Multi-PDF Smart Searcher - User Guide 🚀 Core Feature This tool is a PDF viewer and search utility that runs entirely within your browser. It allows you to load multiple PDF files simultaneously and treat them as a single, continuous document for global search and navigation. All operations are performed locally on your device; your files are never uploaded to any server.

🛠️ Interface and Operations Q1: How do I get started?

Click the Choose one or more PDF files button in the top-left corner to select the PDF files you wish to view from your computer or mobile device. You can select multiple files at once by holding down Ctrl (Windows) or Command ⌘ (Mac).

Q2: Why does a "Restore Previous Session" button sometimes appear?

To improve your workflow, this tool features a "Remember Last Session" function.

First-Time Use: After you load one or more PDF files for the first time, the tool automatically saves a copy of these files securely within your own browser.

Next Visit: The next time you open this page, the application will detect these saved files and display a green Restore Previous Session button. This allows you to restore your last session with a single click, without needing to select the files again.

Privacy & How It Works: This feature is powered by the browser's IndexedDB technology. Copies of your files are stored only on your local device and are never uploaded to any online server. If you clear your browser's site data for this page, the saved files will also be removed.

Q3: How do I open/close the function menu on a mobile device?

On touch devices like phones or tablets, you will see an orange arrow handle › on the left side. Tap this handle to slide the function menu in or out. You can also quickly collapse the menu by tapping on the PDF content area on the right. When first opened on a mobile device, the menu defaults to expanded for your convenience.

Q4: How do I search across multiple PDF files?

Enter your keywords in the "Keyword or Regex" input box. You can separate multiple keywords with a space, e.g., company report.

Click the Search button.

Once the search is complete, a "Search Results" dropdown menu will appear at the bottom of the screen, listing all pages that contain the keywords.

Results in the menu are grouped by file and separated by a title like --- Results from [filename] ---, so you can clearly identify the source of each result.

Advanced Search Tip: You can use regular expressions for more powerful searches. Simply enclose your expression in slashes. For example, /Chapter \d+/i will perform a case-insensitive search for "Chapter" followed by one or more digits.

Q5: On a computer, how can I see which file a search result came from?

Hover your mouse pointer over an option in the "Search Results" dropdown menu at the bottom. A tooltip will appear, displaying the original filename for that result.

Q6: How do I navigate between pages?

Use the Previous Page / Next Page buttons to go through pages one by one.

Drag the slider next to the page number for quick navigation.

Enter a page number in the input box and click the Go button to jump directly to a specific global page number.

(Recommended) On touch devices, simply swipe left or right on the PDF to turn pages for a smoother experience.

📱 Mobile Device Experience Q7: What are the special functions of the swipe gesture?

The swipe gesture is designed to enhance browsing efficiency on mobile devices:

Normal Mode: When you are not in search mode, swiping left or right will take you to the previous or next page.

Search Mode: After you have performed a search, swiping left or right will jump directly to the page containing the previous or next search result, allowing you to quickly browse through all matches.

When you reach the first or last search result, a brief notification, "Already at the first/last result," will be displayed.

Note: To avoid conflicts, the swipe-to-navigate feature is temporarily disabled when the highlighter, text selection, or magnifier tools are active.

🎨 Markup and View Functions (Floating buttons in the bottom-right corner) Q8: What do the buttons in the bottom-right corner do?

This is a set of quick action buttons for easy access to various tools while you read.

S: Toggle Search Underlines. If you find the wavy underlines for search results distracting, click this button to temporarily hide them. Click it again to show them.

TS: Enable Text Selection. By default, text selection is disabled to allow for smoother pinch-to-zoom and swipe gestures. Click this button to make the PDF content selectable, allowing you to copy text. Click it again to disable.

🖌️: Enable Highlighter. After clicking, you can freely draw on the PDF page, just like using a real highlighter.

🗑️: Clear Highlights. Erases all highlighter marks from the current page.

🔍: Toggle Magnifier. When enabled, move your mouse (on a computer) or drag your finger (on a mobile device) to see a real-time magnified view.

📷: Export as Image. Exports the current page view, including your highlights, as a PNG image and downloads it.

🔗: Share Page. If your browser supports it, this allows you to share the current page (with highlights) as an image to other applications.

⚙️ Other Settings Q9: How can I adjust the display quality?

In the function menu, you can choose between "Standard," "High," and "Highest" quality settings. Higher quality results in sharper text and images but may render slightly slower and consume more device resources. The default is "High," which provides a good balance on most devices.

Q10: How do I adjust the magnifier's zoom level?

When the magnifier tool 🔍 is enabled, a "Magnifier Zoom" option will appear in the function menu. You can select a zoom level from 1.5x to 3.5x.