How do I search inside Excel, PowerPoint, Pages, Numbers and Keynote files on a Mac?

Spotlight indexes some of these when the matching app and its importer are installed. Trawl reads the text of Excel, PowerPoint, Pages, Numbers and Keynote files directly, so a cell value or a slide title is enough to find the file.

The built-in way (free)

1. Open the app and use its own Find (⌘ F) inside one file.
2. Try Finder search with "Contents".

With Trawl

1. Type a cell value, a sheet name or a slide title.
2. Trawl shows the matching words from inside the file.

Questions

Does it need Microsoft Office installed?

No. Trawl reads the files itself.

Related

• How do I find a file on my Mac when I don't remember its name?
• How do I search inside PDF files on a Mac?
• Can I search my Mac by meaning instead of keywords?
• How do I find which zip file has a certain file in it?
• How do I search hidden files and system folders on a Mac?

Updated 2026-10-11.