You search inside every document in a data room by typing into the search box above your documents. It matches document names first, and underneath, under a line such as 3 documents mention "change of control", it lists the documents whose text contains your words, each with the room and folder it is in and a short extract showing the match. Open one and the words you searched for are highlighted.
Steps
- Choose where to search. Open a room to search only that room, or stay on your main documents view to search across all the rooms you can open, plus your own documents that sit in no room.
- Type at least three characters into the search box above the documents. Results update as you type.
- Read the extracts under the line that says how many documents mention your words. Each result shows the passage where your words appear, so you can tell the right contract from the wrong one before you open it.
- Open a result. The document opens with the words you searched for highlighted.
- Find the next match with Find in this document: in a PDF, or an Office file once its PDF preview is ready, press Ctrl+F, or Cmd+F on a Mac.
The command palette finds the same things: press Ctrl+K, or Cmd+K on a Mac, and documents whose text matches appear after the ones whose names match.
Writing a better search
- Put a phrase in quotation marks to match those words together, such as "change of control".
- Put a minus sign before a word to leave out documents that contain it, such as indemnity -draft.
- Use or between words to match either, such as termination or expiry.
- Search for the word, not its ending. Search matches English word forms, so assign also finds assigned and assignment.
What search can read
| File | Searched by its contents? |
|---|---|
| PDF with a text layer | Yes |
| Word, Excel, PowerPoint | Yes, on Pro and Business, which can hold them |
| RTF and CSV | Yes, on Pro and Business, which can hold them |
| Markdown, HTML and plain text | Yes, where your plan holds them |
| A scanned PDF, or a photo of a page | No: an image with no text layer has no words to search |
| Images | No |
Search reads the current version of each document. Archived documents are left out. When a search finds nothing, it tells you if some documents could not be read, for example because they are scans, so an empty result is never mistaken for a clean one. If you rely on a scanned document, run it through a scanner or PDF tool that adds a text layer before you upload it.
Who can search what
- You, from your main documents view, search every room you can open and your own unfiled documents.
- Room members search inside the rooms they belong to, and only within the folders they can see. Search never shows anyone a document they could not open.
- People you share a link with do not get the room-wide search. Inside a shared PDF they can use their browser's own find, and a shared spreadsheet has its own Find in this workbook.
Search inside documents is on every plan, Free included. See the full-text search feature page for the summary.
Where it saves the most time
- Due diligence: find every document that mentions a change of control, an exclusivity clause or a named counterparty, across the whole room at once.
- Contracts you hold: find which agreements name a particular notice period or governing law without opening each one.
- Answering questions: when a buyer or investor asks about a topic, search for it and send them to the right document.
If you work with an AI assistant, a connected assistant can run the same kind of search for you across the rooms you choose; our guide to what an AI assistant can actually do inside your data room explains it.
Frequently asked questions
Is search inside documents a paid feature? No. It works on every plan, including Free.
Can it search scanned documents? No. A scan is an image, and search reads text. Add a text layer to the scan before uploading it and it becomes searchable.
Can I search across all my rooms at once? Yes. Search from your main documents view, outside any room, and it covers every room you can open plus your own unfiled documents.
Does it search old versions? No. It searches each document's current version.
Can my recipients search the whole room? No. People you share a link with can use their browser's find inside a PDF, and Find in this workbook inside a spreadsheet.
Search your own documents
Upload a few contracts to a free room and search for a clause you know is in one of them. The Free plan gives three rooms and twenty-five active links, with no card.