I have opened a pdf file with Preview.....then opened the Tools menu...then Annotate in the drop down menu....then note. I have then added a note (annotations embedded in PDF). Now, I want to open a folder and search all the annotated PDF's in it for a particular verbiage in the notes that are embedded (without opening each individual PDF). Is this possible? Thank you!
OS X Yosemite (10.10), Safari 9.1.3 (10601.7.8
You cannot search for annotations in a PDF from Spotlight/Finder, but you can search for keywords associated with the PDF. The Preview application's Inspector has the means to add keywords. You must save the PDF afterward.
Here, I have added the “PDF Keyword” as a new keyword. You can add more via the + symbol.
In Spotlight, or the Finder, you can find this specific PDF document with the following syntax — quotes for whitespace keywords, or multiple keywords, and no quotes for a single word without spaces.
kind:PDF "PDF Keyword"
These keywords will be listed in the Finder Get Info panel for the PDF too.
Thank you for your well thought out and conveyed reply. I will remember to specify a keyword to certain PDF's in order to find them in the future.
Searching annotated PDF's in a folder
