How to search within files on Windows

What are the benefits of searching within files?

Whether you're working solo or managing a team, being able to search inside your files—not just by name—can change the way you work.

Take Morgan Stanley, for example. They fine-tuned a version of ChatGPT on more than 100,000 internal documents, helping over 16,000 financial advisors quickly find information and have faster, more informed client interactions.

You don’t need to be a Fortune 500 company to get those kinds of results. Tools like Dropbox Dash offer content-aware search that delivers speed, clarity, and control—no matter your company size.

Here are just a few benefits of searching within files:

Improved accuracy

AI-powered search tools use smart algorithms to get what you're really asking for. No more sifting through mountains of data to find that one elusive document or detail.

Broad compatibility

The Dash universal search feature is here to make your life easier, whether you need to find a PDF, a presentation, a spreadsheet, or anything else. You can even search within your browser tabs, so you’ll never lose track of your important information.

Seamless workflow integration

Dash isn't tied to your desktop, it's a flexible friend that works with all your connected apps. Just tell it what you need, and let Dash handle the rest.

Time-saving

With the right information at your fingertips, you'll be amazed at how much more you can get done—and how much easier it is to do it. Experience a smoother, more streamlined workflow.

Increased productivity

By giving you immediate access to the right information, you're able to breeze through tasks with ease. No more endless file hunts, just a streamlined workflow that lets you focus on what you do best.

Embrace the power of digital organization and never waste time rifling through papers again. Your desk (and sanity) will thank you.

How to search within files on Windows 10 or 11 using built-in tools

Windows offers a few native tools for searching files—but when you need to search within documents or work across platforms, the experience can still be limited.

File Explorer

File Explorer helps you locate files by name or location, but its ability to search inside documents is hit-or-miss. You can enable content indexing to support limited file content search, but results can be inconsistent depending on file type, format, and indexing status.

In short: File Explorer is fine for file names. But if you’re trying to search within the content itself, it often falls short.

Copilot

Microsoft is rolling out new Copilot features that allow natural-language file queries, including finding documents stored locally or in OneDrive.

It’s a promising start—but the experience is still evolving. Copilot works best for simple file retrieval, not deep content analysis. It can’t yet deliver the kind of insights or multi-platform search many teams rely on to stay productive. That’s where Dropbox Dash comes in—offering a smarter way to search, summarize, and act on the content inside your files.

How to search within files using Dropbox Dash on Windows

Dropbox Dash makes it easy to search inside your files—not just by name, but by content. It works across local storage (with the desktop app), your cloud drives, and connected tools like Google Drive, Outlook, and Slack.

Here’s how to search within files using Dash:

1. Launch Dash—open the desktop app or browser extension and start from your personalized start page.
2. Enter your query—type a keyword, question, or phrase. Dash uses AI to understand context—not just text—so you can search naturally.
3. Refine with filters—narrow your results by:
   • Connected apps (e.g. Dropbox, Gmail, Notion)
   • File type (PDFs, docs, images, etc.)
   • Date modified
   • People (collaborators or owners)
4. Preview before you click—Dash shows smart snippets from inside each file, so you can quickly spot what’s relevant. When you’re ready, open the file in its native app.

Dash provides universal, AI-powered search for everything on your Windows device and across your connected accounts. It helps you find the right content faster—so you can spend less time digging and more time doing.

Smarter search across every content type

Dropbox Dash doesn’t just search text documents. It uses AI to understand what you’re looking for—even if the information is buried in a slide deck, image, video transcript, or browser tab.

Key features:

• Understands natural language, not just keywords
• Indexes content inside PDFs, images, and audio transcripts
• Searches across devices, cloud storage, and browser tabs
• Surfaces results with summaries and context to save you time

Whether it’s text, visuals, or mixed formats, Dash helps you find answers without needing to remember where—or how—it was saved.