How To Search Multiple File Types In File Explorer

The Fastest Way to Search Multiple File Types

The most reliable method is to combine several ext: filters with the uppercase OR operator. Open File Explorer, navigate to the folder or drive you want to search, click the search box, and enter a query such as:

This command tells File Explorer to return files whose extensions are PDF, DOCX, or XLSX. Microsoft’s Advanced Query Syntax documentation identifies ext: and fileext: as valid properties for filtering by file extension, while current Windows guidance confirms that multiple extension filters can be joined with OR.

The period before each extension is recommended. In many Windows configurations, a query without the period may still work, but using ext:.pdf is clearer and follows Microsoft’s documented syntax.

Search Multiple Types With Wildcards

You can also search with filename wildcards:

The asterisk represents any sequence of characters. Therefore, *.pdf means “any filename that ends in .pdf.” File Explorer supports the asterisk for multiple-character matches and the question mark for a single unknown character.

Both methods are useful, but the ext: filter is usually easier to combine with advanced criteria such as dates, sizes, authors, or filename keywords.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Windows 11 and Windows 10

1. Open File Explorer

Press Windows + E, select the folder icon on the taskbar, or search for “File Explorer” from the Start menu.

2. Choose the Search Location

File Explorer searches from your current location. Open a specific project folder for a focused search, select a drive such as Local Disk (C:) for a broader search, or select This PC to search across available local locations.

Starting in the correct folder can dramatically reduce search time. Searching a single client folder is naturally faster than asking Windows to inspect every corner of your computer, including the folder where an application stored 14,000 tiny cache files for reasons known only to itself.

3. Activate the Search Box

Click the search field near the top-right area of File Explorer. You can also press Ctrl + F to place the cursor in the search field.

4. Enter the Extensions

Type each extension as a separate condition and place OR between them:

Boolean operators such as OR should be typed in uppercase. Lowercase “or” may be treated as an ordinary search word rather than an operator.

5. Review and Sort the Results

When the results appear, switch to the Details view if necessary. You can then sort by name, type, date modified, size, or other available columns. Sorting does not change the search query; it simply makes the matching files easier to inspect.

Useful Multiple File Type Search Examples

The following examples can be pasted directly into the File Explorer search box.

Combine File Types With a Filename Keyword

Searching only by extension can return hundreds or thousands of files. Add a filename filter when you remember part of the name.

This query looks for PDF, Word, and Excel files whose filenames are associated with the word “budget.” Microsoft documents filename: and file: as searchable file properties and supports grouping alternative values with parentheses and OR.

You can also use a wildcard when you remember only part of a filename:

This is useful for filenames such as invoice_1048.pdf, paid_invoice_march.docx, or client-invoices-final-final-really-final.pdf.

Search for an Exact Phrase

Place quotation marks around an exact phrase:

Quotation marks tell Windows to treat the enclosed words as a phrase rather than unrelated search terms.

Search by General File Category With Kind

When you do not know the exact extensions, use the kind: filter. It searches a broad category containing several related formats.

Depending on the installed software and Windows configuration, the document category can include formats such as PDF, DOCX, TXT, RTF, spreadsheets, and presentations. Other useful categories include:

• kind:image for image formats
• kind:video for video formats
• kind:music for audio files
• kind:folder for folders only

The kind: filter is convenient when the category matters more than the precise extension. However, ext: is better when you must include or exclude specific formats. File Explorer recognizes both category-based and extension-based filters.

Add Date and Size Filters

Find Multiple File Types Modified Recently

Suppose you need Word, Excel, and PDF files modified during the past week:

Other useful date values include today, yesterday, this week, last month, and specific date ranges. Advanced Query Syntax supports relative dates and range operators, although date wording can vary with the display language and regional settings used by Windows.

Find Files Within a Size Range

You can combine extensions with a minimum or maximum size:

This query finds supported video files larger than 500 megabytes. Another example:

The second query looks for PDF and Word documents between 1 MB and 20 MB. File Explorer accepts comparison operators and range syntax for size-based searches.

Search Inside Multiple Document Types

File Explorer can search for words inside supported documents, not merely in their filenames. Use the content: property:

This query attempts to find the phrase “payment schedule” inside PDF, Word, and text files. Content searching depends heavily on the Windows Search index and the installed filter handler for each format.

By default, Windows indexes file names, file paths, and file properties. Text content can also be indexed for supported formats. In Advanced Indexing Options, each extension can be configured to index properties only or both properties and file contents.

Enable Content Indexing for a File Type

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Privacy & security and open the Windows search settings.
3. Select the option for advanced or customized indexing locations.
4. Open Advanced in the Indexing Options window.
5. Select the File Types tab.
6. Choose the extension you want to search.
7. Select Index Properties and File Contents.

