Search files and folders
Instead of manually browsing through folders, you can quickly locate content using a file name, folder name, author name, or keywords within files. WorkDrive Search also supports text and image recognition, helping you find information inside documents and even text embedded within images. This makes it easier to access the right content instantly and stay productive.
Search for a file or folder
- Click the Search icon in the top right section of the WorkDrive screen.
- Type a keyword into the search bar.
The search suggestions will display: - Files and folders that have the file, folder, or author name matching with the keyword will be shown.
- Team Folders that have the team folder name or name of the user who created the team folder matching with the keyword will also be shown.
- Click Show All Results... at the bottom of the search results to see more results.
A dedicated search results page with filters will open.
The full search results can include: - Files and folders that have the file, folder, or author name matching with the keyword will be shown.
- Files that have content matching with the entire keyword will also be listed here. These results won't be shown as matches when you type keywords in the search bar.
- Files that have image text matching with the entire keyword will be listed.
- Files that have image objects matching with the entire keyword will be listed.
![](https://download-accl.zoho.in/webdownload?x-service=writer&event-id=du5hq5084f23109fd46f58a99e693fdfda01a&x-cli-msg={"imgurl":"r-du5hq5084f23109fd46f58a99e693fdfda01a-8205a99680524ae5a7943f8c3cfa87d4te3tepanejz0","rid":"du5hq5084f23109fd46f58a99e693fdfda01a","module":"image"})
WorkDrive can search within documents, presentations, spreadsheets, PDFs, text files, and even ZIP files for content matches.
![](https://download-accl.zoho.in/webdownload?x-service=writer&event-id=du5hq5084f23109fd46f58a99e693fdfda01a&x-cli-msg={"imgurl":"r-du5hq5084f23109fd46f58a99e693fdfda01a-8205a99680524ae5a7943f8c3cfa87d4jnayozin4w11","rid":"du5hq5084f23109fd46f58a99e693fdfda01a","module":"image"})
Note: Team Folder results shown in the quick search suggestions will not appear in the full search results page.Search for a template
Templates cannot be found using general search. To locate templates, you must use the Templates filter, which lets you search only within available templates and quickly narrow down relevant results.
Templates are preset file layouts with predefined formatting, styles, and content settings that help maintain consistency across documents and spreadsheets.
To search for a template:
- Click the Search icon at the top-right corner.
- Click the Search All dropdown, that is to the left of the search bar.
- Under the Search By section, choose Templates.
- Type the template's or the author's name, or a keyword inside the content of a template.
As you type, the top matches found for the keyword will appear below. - Press Enter or click the Show All Results tab at the bottom of the search results to view all matching templates.
![](https://download-accl.zoho.in/webdownload?x-service=writer&event-id=du5hq5084f23109fd46f58a99e693fdfda01a&x-cli-msg={"imgurl":"r-du5hq5084f23109fd46f58a99e693fdfda01a-8205a99680524ae5a7943f8c3cfa87d4rx609ntuyv6a","rid":"du5hq5084f23109fd46f58a99e693fdfda01a","module":"image"})
Note:
- You can search and find only the templates that are available in My Templates or Org Templates.
- You cannot search for Public Templates .
- When the Templates filter is not applied, templates will not be shown in search results.
Similarly, you can narrow down search results using filters. Instead of searching across all content, you can search specifically within file and folder names, or file contents to find relevant results faster.
Recent searches
You can quickly access your last used search queries for faster re-searching without retyping keywords or filters.
- Click the Search bar.
- Below the search filters, you will see your most recent 5 searches listed under Recent Searches.
![](https://download-accl.zoho.in/webdownload?x-service=writer&event-id=du5hq5084f23109fd46f58a99e693fdfda01a&x-cli-msg={"imgurl":"r-du5hq5084f23109fd46f58a99e693fdfda01a-8205a99680524ae5a7943f8c3cfa87d4tllz2mgzfo5n","rid":"du5hq5084f23109fd46f58a99e693fdfda01a","module":"image"})
Save and manage saved search results
Saving searches helps you quickly reuse frequently used search criteria without having to re-enter keywords or reapply filters each time. This is especially useful for recurring searches such as specific file types, projects, or content from particular authors. It helps you save time and maintain a consistent way of accessing relevant results.
Save a search
- Click the Search icon and enter your keywords to find files or folders.
- Apply the required filters based on your search criteria.
- Once the results appear, click Save this search at the top.
- Enter a name for the generated search result.
- Click Save to store the keyword and applied filters.
Note: Currently, you can save a maximum of 10 searches.Access saved searches
You can access saved searches from the search bar:
- Click the search bar.
- Under Recent Searches, find your saved searches listed under Saved Searches.
Rename or delete a saved search
- Open the search bar and select the required saved search under Saved Searches.
- The saved search results will open, with the search name shown below the search bar.
- Click the More actions (… ) icon next to the search name.
- Choose one of the following options:
- Rename – update the saved search name
- Delete – remove the saved search
Searching text within images (OCR)
The Optical Character Recognition feature helps you find text that appears inside images, whether the image is a standalone file or included within a document.
It automatically reads and extracts text from images and makes it searchable, so you don’t need to manually check each file.
For example, if you search for “car”, the results will include all images and documents where the word car appears inside an image.
- Supported encoding for text extraction: UTF-8
- Supported image formats: jpeg, png, jpg, tiff, tif, bmp
- Supported document formats: pdf, docx, doc, pptx, ppt
Limitations:
- Only printed texts in images can be searched in WorkDrive (hand-written texts are not supported).
- Texts in images cannot be searched using the Finder option in PDFs and documents.
- If a font used in a file doesn’t conform to UTF-8 standards, any text content in that font cannot be extracted. WorkDrive doesn’t support adding new font styles for text extraction.
Content Extraction Limitations:
Limitations | Limit |
Maximum size of extracted content | 10 MB |
Maximum file size for text extraction | xls/xlsx files: 100 MB Other files: 250 MB |
Maximum ZIP file size for entry name extraction | 250 MB |
Maximum file size for metadata extraction | Documents: 250 MB Images: 250 MB Audio/Video files: 1 GB |
| Blocked MIME types | |
Supported File Extensions |
OCR Extraction Limitations:
Limitations | Limit |
Maximum image size | 20 MB |
Max number of images OCRed in a PDF | Images in the first 2 pages |
Max number of images OCRed in a office formats (docx, doc, pptx, ppt) | First 2 unique images |
Maximum number of pages scanned for images in office formats (docx, doc, pptx, ppt) | First 5 pages |
Maximum document size for OCR | 100 MB |
Maximum Image Height/Width | Image files: 5000 pixels Images embedded in documents (pdf, docx, doc, pptx, ppt): 2000 pixels |
Supported Image Extensions for OCR | jpeg, png, jpg, tiff, tif, bmp |
Supported Document Extensions for OCR | pdf, docx, doc, pptx, ppt |
Searching objects in images (Object Detection)
This feature helps you find images based on what is visible inside them, even if the exact word is not present in the file name or text. It automatically identifies common objects within images and makes them searchable. This helps you quickly locate relevant files based on visual content.
For example, if you search for “car”, you will see images that contain a car, even if the word “car” is not mentioned anywhere in the file.
Notes:- Search results are ranked based on how closely they match your search query. The most relevant, recently created/modified results appear first, making it easier to find what you’re looking for quickly.
- Files that match the file name or author name are shown at the top, followed by files that match content inside the file, including text, text in images, and objects detected in images.
- OCR and Object Detection will not be done on files uploaded before February 2020.
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