# Searching PDFs

Course: [PDF](https://www.devtutorials.ai/learn/pdf) · Section: Working with Text
Source: https://www.devtutorials.ai/learn/pdf/working-with-text/searching-pdfs

> Find text in a PDF, step through every match, use case-sensitive search, and research a report in the Chapter 3 project.

Search is the fastest way to find anything in a PDF. Instead of reading 80 pages for the one paragraph about refunds, you type `refund` and the viewer takes you straight there, highlighting every match on the way. In this lesson, you'll find text, count and step through multiple matches, use case-sensitive search, and learn the tricks that make searching reliable. At the end, you'll research a report for your manager in the Chapter 3 project.

Open the **PDF sandbox** and the **Riverton Cycling Survey 2026** (the exercise below has a button for it).

## Find text

1. Click **Search** (the magnifier at the top-right of the toolbar), or press **Ctrl + F** (Cmd + F on Mac) with the PDF focused.
2. Type a word or phrase in the search box, such as `helmet`.
3. Press **Enter**.

The viewer jumps to the **first match** after the start of the document and highlights it. Every other match is highlighted too, in a lighter color, so you can see them as you scroll.

Search looks for the **letters you typed**, wherever they appear, so `safe` also finds **safe**ty and un**safe**. That's usually helpful: one short search catches every form of a word.

Ctrl + F only opens the PDF's search when the viewer has focus. If your browser's own "Find in page" bar appears instead, close it, click once on the PDF page, and try again, or just click the magnifier.

Once the first match is on screen, the counter next to the search box tells you how many more there are.

## Find multiple occurrences

Next to the search box, the viewer shows a **counter** such as `2 of 7`:

- The **second number** is how many matches there are in the whole document.
- The **first number** is which match is highlighted now.

If the counter says **0 of 0**, or a message says no matches were found, the word isn't in the document's text. Check the spelling, try a shorter word, or remember that a **scanned** page has no text to search (Lesson 5).

## Next match and previous match

To move between matches:

| To go to | Do this |
|---|---|
| The **next** match | Click the **Next** arrow (pointing right) in the search box, or press **Enter** again |
| The **previous** match | Click the **Previous** arrow (pointing left) in the search box |

Watch the page box as you go: it shows which page each match is on. When you've seen the last match (the counter's two numbers are the same), clicking **Next** again shows a message that the viewer has finished searching the document. Click **OK**, and the next click starts again from the first match.

One search option changes what the viewer counts as a match: **Match case**.

## Case-sensitive search

Normally search ignores capital letters: `bike share` finds **Bike Share**, **bike share**, and **BIKE SHARE**. Tick **Match case** to find only the exact capitals you typed.

When does that matter? When capitals change the meaning:

- **Bike Share** (the name of Riverton's scheme) vs. a bike share (any scheme).
- **May** (the month) vs. may (the word).
- **US** (the country) vs. us.
- Codes and IDs such as **INV-A12**, where the case is part of the code.

Tick **Match case** *before* you press Enter. To search normally again, untick it.

The sandbox's search box also has **Match any word**, which finds a result if it contains at least one of the words you typed. Other apps offer **Whole words only**, which finds the complete word `safe` but not `safety`. Search options vary between apps, so check what each one does.

A few habits make searching reliable instead of hit-or-miss:

## Search tips

| Tip | Why |
|---|---|
| Search for an unusual word | `Okafor` finds one place; `the` finds hundreds |
| Use part of a word | `recommend` finds recommend, recommends, and recommendation |
| Try another word | The report might say "bicycle" where you think "bike" |
| Search numbers too | `805,000` or `2026` find exact figures fast |
| Check the counter | It tells you how many places to look before you start reading |

Search finds **letters**, not **meaning**. If a search finds nothing, the idea may still be in the document under different words. Try a synonym, a shorter word, or the contents page.

## Common mistakes

| Mistake | What happens | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Typo in the search box | 0 matches | Check the spelling |
| Match case left on | Fewer matches than expected | Untick **Match case** |
| Ctrl + F opens the browser's find bar | It searches the lesson page, not the PDF | Click on the PDF first, or use the magnifier |
| Searching a scanned page | 0 matches for words you can see | It's a picture: use OCR or read it |
| Searching a long phrase | Nothing found because one word differs | Search for one or two key words |

## Exercise

Here is your chance to search a document yourself.

Click **Open the practice PDF** below to open the **Riverton Cycling Survey 2026**. Then do each task, type any answer, and press **Check**.

## Chapter project

Put Chapter 3 together. Your manager is writing to the council about cycling and wants five facts from the survey report, plus one quotation she can paste straight into her email.

## What to remember

- **Search** (magnifier or **Ctrl + F**), type, and press **Enter**.
- The counter (`2 of 7`) shows the **current match** and the **total**.
- **Enter** or **Next** goes to the next match; **Previous** goes back.
- Search finds letters anywhere: `safe` finds **safe**ty and un**safe**.
- **Match case** finds only the exact capitals you typed: use it for names and codes.
- **Scanned** pages can't be searched; if nothing is found, try another word.

That's the end of Chapter 3. In Chapter 4, you'll add comments, highlights, and drawings to PDFs.