---
title: "Why I can't search or copy the text in a PDF file and how can I enable it to copy or search text from PDF for free?"  
description: "Why I can't search or copy the text in a PDF file and how can I enable it to copy or search text from PDF for free?"  
author: "Lily Chitlangiya"  
published: 2022-01-18  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/95130/why-i-can-t-search-or-copy-the-text-in-a-pdf-file-and-how-can-i-enable-it-to-copy-or-search-text-from-pdf-for-free  
category: "troubleshooting"  
tags: ["pdf file", "troubleshooting"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# Why I can't search or copy the text in a PDF file and how can I enable it to copy or search text from PDF for free?

Why I can't [search](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/301883/why-you-shouldn-t-trust-ai-search-engines) or [copy](https://www.mindstick.com/interview/1571/what-is-the-value-of-the-copy-local-property-when-you-add-an-assembly-in-the-gac) the [text](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/301635/did-people-reinvent-texting-to-express-the-full-range-of-emotions) in a PDF [file](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/59/encrypting-and-decrypting-files-using-c-sharp) and how can I enable it to copy or [search text](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/33725/can-you-bid-on-competitor-trademark-terms-in-google-can-you-use-them-in-your-ads-what-is-the-character-limit-for-the-headline-of-a-search-text-ad) from PDF for [free](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/85717/the-best-free-reading-apps-for-book-lovers)?

\

## Answers

### Answer by Hitesh Vohra

**Steps to fix it:**

- Use the right-click button on your mouse or touchpad to select the tool.
- Drag your mouse to highlight the text you wish to copy on the [**PDF**](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/94935/why-does-chrome-on-android-not-open-pdf-files-like-chrome-on-windows-linux-can) document, then right-click on the highlighted text and select Copy.
- You can also select **Edit>Copy** from the menu tab. Once it's copied, go to the document where you want to put it, right-click on the space where you want it to go, and select Paste, or go to Edit>Paste.
- The search window pane may or may not appear when a PDF is opened in the Acrobat Reader (rather than in a browser). Use '**Ctrl+F'** to bring up the search/find window pane. when the Find window appears: On the right side of the box, click the gear symbol.

\

\

**Read More: [Why does my Microsoft Outlook says not connected to the server while I can get the same email on my iPhone?](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/95219/why-does-my-microsoft-outlook-says-not-connected-to-the-server-while-i-can-get-the-same-email-on-my-iphone)**


---

Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/95130/why-i-can-t-search-or-copy-the-text-in-a-pdf-file-and-how-can-i-enable-it-to-copy-or-search-text-from-pdf-for-free

Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.