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Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional

Searching for Words or Phrases

Acrobat allows you to use the Search command to look for words in a PDF file. You can use the Search command to find a complete word or part of a word. This document provides instructions on how to use the Search command.

return to topSearching for Words or Phrases: Using the Search Window

  1. Open the document you would like to work with

  2. From the Edit menu, select SEARCH
    The Search window appears to the right of your PDF file.
    Search pane

  3. In the What word or phrase would you like to search for? text box, type a word that you want to find

  4. OPTIONAL: To further define your query, select the desired options

  1. Click SEARCH
    In the Results scroll box, the first instance is selected.
    The Search button changes to New Search.
    Search pane: Example

  2. To go to the location where an instance is found, click the highlighted word in the Results scroll box

  3. To make your query broader, more specific, or to begin a new search
    1. Click NEW SEARCH

    2. Repeat steps 3-5

  4. When your search is done, close the Search window

return to topSearching for Words or Phrases: Using the Find Toolbar

NOTE: If the Find toolbar is not visible, from the View menu, select Toolbars » Find

  1. Open the document you would like to work with

  2. On the Find toolbar, in the Find textbox, type a word or phrase you would like to search for
    Find toolbar

  3. OPTIONAL: To further define your query, on the Find toolbar, click the arrowArrow button next to the Find text box » select the desired options
    NOTE: A chechmark will appear next to the option(s) selected.

  4. From the Find toolbar, click the arrowArrow buttonnext to the Find text box » select Find Next in Current PDF
    The first occurrence of the word appears highlighted in the text.

  5. To move to the next occurrence, on the Find toolbar, click FIND NEXTFind Next button
    To move to the previous occurrence, on the Find toolbar, click FIND PREVIOUSFind Previous button

  6. To make your query broader, more specific, or to begin a new search, repeat steps 2-5

  7. When your search is done, a dialog box will appear, informing you that no more matches were found
    Click OK.

return to topSearch Options

Option Action
Whole Words Only Finds the exact word(s) you type in the text box (e.g., if you search for the word pick, the words picks and picky will not be selected).
Case-Sensitive Finds only those words with the same case as you type in the text box
(e.g. if you search for President, the word president will not be selected).
Search in Bookmarks Finds only those words found in Bookmarks.
Search in Comments Finds only those words found in Comments.


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