How to search inside files for a word or phrase on Windows

Most of us name files badly. "Notes final 2" tells you nothing about what is inside. So when you need the letter that mentions "extended warranty", the file name does not help. You need to search the words inside the files.

Windows can do this. It just needs the right place to look and one setting checked. This guide walks through it by hand first, then shows the shortcut of asking Key.

Search inside files with File Explorer

File Explorer is the folder window you already use. Its search box looks at file names, and, when Windows has indexed them, at the words inside too.

1. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.
2. Go to the folder that holds your documents. If you are not sure which one, click This PC in the left list to search everywhere. Or pick Documents to narrow it down.
3. Click the search box at the top right. You can also press Ctrl + E to jump into it.
4. Type the word or phrase and press Enter.
5. Wait a moment. Results appear as a list. Windows searches the open folder and the folders inside it.
6. Double-click a result to open it, and check that it is the right one.

Make sure it looks in the subfolders

Sometimes the search only looks at the folder you are in and ignores the folders inside it. To fix that:

1. Click in the search box so the search options appear.
2. Open Search options in the toolbar (on Windows 10, this is on the Search tab).
3. Choose All subfolders instead of Current folder.
4. Run your search again.

Narrow the results

The same options let you filter by kind of file, such as documents, or by when it was changed. If you remember it was last month, that can cut a long list down fast.

If Windows only finds file names

This is the most common problem. You search for a phrase you know is inside a document, and Windows shows nothing, or only files with that word in the name. That usually means Windows has not indexed the contents of that kind of file. Indexing is how Windows builds a list of the words in your files so it can search them quickly.

You can check this setting yourself:

1. Click Start, type Indexing Options and open it.
2. Click Advanced. Say yes if Windows asks for permission.
3. Open the File Types tab.
4. Find the kind of file you want, for example docx for Word documents or txt for plain text.
5. Select it, then choose Index Properties and File Contents.
6. Click OK.

Windows now needs some time to go through your files again. Leave the computer on for a while before you search. A big folder can take a good while.

You can also look at the search settings in Settings › Privacy & security › Searching Windows on Windows 11. That page shows how Windows searches your PC and how indexing is going.

Searching for an exact phrase

When you type several words, Windows may match files that contain those words anywhere, not as one phrase. To look for the words together, put them in quotation marks, like this: "extended warranty".

A few more habits help:

• Search for one unusual word first. "Warranty" is better than "the".
• Check your spelling. A small typo means no match.
• Try a different form of the word if the first one finds nothing.
• Remember that scanned paper or a photo of a page is a picture, not text, so its words may not be found.

Ask Key to find it instead

Setting up indexing and trying different searches takes patience. With Key you can describe what you remember in plain words. Key finds files by what is inside them, not just the name, and it reads the document to be sure it found the right one. If two files match, it asks which one you meant.

You can speak or type. The microphone and the chat give the same result, so use whichever is easier. Half a sentence is enough.

KeyChat

Find the letter that mentions the extended warranty

searched my documents for the words insideopened the best match to read itchecked it was the right letter

I found the letter from the shop about your extended warranty and opened it for you.

Checked: the open document contains the phrase "extended warranty".

While it works, Key shows a small panel so you can see what it is doing, and you can stop it at any point. When it finishes, it reads the result back before it tells you, so you know it found the right document.

Key is free to download, with every feature included, and it runs on Windows 10 and 11. If you want to try this, there is also a guide on finding a file by what is inside it, on Windows and Mac.

Which way should you use?

If you search now and then and your files are already indexed, File Explorer is quick and works well. Use the search box, switch on All subfolders, and put quotation marks around your phrase.

If you cannot remember where a document is, or the search keeps missing files, asking Key saves the fiddling. Say what you remember, and let it do the looking.

Either way, once you find the file, you could keep things tidy so the next search is easier. Our guide to cleaning up your Downloads folder without losing anything is a good place to start.

Related guide: How to find a file when you only remember part of its name

Related guide: How to find recently opened or changed files

Related guide: How to search for text inside PDF files on your computer