# Search inside a PDF

> The PDF preview finds and highlights text, moves between the pages that match, and on the Mac can switch to the original viewer.

canonical: https://agentsky.dev/help/mac-pdf-preview-search
source: https://agentsky.dev/help/mac-pdf-preview-search.md
updated: 2026-11-03

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**The PDF preview searches a PDF's text, highlights what matches and takes you to each matching page.**

1. Open a PDF to see it in the preview.
2. Type a word or phrase in the search field. Capitals don't matter. Matching text is highlighted on the page.
3. Use the previous and next buttons to move between matching pages. Going past the last one wraps back to the first.
4. Clear the field to remove the highlights.

On the Mac, the field says "Find in PDF…", Return goes to the next matching page, Shift-Return to the previous one, and Esc clears the search.

Where: web and Mac, in a PDF's preview.

Good to know: on the Mac, the preview also has page and zoom controls, and a button that switches to the original PDF viewer. Search PDF brings you back. If a PDF can't be drawn, the preview offers Retry and Use original viewer. Related: [Attach files to a chat](https://agentsky.dev/help/attach-files), [What are artifacts?](https://agentsky.dev/help/artifacts-overview).