How to Search for Files Within a Folder in Google Drive? [Solved]

Type a word or phrase into the search box in your Google Drive to find a specific file, folder, or Google document, spreadsheet, or presentation. If your search locates something that's in your Trash, a notification will appear at the top of your search results with a link you can click to view the items found in your Trash.

Narrowing your search and/or typing in search operators can help you more efficiently find your files, folders, and Google documents, spreadsheets, and presentations so that you spend less time searching and more time editing.

Narrow your search results

1. Go to the search box and click the dropdown menu icon
2. Choose criteria for narrowing your search:
   • Type: Text documents, images, PDFs...
   • Visibility: Private, everyone in your domain, public...
   • Ownership: Whether the file belongs to you or someone else
3. Type a word or phrase and press Enter on your keyboard or click the Search button.

Simple method to search for files within a folder in Google Drive?

Here are 3 indirect workarounds :

1. GUI keyword(s) searches :

(Thanks to this answer In Google Drive, is there a way to search files located in a particular folder? ) you can make searches by keyword(s) inside the content of one folder only for all your Drive files (Google Docs, Word,PDF, Spreadsheets, Slides...) :

Go here : create and edit documents online, for free.

Then click on the right :

Then :

and finally :

Notes: It does not make keyword(s) searches inside subfolder(s) of your main folder. It searches only for full keyword " exa" or "exa*" won't find the keyword "example".

2. Using a script :

(not tested) my guess is that coders can do what you are looking for using Google Apps Script and Google Drive sdk (API  Search for Files see "fullText"). See here : Google Apps Script to search Google Drive .

3. Using a third-party app :

(not tested and probably only for Google Apps users!) Apparently BetterCloud can make searches with Regular Expression inside Google Drive Google Drive Regular Expression Search | BetterCloud .

Apparently another possibility is Metadrive Google Drive Dashboard to boost team collaboration

Another way to search for files within a folder in Google Drive?

Search within a folder released in 2018!

It took way too long, but Google has finally (and quietly) released a new feature that enables you to search within specific folders! …

…but only IF you have a business account.

We use G Suite Basic at our office and found the new menu item this morning:

Click on the folder at the top (or right click on any folder) and you’ll see in the drop down list an option to search within a folder.