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How to Find Any Instruction

Manual for Free Online
You don't know when you might need an
instruction manual to run a device. Here are some
of the best available resources to Hnd free
manuals anytime.
BY JAMES HIRTZ PUBLISHED SEP 18, 2020

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Have you ever gone searching for a manual

only to Hnd it gone? With the amount of
technology in our lives, it's hard to keep track of
every instruction manual.

Don't worry. Most recent manuals exist online.

All it takes to Hnd any manual online is a little
preparation
Link copied beforehand
to clipboard and then use the best
available resources to Hnd them.
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Preparing to Find Any Instruction

Manual

While most people's Hrst instinct is to go

straight to a search engine, it isn't the best
choice. Instead, it's best to begin your manual
search with some groundwork. Try to get
this information before you start your search:

Name

Model Number

Now imagine if you had to contact customer

support with only the device on hand. You need
to be able to quickly identify the device to get
the information you need. Thankfully, you
can Hnd these same identiHers and make it
much easier to Hnd your manual for free online.
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Most electronic products keep this information

hidden from plain view. However, it is available
in case you need to easily access it. To avoid
any potential mistakes, try taking a photo
of any product information you Hnd.

How to Locate Your Product

Information

This crucial information is in inconspicuous

places such as the backside, underside, or
inside of an item. For smaller items, turning the
product to its backside usually reveals what
you need. If you're working with larger items,
consider which place to check is the fastest.
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Most manufacturers don't expect you to pull

out a washer, dryer, or refrigerator on the Xy to
Hnd its identifying information. So check the
inside door as your Hrst stop. For some items,
checking individual components can help too
by allowing you to trace parts.

If you've ever tried to identity an item by brand

name and images alone, you know what a pain
it can be. So gather the information in advance
and save yourself a headache.

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Top Places to Find Manuals Online for
Free

Once you've found out the name and model

number, there are several places to look for free
manuals online.

In all cases, make sure to carefully enter any

information you have. All of these are great
resources, but a small character or number
typo can ruin your results.

1. Google

google custom search results

While Google may have been your Hrst instinct,

you'll Hnd much more success with both a
name and model number.

If you enter both correctly, you'll usually get

oRcial results. However, you can sometimes
run into third-party sites that don't let you
access or download the manual easily.

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To solve this, try Hltering your search results by

using site:[manufacturer's website] [device
name] instructional manual. As a note, make
sure you avoid adding a space between the
site, colon, and the website address. This
advanced Google search operator will only
search the speciHc website for the keywords
you're using.

To illustrate this, take a commonly searched for

item. If you were to lookup an older but still
popular item like a Samsung Galaxy phone, you
could enter site:samsung.com Samsung
Galaxy SM-G930A instruction manual. All my
results were from the manufacturer, and I didn't
have to go through any unoRcial channels.

For more ways to customize your results, use

the best Google search cheat sheet to get
more tips, commands, and operators.

2. Internet Archive Manual Library

archive manual online

With Archive.org, you sacriHce some of the

precision of Google.com for a vast array of old
online manuals. If you have time to spare, it's a
great way to rediscover lost manuals. It also
features many Hlters to trim down the over
500,000 results.
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If you couldn't Hnd a model number, Hltering by

year lets you trim to the most precise margin.
Whenever you arrive at the desired manual, you
can Xip through the full text, see the contents
across different views, and (sometimes) have it
read aloud to you. For all manuals, you can
download it in a variety of formats for free.

3. Manuals Online

manuals online search

Like with the Internet Archive Manual Library,
Manuals Online's biggest pull is its categories.
The site divides it's over 700,00 manuals into
twenty main categories that are then broken
down into their device types. If you know what
brand you're looking for, you can also tailor your
manual search.

If you prefer to use your model number, just

type into the search bar. If there's a manual that
matches, you'll see it suggested before you
even Hnish typing. It's seamless to just click on
the suggested result.

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Then once you've found a manual, you can

Then once you've found a manual, you can
preview it on the site, open it as a PDF, or print
it by the push of a button. If you don't Hnd your
manual there, you can also put in a request via
the site's support system.

4. ManualsLib

manualslib numbers

ManualsLib boasts an impressive collection of

over four million free manuals converted into
pdfs. While other sites focus on their
categories, ManualsLib tries to guide you
towards your manual of choice based on brand
or search results.

Once you Hnd your manual, ManualsLib tries to

one-up most other manual sites. While it offers
the standard options (read online, download, or
print), ManualsLib also allows you to keep a
manual library and bookmark speciHc pages
after you've made an account. If you also want
to keep your library of manuals close by, you
can download the ManualsLib app.
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For those that want to avoid making any

accounts, you can always take your PDF
manuals and learn how to resume reading
from where you left off in PDF Yles.

Download: ManualsLib for Android (Free, in-

app purchase)

5. SafeManuals

safemanuals search
If you haven't found your manual yet,
SafeManuals offers you more than 800,000
manuals to look through. You can browse
manufacturers, search, or check out the most
popular brands. Afterward, you can quickly Xip
through the pages and download the manual
as a PDF.

The site itself is more basic, but it does provide

some unique incentives like trying to explain
why you should read a particular manual.

Digital Instruction Manuals: Find Even

Old Manuals Online

When looking for instruction manuals online,

these free resources can save you from a lot of
bother. Having an instruction manual as PDF
not only gives you a way to store it, but you can
take advantage of increased searchability.

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Just don't overdo it on instruction manuals or
you'll need to Hnd better ways to store your Hles
than on a desktop.

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RELATED TOPICS

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Hirtz
(118 Articles Published)

James is a Staff Writer for MakeUseOf and lover of

words. After Hnishing off his B.A. in English, he ha…
chosen to pursue his passions in all matters of
More From James Hirtz
tech, entertainment,  gaming sphere. He
and the
hopes to reach, educate, and discuss with others
via the written word.
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