How to Search for File Types on Google


When you search for something on Google, you’ll likely see a list of HTML webpages in the results. 

But Google can also help you find non-HTML files. Such as PDFs, spreadsheets, presentations, Adobe files, and more.

Let’s see how.

How to Search Google by File Type 

Search Google by file type using the “filetype:” search operator. This operator narrows the search results to a specific file type.

For example, a search for “filetype:pdf health” will show PDF files that contain the word “health.”

Google search results for “filetype:pdf health"

A search for “filetype:ppt travel” will show presentations related to travel. 

Google search results for “filetype:ppt travel”

This is possible because Google is able to crawl and index different types of files. 

Files Types Available on Google

Here is a complete list of file types you can find on Google:

Format

File Extension

Adobe Portable Document Format

pdf

Adobe PostScript

ps

Autodesk Design Web Format

dwf

Google Earth

kml, kmz

GPS eXchange Format

gpx

Hancom Hanword

hwp

HTML

htm, html

Microsoft Excel

xls, xlsx

Microsoft PowerPoint

ppt, pptx

Microsoft Word

doc, docx

OpenOffice presentation

odp

OpenOffice spreadsheet

ods

OpenOffice text

odt

Rich Text Format

rtf

Scalable Vector Graphics

svg

TeX/LaTeX

tex

Text

txt

Basic source code

bas

C/C++ source code

c, cc, cpp, cxx, h, hpp

C# source code

cs

Java source code

java

Perl source code

pl

Python source code

py

Wireless Markup Language

wml, wap

XML

xml

You can search Google for different types of files because Google supports the use of search operators.

What Are Search Operators?

Search operators are special commands you can use on Google to narrow the focus of your search.

For example, if you want to search for results only from a specific site, you can use the “site:” search operator.

Just append the website URL to the “site:” operator, followed by your keyword. 

Let’s say you want to find articles about SEO on semrush.com. Type “site:semrush.com SEO” into Google.

This will show you results related to SEO from semrush.com only.

Google search results for “site:semrush.com SEO”

For more information on search operators and how they work, check out our complete guide to Google Search Operators.

Ensure Your Files Get Indexed in Google

If you have content in different file types (e.g., xls, pdf, ppt, etc.), you probably want Google to crawl and index them.

So they appear in search results and bring more traffic to your site.

Google can’t index these files if they have been mistakenly blocked from indexation with the X-robots-tag noindex directive.

Use Semrush’s Site Audit tool to find files that are “noindexed” by mistake.

Open the tool, enter your website URL, and click “Start Audit.”

Site Audit tool

Configure the audit settings and click “Start Site Audit.”

After the audit is complete, navigate to the issues tab and search for “X-robots-tag.”

search for “X-robots-tag” in Issues tab

If you find certain files are noindexed, review them and assess whether the “noindex” directive is needed.

If your files and webpages are blocked from indexation by mistake, remove the “noindex” directive. 

So they can be indexed by Google. And rank in search results.

Key Takeaways

  • You can use Google to search for more than just your standard HTML webpages. The “filetype:” search operator allows you to search for non-HTML files.
  • Google can crawl and index different kinds of files. For example, xls, ppt, pdf, txt, etc.
  • Ensure Google is able to crawl and index your files with the Site Audit tool



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