Search Engine Syntax Reference

Overview

Search engine advanced syntax are special commands provided by search engines that help you more precisely control search results. By reasonably using these syntax, you can quickly find the information you need and significantly improve search efficiency.

Basic Syntax

site: - Specify Site Search

site: syntax is used to limit search results to specified websites or domains only. This is very useful for searching within specific websites.

Syntax Format

Usage Examples

• site:github.com - Search only in GitHub
• site:*.edu - Search only in educational websites
• site:zhihu.com machine learning - Search "machine learning" in Zhihu

Notes

• Do not add space between site: and domain
• Can include subdomains, like site:blog.example.com
• Supports top-level domains, like site:.gov

intitle: - Title Search

intitle: syntax is used to limit keywords to appear in page titles in search results. This is very effective for finding pages on specific topics.

Syntax Format

Usage Examples

• intitle:tutorial - Pages with "tutorial" in title
• intitle:"machine learning tutorial" - Pages with complete phrase in title
• intitle:Python intitle:beginner - Titles containing both keywords

Related Syntax

• allintitle: - Requires all subsequent words to appear in title
• inanchor: - Search for keywords in anchor text

inurl: - URL Search

inurl: syntax is used to limit keywords to appear in URLs in search results. This is useful for finding specific types of pages (like blogs, forums).

Syntax Format

Usage Examples

• inurl:blog - Pages with "blog" in URL
• inurl:forum - Pages with "forum" in URL
• inurl:admin - Pages with "admin" in URL

filetype: - File Type Search

filetype: syntax is used to limit search results to specified file types only. This is very useful for finding documents in specific formats.

Syntax Format

Supported File Types

Usage Examples

• filetype:pdf machine learning - Find PDF documents about machine learning
• filetype:ppt artificial intelligence - Find PPT presentations about AI
• filetype:xls data statistics - Find Excel spreadsheets about data statistics

intext: - Body Text Search

intext: syntax is used to limit keywords to appear in page body text in search results. This is similar to default search but more explicitly specifies search scope.

Syntax Format

Usage Examples

• intext:artificial intelligence - Pages with "artificial intelligence" in body text
• intext:tutorial intext:beginner - Body text containing both keywords

Logical Operators

OR - Or Operation

OR operator is used to search for results containing any keyword. Note: Must use uppercase OR.

Syntax Format

Usage Examples

• machine learning OR deep learning - Results containing any keyword
• Python OR Java OR C++ - Results containing any programming language

AND - And Operation

AND operator is used to search for results containing all keywords. Note: Most search engines default to AND logic, keywords separated by spaces default to AND relationship.

Syntax Format

Usage Examples

• machine learning AND Python - Results containing both keywords
• artificial intelligence AND application AND case - Results containing all three keywords

NOT - Not Operation

NOT operator is used to exclude results containing specific keywords. Note: Google uses minus sign - instead of NOT.

Syntax Format

Usage Examples

• apple NOT phone - Search "apple" but exclude "phone" related content
• Python -snake - Search "Python" but exclude "snake" related content
• tutorial -ads - Search "tutorial" but exclude "ads" related content

Advanced Syntax

Exact Match - Quotes

Using double quotes " " enables exact match search, search results must contain the complete phrase within quotes.

Syntax Format

Usage Examples

• "machine learning tutorial" - Search for pages containing complete phrase
• intitle:"Python beginner" - Pages with complete phrase in title

Wildcard - *

Using asterisk * as wildcard can match any word or phrase.

Syntax Format

Usage Examples

• the * of freedom - Matches "the house of freedom", "the land of freedom", etc.
• "how to * Python" - Matches "how to learn Python", "how to use Python", etc.

Number Range - ..

Using two dots .. can specify number range.

Syntax Format

Usage Examples

• laptop 5000..10000 - Search for laptops priced between 5000 and 10000
• tutorial 2020..2024 - Search for tutorials from 2020 to 2024

Syntax Combination

Multiple syntax can be combined to create more precise search conditions.

Combination Rules

• Multiple syntax separated by spaces
• Syntax order does not affect search results
• Can nest multiple syntax
• Logical operators can connect multiple search conditions

Combination Examples

Example 1: Academic Paper Search

Description: Search for machine learning related content in PDF format with "paper" in title on educational websites.

Example 2: Technical Documentation Search

Description: Search for Python related documents in Markdown format with "README" in title on GitHub.

Example 3: Exclude Specific Content

Description: Search for Python tutorials in PDF format with "tutorial" in title, excluding ads and promotions.

Example 4: Multi-Condition Combination

Description: Search for PDF documents containing "machine learning" or "deep learning", and containing "Python" or "TensorFlow".

Search Engine Compatibility

Different search engines have different levels of support for advanced syntax. Below is compatibility information for major search engines: