How To Search For Specific File Type (Pdf, Excel, Powerpoint etc) On Sheikh Google

Sheikh Google has a simple trick you can use to search for specific files online. A trick I've being using since 2011or so, and it works fine for me.

It's simple, and straight forward.

We all search for specific things on Google, but little did we know:

We can tell Google.

"Please Sheikh Google, I need information about blood pressure. But please bring it in the form of PDF file"
Or "... I need sample Budget activities, but please bring it in the form of Excel"
Or "..Am going to do presentation, so please bring it in the form of Power point".

The most common way is for googlers to add "PDF" to the things they type. Example: "Blood pressure statistics in Ghana PDF". You will likely get a couple of PDFs but that isn't the most efficient way to achieve your results.

Another trick is to use boolean operators to do something called "Boolean Search". The table below shows some of the key Boolean operators.

Personally, the trick I've found so helpful is to use precede your search with the keyword "FILETYPE", followed by ":"(Column) then the file type.

The file type could be PDF, XLS, DOC,MP4,MP3,WAV,,JPG,etc

This link has a lot of file extensions you can look into. You will definitely find the types that matches your work.

One important thing to take note of:

There is no space between the word FILETYPE, the ":" and the extension. You can type then in capital letters of small letters(thus, they are not case sensitive).

Below is how you will search for PDF files relating to Computer graphics.

FILETYPE:PDF computer graphics