After changing the setting, Windows may need time to update or rebuild the index. Until that process finishes, results can be incomplete.

How Search Scope Changes Your Results

The location displayed in File Explorer when you begin searching defines the starting scope.

• Current project folder: Best for speed and accuracy.
• Documents or Downloads: Useful when you know the general destination.
• A particular drive: Helpful for external disks and archive drives.
• This PC: Broadest built-in search, but potentially the slowest.

File Explorer normally includes subfolders in its results. In Windows 11, additional search controls can appear after a search begins, allowing you to choose the current folder or all subfolders and to include file contents, compressed folders, or system files.

Why File Explorer May Miss Some Files

The Folder Is Not Indexed

Windows can search outside indexed locations, but doing so may be slower, and content-based results may be limited. Add frequently searched folders to the index or enable the enhanced Windows search mode when broader coverage is necessary.

The Extension Is Not Configured for Content Indexing

A file can appear in filename searches while remaining invisible to content searches. Check the File Types tab in Advanced Indexing Options and confirm that the extension is enabled.

The File Is Cloud-Only

Files represented by online placeholders may not have all their contents available locally. Download the file or mark the relevant OneDrive folder for offline availability before relying on content search.

The File Is Hidden or Protected

Hidden and system files may not appear unless the appropriate File Explorer search and visibility options are enabled. Avoid modifying protected operating-system files merely because a search result looks unfamiliar. Windows has enough drama without users deleting DLL files on a Tuesday afternoon.

The Index Is Damaged or Outdated

If known files repeatedly fail to appear, open Advanced Indexing Options and rebuild the search index. Rebuilding may take some time, especially on systems containing many small files.

The Boolean Operator Is Typed Incorrectly

Use uppercase OR. The following query is correct:

This version may not behave as intended:

Practical Tips for Faster and Cleaner Searches

• Begin in the narrowest folder that could contain the files.
• Use ext: when exact formats matter and kind: when a broad category is sufficient.
• Place parentheses around a group of extensions before adding date, size, or filename conditions.
• Switch to Details view and sort the results instead of making the search query unnecessarily complicated.
• Keep file extensions visible when managing technical, design, archive, or media files.
• Copy frequently used searches into a text note for quick reuse.
• Use specific keywords instead of searching an entire drive for every PDF ever created.

Experiences and Lessons From Searching Multiple File Types

In real-world use, the biggest improvement rarely comes from memorizing twenty advanced operators. It comes from building a search in layers. I begin with location, add the file extensions, inspect the number of results, and only then add a filename, date, or size condition. This approach is faster to troubleshoot because I can immediately see which part of the query caused the results to disappear.

For example, imagine a project folder containing several years of contracts. The files include old DOC documents, newer DOCX files, scanned PDFs, and a few RTF files that somebody created before office standards became a thing. Searching only for contract produces folders, email exports, spreadsheets, and unrelated notes. Searching for ext:.pdf OR ext:.doc OR ext:.docx OR ext:.rtf is better, but it may still produce hundreds of results. Adding filename:contract and a recent modification date turns the digital haystack into a manageable list.

I have also found that extension searches are more predictable than category searches. kind:document is wonderfully convenient when the exact format does not matter, but categories can be broader than expected. A direct extension list provides tighter control, especially when copying, archiving, reviewing, or deleting files in bulk. When an action carries consequences, precision is your friend. “Close enough” is not a comforting search strategy when the next step is permanent deletion.

Another useful lesson is to separate filename searching from content searching. Finding proposal.docx by name is relatively straightforward. Finding every document that mentions a particular contractual clause requires content indexing, compatible file handlers, and patience while Windows updates its index. When a content query returns nothing, I first test whether File Explorer can find the file by extension and filename. If it can, the problem is probably content indexing rather than the extension query itself.

Search scope also matters more than many people expect. Running a query from a carefully selected client folder can return results almost immediately. Running the same query from This PC may involve several drives, cloud folders, excluded locations, and enough archived material to make File Explorer reconsider its career choices. Narrowing the starting location is often the simplest performance optimization available.

Finally, save your best query patterns somewhere convenient. A small reference note containing searches for office documents, images, archives, videos, and source-code files can save time every week. File Explorer’s search language initially looks like a secret handshake, but the essential formula is simple: choose a location, connect extensions with uppercase OR, and add filters only when they improve the result.

Once that habit becomes automatic, searching multiple file types in File Explorer stops feeling like an advanced Windows trick. It becomes a practical everyday skilland a much better alternative to opening forty folders and hoping the correct file recognizes you first.