Searching
How do I use full-text search to find a particular document?
Reader's search covers the full text of all your Library documents, as well as their titles and authors. By default, the search runs on Readwise's servers and looks across your entire Library, not just the documents synced to the device you're using. (This is powered by Better Search, which you can read more about below.)
If you have no internet connection, Reader falls back to the original, offline-first method of just searching the documents synced to your device.
On web, click the magnifying glass in the lower left or use the keyboard shortcut /, then type your search query.
On mobile, tap Search in the app's bottom bar, then use the search field at the top of the page.
Currently, documents in your Feed aren't indexed for full-text search. However, moving a document to your Library (inbox, later, shortlist, or archive) will allow it to be indexed and subsequently make it searchable.
For a workaround to search your Feed documents, check out the FAQ below!
What is Better Search?
Since Reader was developed to be offline first, the original search function needed to be on-device so that it could work without an internet connection. But this came with some functionality trade-offs, and the larger the Library, the more noticeable those trade-offs became.
Better Search is a faster, more accurate search that runs on Readwise's servers and looks across your entire Library, not just the documents synced to the device you're using. It's turned on by default, and you can switch between it and the original on-device search using the Better Search (beta) toggle on the Search page.
On web or in the desktop app, the toggle is at the right end of the search bar.
On mobile, the toggle is just below the search field in the Search tab. It's only visible when the search field is empty.
Because Better Search runs on Readwise's servers, it requires an internet connection. If you're offline, Reader automatically uses on-device search until you're back online, even if the toggle is on.
How do I find specific text within a document?
On web or in the desktop app, you can search for text within a document by using cmd/ctrl + F.
On mobile, you can find text within a document by tapping into the actions menu (...) in the bottom right and choosing Find in document.
How do I filter my full-text searches?
Currently, filtered views and full-text search are distinct features. That said, it's on our roadmap to merge the two features and allow you to sort your search results or search within filtered views.
How can I search my Feed documents?
Currently, documents in the Feed aren't indexed for search. However, this is something we've had requested a number of times and we are considering adding the option in the future.
In the meantime, you can include a text search of the title field within a filtered view. So, to search for a document in your Feed, you could use a query like this:
feed:true AND title__contains:"search term"
This won't search the full content of the article, but it can still be a useful way to find specific documents in your Feed.
You can use this same tactic to search your Feed based on any other available query parameter, such as the document's author or source domain. Check out the query syntax guide for a full list of available parameters!
