Search in a folder

Use a folder search to search PDF files in one folder (with or without subfolders) and limit the search according to values in standard fields (author, title, subject, keywords, etc.) of the PDF Properties.

To search in a specified folder proceed with the steps below.

  1. Search icon Select Home > Search > Search, and then select Search Multiple in the list to display the floating Search panel.
  2. In the Look In list, select Selected folder.
  3. In the Specify a folder list, select Browse.

    The Select Folder dialog box appears.

  4. Navigate to the preferred location and click Select Folder.

    The selected folder (local or network folder) will be displayed in the Look In box.

  5. Under Search for, select a search type:

    Note See Searching by Patterns and Masks for details.

    • Single word or phrase

    • Multiple words or phrases

    • Looks Like Search™: Pre-defined patterns, such as US Social Security numbers, phone numbers, credit card numbers, E-mail addresses, and dates). See Patterns and masks for details.

    • Looks Like Search™: Custom-defined patterns (arbitrary masks). See Search by custom pattern (mask) for details.

  6. Proceed according to your selection made above.
    • To search a single word or phrase, enter any words, word fragments, or phrases of interest.

    • To search multiple words or phrases, click Select Words and compile a search list.

    • To search by pattern, select the desired pattern from the list.

    • To search by custom-defined pattern, enter the pattern using the syntax shown.

  7. Optionally, click the arrow near the right side of the box to view the list of previous search terms. Select any item and press Enter to start the search.
  8. Select search options. For folder searches you have an extra option: Include Subfolders. Select it to include all subfolders.
  9. Click >> Advanced to use additional search criteria. For details, see Selecting Search Options.
  10. Proceed with step 7 on, as described in Search in multiple documents.

Tip If you have folders with a large number of PDF files you do not plan to modify much, searching can be faster if you generate an index for them and use index searching.