Evernote’s powerful search makes it easy to quickly locate whatever you’re looking for. Some notable features include:
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Robust search dropdown menu with quick access to:
- Search suggestions. Real-time suggestions give you answers as you type.
- Saved searches. Create a saved search for complex searches or things you search for frequently.
- Notes, notebooks, and Spaces. Quick access to go to specific content.
- Search filters. Narrow results to find exactly what you need.
- PDF and Document search. Find text in PDFs, Microsoft Office docs, images, presentations, and scanned documents instantly.
- Handwriting search. Find handwritten text in images attached to notes.
- Advanced search syntax and Boolean search. Search your notes using special search commands.
Some search features are only available with certain Evernote plans. Learn more >>
Search Dropdown
There are four sections in the search dropdown: Search suggestions, Go to..., Add filter, and Saved searches. These suggestions are powered by an algorithm that predicts what may be relevant to you based on various factors, such as prior searches and recent activity.
Search suggestions
Search suggestions are located at the top of the dropdown list that appears when you click or tap into the search bar and are indicated by a magnifying glass icon on the left. Clicking on a search suggestion will run the suggested search.
Saved searches
If you have saved searches set up, those will appear below search suggestions.
To create a new saved search, simply execute a search, then click or tap the More actions button (three dots) at the top of the note list panel and select Save search.... To change the name of a saved search, or delete it altogether, run the saved search, click or tap the same three dots at the top of the note list panel, then select Edit saved search... or Delete saved search.
If you do not have any saved searches, this section will not appear in your search dropdown.
Go to...
This section suggests specific notes, notebooks, and spaces. Selecting one of these will directly open that particular note or notebook, helping you get to where you need faster.
Add filters
Search filters allow you to quickly search for notes that contain a specific type of content. These filters may appear in the search dropdown if you have this type of content. Alternatively, you can type the name of the filter into the search bar, then click or tap on the filter name to apply it. Note that the filter will not appear if you do not have notes with that type of content.
Filters are available for content that contains:
- Addresses
- Archive files
- Attachments
- Audio
- Calendar events
- Checkboxes
- Code blocks
- Contacts
- Dates
- Document files
- Email addresses
- Encrypted
- Google Drive
- Images
- Integers
- Lists
- Numbers
- Office files
- PDF files
- Percentages
- Person names
- Phone numbers
- Presentation files
- Prices
- Spreadsheets
- Tables
- Time
- URLs
- Video
- Webclips
Other filters can be applied to search results by clicking the Add filters icon above the list of search results (on desktop), or by tapping the three dots in the upper right corner and selecting Filter notes (on mobile). From there, you will see the full list of filter options available, including:
- Tags
- Located in
- Contains
- Created date
- Updated date
To learn more, visit Filter your notes list.
PDF and Document search
You can find text in PDFs, Microsoft Office documents, images, presentations, and scanned documents.
Handwriting search
When you snap a photo or attach an image to a note, Evernote can find and identify text — including handwritten text — inside that image.
Advanced search syntax and Boolean search
Advanced search syntax gives you the ability to search your notes using special search commands, like by the date they were created, a specific tag, or the type of content they contain (audio, images, etc.)
Boolean search: Boolean search is a type of search where you can combine keywords with operators (or modifiers). You can search in Evernote using AND, OR, NOT, and ( ).
To learn more, visit Use advanced search syntax and Use Boolean search for targeted search results.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use filters to narrow my search results?
To use filters, simply type the name of the filter into the search box and select it from the search dropdown. You can filter in a variety of ways including by author, tags, attachments, checkboxes, and more.
How do I view the search history?
There is no way to view your search history directly. However, search suggestions take into account your search history.
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