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How to find a word or phrase in a PDF on a Mac
Search inside a PDF on a Mac with Preview: find every match, step through them, search exact phrases, and what to do when search finds nothing.
The problem
You know the word is in there somewhere, on one of 80 pages, and scrolling to find it is hopeless.
How do I search a PDF on a Mac?
- Open the PDF in Preview and press Command F.
- Type the word in the search field at the top right.
- The sidebar lists every match with its page. Click one to jump to it.
- Press Command G for the next match, Shift Command G for the previous one.
How do I search for an exact phrase in a PDF?
Type the phrase in double quotes to find the words together, in that order.
Why does searching my PDF find nothing?
- It is a scan. The page is a picture with no words in it. Make it searchable first.
- Spelling or form. Try part of the word.
- A word split at a line end. A hyphenated word may be stored in two halves; search for one half.
Our take
Search for the unusual word, not the obvious one. In a contract, "termination" finds 40 matches; the name of the other party or a specific number finds the clause you want in two.
In Simply PDF
Searching and jumping between pages is free in Simply PDF, even in 500 page files.
Questions
How do I search a PDF on a Mac?
Open it in Preview, press Command F and type the word.
Why does searching my PDF find nothing?
The pages may be scans with no text. Add a text layer with text recognition.