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Find Text in PDF

Search words, phrases, numbers and characters inside any PDF — including scanned PDFs, logos and handwriting with automatic OCR. Highlight with colors & export a marked-up PDF. 100% browser-based.

Drag & Drop your PDF here
or click below to choose a file — up to 100 MB. Text and scanned PDFs supported.
document.pdf
2.8 MB · 42 pages Text PDF detected
Auto-OCR Processing0%
Page 0 of 0
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Ready
No PDF loaded
Type to search
Add keyword rules with colors — every match is highlighted and burned into the exported PDF. Click a highlight on the PDF to remove a false positive. Use Draw to manually highlight text OCR missed. Use Undo/Redo to revert changes.
Search results will appear here.
Type any word, phrase, number or symbol.
Your PDF stays on your device. PDFMummy processes your document directly in your browser using PDF.js and Tesseract.js. Nothing is uploaded to any server.

Find Text in PDF — Search & Highlight Any Word, Phrase or Number

Need to find a word in a PDF? This free PDF text search tool lets you search for any text — words, phrases, numbers, symbols, dates, invoice numbers or codes — inside any PDF and highlights every match instantly. It works on regular text PDFs and on scanned PDFs using automatic OCR, all inside your browser.

Unlike desktop PDF software, this tool runs entirely on your device. Your document is never uploaded to a server, so you can search confidential PDFs without worrying about privacy.

What you can search for
Any combination of letters, numbers and symbols — invoice, John Smith, INV-2026-00125, $500, 2026/09/21, A-1098, @gmail.com, #12345 and more.

How to Find Text in a PDF

  1. Upload your PDF — drag & drop it onto the upload area or click "Choose PDF".
  2. Wait for the PDF to open — the tool extracts the text layer of every page. If scanned, OCR runs automatically.
  3. Type any text in the search box — results appear as you type.
  4. Click any result to jump straight to that page and location.
  5. Use Prev / Next or Enter / Shift+Enter to move between matches.
  6. Undo / Redo — press Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y or use the toolbar buttons.
  7. Manual Highlight — click "Draw", then drag a rectangle over text OCR missed.

How to Search a Scanned PDF, Logo or Handwriting

Scanned PDFs are images — they don't contain selectable text. This tool automatically runs OCR in your browser using Tesseract.js. For handwritten documents, enable "Optimize OCR for Handwriting". For logos, stamps and curved text, enable "Multi-pass OCR" in Advanced Search.

Is My PDF Uploaded?

No. The PDF is opened and searched inside your browser using PDF.js and (if needed) Tesseract.js. Nothing is sent to PDFMummy servers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I search a scanned PDF?
Yes. If the PDF has no text layer, the tool automatically runs OCR in the browser.
Does it detect logo text and handwriting?
Yes. Enable "Multi-pass OCR" for logos and "Optimize OCR for Handwriting" for cursive text.
Can I highlight and save the PDF?
Yes. Open "Highlight & Export", add rules with colors, then click "Download Highlighted PDF".
Can I undo a removed highlight?
Yes. Use Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y or the Undo/Redo buttons in the toolbar.

⚡ Quick Summary

What: Search for any text inside a PDF — words, phrases, numbers, symbols, IDs.
How: Upload, type, jump to matches — all in the browser.
Scanned/Logos/Handwriting: Automatic OCR via Tesseract.js, running locally.
Privacy: Nothing is uploaded. Your PDF stays on your device.
Cost: Completely FREE — no sign-up, no watermarks.

👉 Upload your PDF above and find any word in seconds!