Search PDFs — Many Files, One Query
Drop a folder of PDFs, type a query, and the tool extracts text from every file and shows each match with surrounding context. Useful for "which contract mentions X?" or "where in this batch is the figure I half-remember." Search happens locally — no uploads.
Drop your PDF files here
Multiple files allowed · text-only (use OCR PDF first if scanned)
When to use this tool
"Which PDF in this folder mentions the new policy?" or "where's the line about indemnity?" Search inside every page of every file at once, with a snippet of surrounding text so you can confirm without opening the file.
How to search inside PDF files
- Drop the PDFs. Many files at once is fine.
- Type a query. Plain text is case-insensitive by default; switch to regex for patterns.
- Click "Search". Files are processed sequentially. Matches show with the page number and surrounding context.
FAQ
It says 0 matches but I know the word is in there.
The PDF is probably image-only (a scan). Run OCR PDF on it first to add a real text layer, then search the OCR'd version.
Are my files uploaded?
Never — text extraction and search happen entirely in your browser via pdf.js. See the privacy policy.
Can I search several folders of contracts at once?
Yes — drop as many PDFs as your browser can hold. Files are processed one at a time and each gets its own result card with a match count, so a big batch stays readable.
Does the search cover the whole document or just the visible page?
The whole document. Text is extracted from every page of every file before matching, and each hit is reported with the page number it came from.
How do I search for a phrase with a wildcard in the middle?
Switch the mode to regex and use a pattern: indemnit(y|ies), or invoice\s+#?\d{4,}. The regex is a normal JavaScript regular expression and is applied per page.
Why are my matches missing the start of the sentence?
The context window defaults to 40 characters either side. Raise it — up to 200 — if you want enough surrounding text to judge a hit without opening the file.
Is a phrase split across a line break still found?
Usually yes: extracted text joins items with spaces, so a hyphenated word broken over two lines is the one case that can miss. Search for the shorter half if you suspect that.
Related PDF tools
- Online PDF Viewer — Page-by-page browser viewer.
- PDF Inspector — Dump XMP, info-dict, fonts, page boxes.
- PDF Word Count — Words, characters, sentences, reading time.
- PDF Font Checker — Check embedding and extract the font files.
- Compare Two PDFs — Page-by-page visual pixel diff.
- PDF Text Diff — Added and removed lines between two files.