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Answers · Finding files on a Mac

How do I find which zip file has a certain file in it?

Finder cannot search inside zip archives without opening them. Trawl lists the files inside your zips, so you can search for "the zip with the March invoices" and find the archive.

The built-in way (free)

  1. Double-click each zip to expand it, then search the folder.
  2. In Terminal, unzip -l file.zip lists what is inside one archive.

With Trawl

  1. Search for a file name you remember from inside the archive.
  2. Trawl shows the archive and the matching names.
Describe it. Trawl finds it.

Files, photos, recordings, every browser and your clipboard, searched by meaning on your Mac. Your day, hour by hour. Nothing uploaded.

Download for Mac2 days free · macOS 26+ · Apple silicon

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Updated 2026-10-11.