How to search inside your documents

Often it’s the line you remember, not the file. A supplier contract mentioned a 60-day notice period, a project brief set a launch date, an HR policy said who signs off on refunds. The words sit somewhere in a DOCX, a PDF or a Markdown file, and the filename gives no hint which one.

This guide covers how to search the text inside your documents with Fabric: getting the files into one place, matching exact wording with quotes, narrowing results with filters, and opening the document at the page where the match sits.

How people usually search inside documents

Most people start with the search built into their computer. Spotlight on a Mac and Windows Search both read file contents, and for documents stored on that machine they’re quick. Documents kept in email, a cloud drive or a team folder each have their own search box, so one question can turn into three or four separate searches.

Inside a single file, Cmd+F or Ctrl+F finds every match, which works well once the right file is open. The slow part comes before that: opening a dozen likely candidates one at a time to check each for a phrase. Google Drive search reads inside Google Docs and many uploaded files, which helps for whatever lives in Drive and leaves out the documents that were saved somewhere else.

Some people keep a running index in a spreadsheet, or rely on strict file naming. Both hold up while the habit holds, and both depend on someone remembering to update them every time a new document arrives.

Step 1: Put your documents somewhere searchable

Fabric searches the text in PDFs and in DOCX, TXT, Markdown, HTML and JSON files. Drag documents into the web or desktop app, paste them, or click Upload a file, which handles large batches at once. With the Fabric desktop app installed, Fabric also mounts as a drive in Finder or File Explorer, so moving a folder of documents across works like moving it anywhere else.

Google Docs and Notion pages come in through connections to other apps, which need a paid plan. Google Drive syncs in both directions, so an edit made in either place shows up in the other.

As each document arrives, Fabric creates embeddings from its contents, writes a short summary, and records attributes such as content type and topics. Search runs against all of that, and none of it asks you to rename or file anything first.

Step 2: Search for the exact wording

Click Search, or press Cmd+F (Mac) / Ctrl+F (Windows). A plain query runs hybrid search, which matches on meaning and on keywords at the same time.

When you know the words, put them in quotes. Searching for “60 days’ written notice” returns only documents that contain that string, which removes the near matches a meaning-based search would also bring up. Quotes suit clause wording, reference numbers, product codes, people’s names and any phrase you once copied out of a document.

When you only half remember, leave the quotes off and describe it instead, for example notice period for ending the supplier agreement. Hybrid search finds documents on that topic even if they call it termination or cancellation.

Step 3: Narrow the results with filters

Filters cut a long result list down to size. Filter by kind of item to keep results to documents, by location to search a single folder or space, or by tag if you use tags. A search for “indemnity” limited to a Legal folder gives a far shorter list than the same word across your whole library.

Tags are optional. Fabric suggests them based on what each document contains, and you can accept or ignore the suggestions; search works the same either way. If you’d like some structure as well, how to organize digital files covers folder habits that hold up over time.

Step 4: Open the document at the match

Results open at the exact page where the match appears, so a phrase on page 41 of a long report takes you to page 41 instead of the cover. From there you can read in reader mode and highlight or comment on the passage you came for.

If the list doesn’t show the file you had in mind, select the closest result and run a similarity search. Fabric finds items like it, which helps when there are several drafts of the same contract or a set of near-identical templates.

Step 5: Search connected apps and ask follow-up questions

Documents that stay in other apps can be searched from the same screen. Click inside the knowledge search panel, on the right of the search screen on web and desktop or in the bottom drawer on mobile. It searches Fabric and your connected apps together, and you can ask follow-up questions in the same panel.

When you want an answer more than a file, open the folder and ask the AI assistant. It limits itself to that folder and cites the documents it used with clickable references, so you can check the wording at the source. For documents kept in Drive, how to search Google Drive by what’s inside files goes further.

Frequently asked questions

How do I search for an exact phrase inside my documents?

Open search with Cmd+F (Mac) or Ctrl+F (Windows) and put the phrase in quotes. Fabric then returns only items containing that exact wording.

Which document types can Fabric search inside?

PDFs, DOCX, TXT, Markdown, HTML and JSON files, plus Google Docs and Notion pages through connections. Text in images and screenshots is searchable too.

Can I search inside scanned documents?

Yes. Search covers text in images, including photographed text, so a scanned letter can be found by its wording. How to search your scanned documents walks through it.

Does a result open at the right page?

Yes. Results jump to the exact page where the match appears, so you don’t have to scroll a long file looking for it.

Can I search inside one folder only?

Yes. Use the location filter to limit a search to one folder or space. You can also open the folder and ask the AI assistant, which is automatically limited to that folder.

Do I need to rename or tag documents before searching?

No. Search reads the contents of each document, so badly named files are found by what they say. Tags and folders are optional extras.

Can I search my Google Docs without moving them?

Yes. Connect Google Drive from the Fabric marketplace and use the knowledge search panel, which searches Fabric and connected apps together. Connections need a paid plan.

Is searching documents included on the free plan?

File uploads are included on the free plan. Connections to other apps, such as Google Drive or Notion, need a paid plan. See pricing for what each plan covers.