How to Quickly Find a Word or Phrase on a Web Page

Searching for a specific word or phrase on a web page is a common task that can save time and help you find information more efficiently. Whether you’re trying to locate a certain statistic fact check something or just want to skim for relevant info, there are a few easy ways to search a web page for a word or phrase.

As an avid internet user I often find myself needing to search pages for certain words or phrases. Over time I’ve learned some useful tips and tricks to quickly find words on a page without having to tediously skim through paragraphs of text. In this article, I’ll share the methods I use daily to swiftly search web pages for words or phrases on both desktop and mobile.

Use Keyboard Shortcuts

One of the fastest ways to find words on a web page is by using keyboard shortcuts This works for most web browsers and programs

• On Windows: Ctrl + F
• On Mac: Command + F

After pressing the shortcut, a search bar will appear, allowing you to type in the desired word or phrase. Hit enter and all matches will be highlighted on the page. You can then use the up and down arrow keys to jump between the highlighted matches.

I love this method because it’s simple, built right into the browser, and helps me instantly spot the words I’m looking for. The keyboard shortcuts save time compared to clicking through menus.

Leverage Browser Search Functions

All major web browsers have their own “find on page” search functions, though access points may vary slightly:

• Chrome: Click the three dot menu > Find
• Firefox: Click the three bars menu > Find in Page
• Edge: Click the three dots > Find on Page
• Safari: Click Edit > Find > Find

The browser will display a search bar to type your query. One benefit is that browser search allows wildcard symbols and filters for more advanced searches. I typically use browser search if I can’t find what I need with the basic keyboard shortcuts.

Use Google Site Search

You can also leverage Google to search within a specific site or page. Here’s the formula:

site:URL keyword

For example:

site:https://www.example.com apple pie recipe 

This will search example.com for “apple pie recipe”. Google will return search snippets highlighting your keyword. It’s useful if you want to search a site without visiting it directly.

I sometimes use Google site search as a shortcut to see if a page contains my desired keywords before clicking through. It helps avoid wasting time on irrelevant pages.

Additional Tips

Here are a few more tips for searching words and phrases on web pages:

• Use quotes around a phrase to find exact matches, e.g. “apple pie”
• Try wildcard symbols like asterisks to match partial words
• On mobile, use the share icon and “Find on Page” options in your browser
• Adjust text size or use reader mode for easier visual scanning
• Use Ctrl/Command + G to find the next match without retyping
• Enable case insensitive matching to ignore capitalization