How to Find and Replace in PDF

Audrey Goodwin

2021-03-30 15:03:22 • Filed to: How-To • Proven solutions

Find and Replace in PDF is a feature that enables a person to search for a specified word in a selected block of text and replace the word with their word of choice. This article aims to show you how to find and replace text in PDF documents.

Find and Replace in PDF Offline
Find and Replace in PDF Online

The Steps to Find and Replace in PDF

For the purpose of this tutorial, we will be illustrating the PDF search and replace feature using PDFelement. Before getting to the first step, you need to open the document you wish to access and highlight the block of text that you are interested in.

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Step 1: Find content on PDF

For you to be able to use the find and replace in PDF feature, you have to open a window that will enable you to enter the text you want to locate. This is done by pressing "Ctrl + F". The window will be similar to the one shown below. From the window displayed, you are able to enter a phrase that should be identified from the block of text that was earlier highlighted.

Step 2: Setting the Properties

Once the user has entered the desired word or phrase to be searched, they are able to specify the operations to be carried out on the results of the search. This is done by opening the properties window where a list of options will appear. The options vary in nature as they allow a user to change the text, the indentation, the color of the text as well as the size of the text. The user is also able to add objects in place of the replaced texts by choosing from one of the many objects availed in the "object" sub-group. This step is highlighted in the image below.

Step 3: Find and Replace in PDF

Once the user is done setting the properties of the text to undergo the find and replace procedure on the PDF document, the phrases are identified and highlighted before the user confirms the changes he/she specified. This gives the user a chance to correct whichever errors that may have arisen during the establishment of the parameters. When this is done, the user can now click on the "Replace" button so that the intended changes can take effect. The window will be similar to the one shown in the image below.

Video on How to Find and Replace in PDF

Introduction to the Best Tool to Find and Replace in PDF

PDFelement is an application that aims to make user operations on PDF documents simplified and efficient with just a click of a button. It does this by incorporating various functions that are essential for the day-to-day work of an individual. They include:

Create: This feature enables users to convert any word document into a PDF document.
Edit: This feature allows a user to make changes to a PDF document directly without having to go back to the original document.
Convert: Once a user has completed their editing tasks, they are now able to convert the document from PDF to their desired format.
Comment: Users are able to add their reviews as well as highlight important parts of a document.
Review: This feature allows other users to view the comments of other reviewers concerning your document and gain a better understanding of it.
Form creation, editing, and collection: It allows users to create new forms, edit them as well as analyze the data collected on the forms to give reliable information.
Passwords and permissions: It gives the provision to use passwords to secure your work from unnecessary access.
Redacting of information: Sensitive information can also be protected by being permanently deleted from the PDF document.
Use of digital signatures: It allows users to embed digital signatures to their PDF documents to enhance the document’s credibility.

How to Find and Replace in PDF Online

The process of finding and replacing text in PDF online is made possible using a platform known as HiPDF. It simplifies the process as much as possible to ensure even the least tech-savvy users are able to use it.

Go to the HiPDF find and replace text in PDF website, and a window will be displayed prompting the user to drag and drop files on the window or to click on a blue button labelled "choose file".

In doing this, the user is able to select the PDF document that they want to filter and search for a specific word and replace it with a word of their choice. When the document is open, the user is given an option to enter the text or phrase that they wish to search for and also enter the phrase that they want to replace the word with. The user then clicks on a button labeled “Replace” which then completes the procedure.