Google Search Commands
Advanced Commands for Google Search
Combining these secret Google search operators with your typical search terms is easy. The examples below will show you that finding what you’re searching for actually simply requires some small modifications.
| Search operator | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| “ ” | Search for results that mention a word or phrase. | “seo jobs” |
| OR | Search for results related to X or Y. | jobs OR salary |
| | | Same as OR: | jobs | gates |
| AND | Search for results related to X and Y. | jobs AND gates |
| – | Search for results that don’t mention a word or phrase. | jobs -apple |
| * | Wildcard matching any word or phrase. | steve * apple |
| ( ) | Group multiple searches. | (ipad OR iphone) apple |
| define: | Search for the definition of a word or phrase. | define:entrepreneur |
| cache: | Find the most recent cache of a webpage. | cache:apple.com |
| filetype: | Search for particular types of files (e.g., PDF). | apple filetype:pdf |
| ext: | Same as filetype: | apple ext:pdf |
| site: | Search for results from a particular website. | site:apple.com |
| related: | Search for sites related to a given domain. | related:apple.com |
| intitle: | Search for pages with a particular word in the title tag. | intitle:apple |
| allintitle: | Search for pages with multiple words in the title tag. | allintitle:apple iphone |
| inurl: | Search for pages with a particular word in the URL. | inurl:apple |
| allinurl: | Search for pages with multiple words in the URL. | allinurl:apple iphone |
| intext: | Search for pages with a particular word in their content. | intext:apple iphone |
| allintext: | Search for pages with multiple words in their content. | allintext:apple iphone |
| weather: | Search for the weather in a location. | weather:san francisco |
| stocks: | Search for stock information for a ticker. | stocks:aapl |
| map: | Force Google to show map results. | map:silicon valley |
| movie: | Search for information about a movie. | movie:steve jobs |
| in | Convert one unit to another. | $329 in GBP |
| source: | Search for results from a particular source in Google News. | apple source:the_verge |
| before: | Search for results from before a particular date. | apple before:2007-06-29 |
| after: | Search for results from after a particular date. | apple after:2007-06-29 |
Cheat Sheet for Google Search Operators
| Command | Example | Explanation |
| This and That | iPhone deals | Search all words: iPhone and deals; similar to using AND between the terms |
| This or That | sailing OR boating | Search sailing or boating |
| Exact Match | “love me tender” | Search this phrase as a whole |
| Exclude Words | printer -cartridge | Search printer but hide results that include cartridge |
| Definitions | define:serendipity | Definitions for serendipity |
| Partial Search | san * california | Search all words but allow for another word between them |
| Add | 978+456 | 1434 |
| Subtract | 978-456 | 522 |
| Multiply | 978*456 | 445968 |
| Divide | 978/456 | 2.14473684211 |
| Percentage | 50% of 100 | 50 |
| Power/Exponent | 4^18 | Calculates 4 to the power of 18, returns 68719476736 |
| Unit Conversion | 45 Celsius in Fahrenheit | How 45 Celsius is expressed in Fahrenheit, returns 113; also works with currencies, weight, distance, and more |
| Domain Search | site:whatmobile.com “best phone” | Search whatmobile.com for “best phone” |
| News Source | tesla source:lifewire | Search Google News for Tesla, but prioritize results from Lifewire |
| Search a Range | “Android phone” $300..$500 | Search “Android phone” but only show results where the price ranges from $300-$500; also works for dates and other numbers |
| Before a Date | before:2000-01-15 internet | Search for articles that mention internet published before a certain date. |
| After a Date | after:2021-01-15 internet | Search for articles that mention internet published after a certain date. |
| Cache Search | cache:lifewire.com | The latest cached version of lifewire.com |
| Filetype Search | filetype:pptx zoology | Search all PPTX files that include the word zoology (not all file extensions are supported) |
| Map Search | map:pie town | Force Google to show map results for a location |
| Weather Search | weather:new york city | Search for location-specific weather |
| Stock Search | stocks:msft | Search for stock information with a stock symbol/ticker |
| Title Search | title:running | Search for pages with running in the title; use allintitle to search multiple words |
| URL Search | inurl:chewbacca | Search for pages that include chewbacca in the URL; use allinurl to search multiple words |
| Body Text Search | intext:parlor | Search for pages that include parlor in the body of the page (won’t return pages that include the search in the title or URL but not the body); use allintext to search multiple words |
| Words by Proximity | tech AROUND(3) android | Search tech and android, but only show results where the terms are within three words of each other |
| Related Sites | related:engadget.com | Find websites that have similar content as another one |
| Group Multiple Searches | (ice OR snow) weather | Group multiple searches |
