phrase in the search box
  • Use the up and down arrows to navigate through the occurrences of words/phrases in the document

In addition to wondering how to search a PDF in Chrome, you might also be wondering how to search a PDF in Google. The steps for that process are as follows:

  • Open your browser
  • Go to Google’s search page
  • Type in your search words
  • Add “filetype:pdf” to the end of the phrase
  • Click on the links of the articles that interest you

More Informational Technology Resources

For Mac users who need to search through several PDF files to find a specific document that contains a particular word or phrase, these are the steps you’ll take:

  • Download the right PDF software
  • Open the software
  • Open the various PDF files you want to search
  • Open the search box by typing Command+F
  • Type the word or phrase you want to look for
  • Browse the list to find which document includes the word or phrase

Being able to interact and search through a PDF ensures that you are using documents that contain the specific information you are looking for. The search feature saves you time and effort by allowing you to quickly and easily scan the document for specific words and phrases.

The above article may contain affiliate links, which help support Clever Sequence

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