Google Search Operators: A Comprehensive Guide to Advanced Web Search

Google search is being used by billions of people on a daily basis. However, the advanced usage of search operators – which can significantly increase the accuracy of the results – is a lesser known, yet extremely powerful option.

Here’s an extensive list of search operators as of as of :

Basic Operators:

1. AND operator (AND or +): Requires both terms to be present in the search results.
   • Example: dogs AND cats or dogs +cats
2. OR operator (OR): Retrieves results containing either term.
   • Example: dogs OR cats
3. NOT operator (–): Excludes specific terms from search results.
   • Example: dogs -puppies

Advanced Operators:

1. Quotation Marks (” “): Searches for an exact phrase.
   • Example: “machine learning”
2. Asterisk/Wildcard (*): Acts as a placeholder for unknown words within a phrase.
   • Example: A * in the hand is worth two in the bush
3. Site (site:): Searches within a specific site or domain.
   • Example: site:nytimes.com climate change
4. Related (related:): Retrieves sites related to the specified site.
   • Example: related:bbc.com
5. File Type (filetype:): Limits results to specific file types.
   • Example: filetype:pdf research paper
6. Link (link:): Finds pages that link to a specific URL.
   • Example: link:https://example.com
7. In-Text (intext:): Searches for terms within the body text.
   • Example: intext:AI ethics
8. AllinTitle (allintitle:): Searches for multiple words in the title.
   • Example: allintitle:best restaurants Paris
9. AllinURL (allinurl:): Searches for multiple words in the URL.
   • Example: allinurl:best hiking trails
10. Cache (cache:): Retrieves the cached version of a webpage.
    • Example: cache:example.com
11. Define (define:): Provides definitions of words or phrases.
    • Example: define:serendipity
12. AROUND (AROUND(n)): Finds words within a specific proximity.
    • Example: “artificial intelligence” AROUND(3) ethics
13. Number Range (..): Searches within a specific range of numbers.
    • Example: camera $100..$500
14. Info (info:): Provides information about a web page.
    • Example: info:example.com
15. Location (location:): Restricts search results to a specific location.
    • Example: location:New York restaurants
16. InURL (inurl:): Searches for specific terms within the URL.
    • Example: inurl:technology trends
17. Related (related:): Provides related pages based on the search term.
    • Example: related:wikipedia.org
18. Map (map:): Shows map results for a location.
    • Example: map:New York City
19. Stocks (stocks:): Provides information on stocks.
    • Example: stocks:AAPL
20. Movie (movie:): Displays movie information.
    • Example: movie:Inception
21. Weather (weather:): Retrieves weather information.
    • Example: weather:London
22. Package Tracking (package tracking:): Tracks packages by entering a tracking number.
    • Example: package tracking:1234567890

Calculator & Measurement Conversions:

1. Mathematical Operations: Allows basic math operations directly in the search bar.
   • Example: 5 * 8 + sqrt(9)
2. Unit Conversions: Converts units directly in the search bar.
   • Example: 10 miles to kilometers

These operators offer a diverse range of functionalities, enabling users to precisely tailor their Google searches and access specific information efficiently.