Comments and decisions
How to search text in a PDF
Find words in a document and move between matches without checking each page.
Who this is forOwnersAdministratorsMembersCreative teamClients and reviewers
Reviewed on October 9, 2026
Before you start
- A PDF review you can view.
Quick task overview
Start with these steps. If the task has more steps, they appear right below.
- Step 1
Open the PDF and the viewer’s text search tool.
- Step 2
Type a word or phrase. Wait for PDF preparation and the search.
- Step 3
Use the arrows, Enter or Shift + Enter to move between matches.
Step by step
- 4Check the highlighted passage. Press Esc or close search when finished.
What should happen
Search highlights matches and takes you to the selected result.
Common problems
- Search depends on text available in the PDF. Scanned images or outlined text may not be searchable.
- Large PDFs may require loading the original to use text tools.
- If search is unavailable, try loading the PDF again.
- Document search is separate from the comment filter.