Find files in Google Drive

You can find files in Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides by searching for:

• File title

• File contents

• Items featured in pictures, PDF files, or other files stored on your Drive.

You can also sort and filter search results.

Search for your files

1. Sign into drive.google.com.

2. At the top, type a word or phrase into the search box.

3. On your keyboard, press Enter.

Filter your Drive results

To find files more easily in Drive, you can narrow search results by filtering them.

1. Go to drive.google.com.

2. At the top, type a word or phrase into the search box.

3. To narrow your search, click the Down arrow 

4. .

5. Fill out any of the following sections:

   • Type: File types such as documents, images, or PDFs.

   • Date modified: The date a file was last edited.

   • Item name: Searches only for the title of the file.

   • Has the words: Searches for words and phrases within documents.

   • Owner: The person the file belongs to.

   • Shared with: Who can view, comment, or edit the file.

   • Located in: Whether the file is in "Trash," or "Starred," for example.

6. At the bottom, click Search.

More search options

You can refine a search in Drive with these advanced searches. 

Note: Not all examples work on all devices.

Quotes

• Find documents that contain an exact word or phrase.

• Example: "match this phrase exactly"

OR

• Find files with at least one of the words.

• Example: tacos OR nachos

Minus sign

• Find documents that exclude a particular word. If you want "salsa," but not "dancing"...

• Example: salsa -dancing

owner:

• Find documents owned or shared by a specific person.

• Examples:

  • owner:bob@gmail.com

  • from:bob@gmail.com

to:

• Find documents you shared with someone.

• Example: to:bob@gmail.com

is:starred

• Find items marked with a star.

is:trashed

• Find items that are trashed.

type:

• Search by the type of document: folder, document, spreadsheet, presentation, PDF, image, video, drawing, form, script, or table.

• Example: type:spreadsheet

Before & after

• Find items that were edited before or after a certain day. Format the date as YYYY-MM-DD.

• Examples:

  • before:2014-05-01

  • after:2014-05-01

title:

• Search by title

• Example: title:Conference 2014

App:

• Search for items that can only be opened by a specific app.

• Example: app:"Google Docs"

Source:domain (Google for work or school)

• Search for items that have been shared across your organization’s entire domain, instead of items created by you or your group. 

• Example: To search for files related to domain, use source:domain

Search Drive with Google Now

If you have the Drive app and Google Now on your Android phone or tablet, you can search for files in Drive from Google Now.

1. Open Google Now.

2. Type or speak the words, "Search Drive for" followed by the phrase you want to search for in Drive.

   • To type your search, tap the search box at the top.

   • To speak your search, tap the microphone in the search box.

3. The Drive app will open and search for the phrase you requested.

To return to "My Drive" after your search, tap Back 

.