Users might encounter situations where they need to locate all files within a directory, folder, or subfolder hierarchy that contain a specific string but with variations in the file names. This scenario is ideal for using wildcard matches to find files.

For instance, perhaps you want to locate every file on the system that includes the word “invoice,” regardless of its position in the filename (such as invoice1-2023.pdf, big-invoice-wow.pdf, yourfavoriteinvoice.pdf, invoice-2-22.pdf, etc.).

This article will demonstrate how to use the command line to recursively search directories and subdirectories for files matching a string of text, utilizing several practical examples.

How to Recursively Search for All Files Using Wildcards

We’ll utilize the find command, which, as its name suggests, enables you to locate files in the file system directly from the command line.

find . -name "text*"

This command breaks down as follows:

find [directory] (Here, “.” represents the current directory) -name "[matched text and wildcards]" (Here, filenames matching ‘text’ followed by any characters).

To find matches with wildcards both before and after the specified text, use the following command, replacing “text” with the appropriate syntax for your specific use case:

find . -name "*text*"

Using the example provided earlier, suppose you’re attempting to locate all files containing the text “invoice” in their filenames, regardless of their location within the user’s entire home directory structure. The syntax for such a search might look similar to the following:

find ~/ -name "*invoice*"

Running that command might produce output resembling the following:

/Users/Paul//Library/Application Support/CloudAppHoldingFiles/mystery-invoice-2023.pdf/Users/Paul//Library/Application Support/WhoKnows/invoice-2024.pdf/Users/Paul/Documents/big-invoice-wow.pdf/Users/Paul/Documents/Misc/small-invoice-dontforget.pdf/Users/Paul/Desktop/YouForgotAboutThisInvoice.pdf/Users/Paul/Desktop/AnotherInvoice.pdf/Users/Paul/Documents/Invoices/invoice-1-23.pdf/Users/Paul/Documents/Invoices/invoice-3-23.pdf/Users/Paul/Documents/Invoices/invoice-4-23.pdf/Users/Paul/Documents/Invoices/invoice-5-23.pdf/Users/Paul/Documents/Invoices/invoice-6-23.pdf

As evident, this command and file-finding process is especially useful when tracking down files dispersed throughout a file system based solely on name matches and wildcards.

Although you can also use Spotlight or Finder to attempt locating all matches, recent modifications to Spotlight seem to make finding all files more challenging. Additionally, while Finder searches can incorporate wildcards for name matches, the command line remains simpler for many users. If Finder proves easier, you might find this tip for listing all files in subdirectories recursively beneficial as well.

If you employ an alternative method for recursively searching directories via wildcard matches, please share your approach in the comments section below!

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