# Finding text in documents

SumatraPDF can search for text in PDF, EPUB, MOBI, and other formats that support text extraction.

## Open the find box

| Action           | Shortcut   |
| ---------------- | ---------- |
| Find             | `Ctrl + F` |
| Find (alternate) | `/`        |

A small find bar appears near the **Find** button in the toolbar. Type your text
and matches are found as you type; a `n / m` counter shows the current match and
the total number of matches.

## Compact bar vs. floating window

There are two find UIs:

- **Compact bar** (default) — the small overlay near the toolbar.
- **Floating window** — a separate, movable and resizable window that also shows
  a **results list** (see below). It floats over the document so it doesn't cover
  the page.

Switch between them with the diagonal-arrows button on the right of the find UI
(hover it for a tooltip):

| Button                                         | Tooltip            | Action                                     |
| ---------------------------------------------- | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------ |
| arrows pointing **out**, on the compact bar    | _Open in a window_ | Pop the find UI out into a floating window |
| arrows pointing **in**, on the floating window | _Dock to toolbar_  | Dock it back to the compact bar            |

The choice is remembered across launches via the `SearchUIFloating` advanced
setting (`true` = floating window). The floating window's position and size are
remembered via `SearchUIWindowPos`. See [Advanced options / settings](Advanced-options-settings.md).

## Results list (floating window)

When the find UI is a floating window, it lists every match below the search box:

- each row shows a **snippet** of the surrounding text with the match
  **highlighted**, plus the **page number** on the right.
- click a result, or use **Up / Down** (and **Page Up / Page Down**) while the
  cursor stays in the search box, to jump to that match. **Find Next / Previous**
  (the buttons, `F3` / `Shift + F3`, or `Enter` / `Shift + Enter`) step through
  the list the same way.
- typing selects and jumps to the first match automatically.

The list reflects matches across the whole document, even on large files.

Below the search field, **Limit to pages 1-N:** restricts the search to a page
range (N is the last page of the document). Leave the box empty to search every
page. You can list several ranges, e.g. `3,4-6,18-` (page 3, pages 4–6, and page
18 through the end). Also: `10-25`, `10`, `10-`, `-25`. The `n / m` counter and
the results list follow the same range. The compact find bar always searches the
whole document.

## Find next / previous

| Action                              | Shortcut            |
| ----------------------------------- | ------------------- |
| Find next                           | `F3`                |
| Find previous                       | `Shift + F3`        |
| Find next (selection as needle)     | `Ctrl + F3`         |
| Find previous (selection as needle) | `Shift + Ctrl + F3` |

All shortcuts are also listed in [Keyboard shortcuts](Keyboard-shortcuts.md) and [Commands](Commands.md).

### Focus matters

Shortcuts behave differently depending on where keyboard focus is:

- **Focus in the document** — `F3` / `Shift + F3` jump to the next / previous match.
- **Focus in the find box** — `Enter` finds the next match; `Shift + Enter` the previous. In the **floating window** these (and the arrow keys) step through the results list with the cursor left in the box; with the **compact bar**, `F3` may not work until you click back in the document.

If `Ctrl + F` behaves oddly (for example replacing the search term with selected text), you may have focus split between the find box and the page. Click the document pane, then press `F3`.

The find UI **closes when you switch tabs** — each tab gets its own fresh search.

### Laptop keyboards

On many laptops the `F1`–`F12` keys control volume and brightness unless you hold **Fn**. If `F3` changes volume instead of finding the next match, use **Fn + F3**, or rebind `CmdFindNext` in [custom keyboard shortcuts](Customize-keyboard-shortcuts.md).

## How search works

- Search is **case-insensitive** by default (German `ß` matches `ss` since 3.7).
- Matching continues onto following pages and **wraps** around to the start of the document.
- The **current** match is highlighted with `FixedPageUI.SelectionColor` (configurable in advanced settings); all other matches use a secondary orange highlight so the active match stands out.

## Command Palette

`Ctrl + K` and type `find` to run the Find command without using the keyboard shortcut.

## Command-line and automation

Open a document and start a search immediately:

```
SumatraPDF.exe -search "needle" document.pdf
```

The leading `-` is required. Adobe Reader-style `/A` also works:

```
SumatraPDF.exe /A "page=1;search=needle" document.pdf
```

See [Command-line arguments](Command-line-arguments.md) for the full `/A` parameter list.

For an already open document, use [DDE](DDE-Commands.md):

```
[Search("C:\path\file.pdf", "needle")]
```

To jump to a page and select a term only if it appears on that page:

```
[GotoPageWord("C:\path\file.pdf", 12, "needle")]
```

## Search across many PDFs (command-line tool)

Use `sumatrapdf-tool grep` — see [Tool grep](Tool-grep.md) and [Search text in PDF from command line](Tool-x-search-pdf.md).

## Web search / translation of selection

To send **selected** text to Google, Bing, DeepL, etc., see [Customize search / translation services](Customize-search-translation-services.md). That is separate from in-document find.

## See also

- [FAQ](FAQ.md) — search shortcut troubleshooting
- [Keyboard shortcuts](Keyboard-shortcuts.md)
- [Command-line arguments](Command-line-arguments.md) — `-search`