Free tool to easily use advanced search operators
Using the Google Search Query Builder is simple:
Advanced search operators are utilized in the following specialized research and analysis:
By combining the site: operator with intitle: and inurl:, you can investigate the indexing status of specific page types (blog posts, product pages, etc.) on competitor sites. For example, 'site:example.com intitle:review' displays a list of review pages on competitor sites, enabling content strategy analysis. You can also discover PDF materials published by competitors with filetype:pdf site:example.com.
By combining the filetype:pdf operator with specialized terminology, you can efficiently discover academic papers and whitepapers. For example, 'machine learning filetype:pdf site:ac.jp' searches for PDF papers on machine learning published by Japanese universities. You can also extract only papers containing specific keywords in their titles using the intitle: operator.
Demonstrates power when searching for official documentation and sample code for specific technologies in programming and system development. For example, 'site:github.com intitle:react filetype:md' searches for React-related Markdown documentation on GitHub, or 'inurl:api site:docs.python.org' narrows down Python's official API documentation.
When tracking the latest information on specific topics, you can limit to news sites with the site: operator and extract only articles containing related keywords with the intitle: operator. For example, 'site:nikkei.com intitle:AI 2024' efficiently collects 2024 AI-related articles from Nikkei newspaper.
Searches combining region names and industries can collect business information for specific areas. 'Shibuya cafe intitle:hours' prioritizes sites of cafes that clearly state their operating hours, or 'Yokohama real estate filetype:pdf' searches for property materials.
When looking for high-quality images from specific sites, combinations like 'site:unsplash.com Tokyo' enable efficient image discovery from target sites. You can also search for vector images only with the filetype:svg operator or find files in image directories with the inurl:images operator.
Using the exclude operator (-) enables high-precision searches with noise eliminated. For example, 'Python tutorial -video -YouTube' displays only text-based Python tutorial articles excluding video content, or 'iPhone13 -used -junk' narrows down to only new product information.
Google search operators are special commands that enable precise searches not obtainable with regular keyword searches. By using these operators, you can limit search results to specific sites, file types, and page elements, making them indispensable tools for SEO professionals, researchers, and developers.
Displays only results that exactly match the phrase enclosed in double quotation marks. Example: "Tokyo Olympics 2024" returns only pages containing this exact phrase.
Excludes pages containing specific keywords from search results. Example: Python -video displays only Python-related pages that do not contain the word 'video'.
Searches for pages containing any of multiple keywords. Example: 'React OR Vue' displays pages containing either React or Vue.
The asterisk functions as a placeholder representing any word. Example: "the most * programming language" searches for phrases with any word in between.
Searches only pages within a specific domain or site. Example: site:github.com React displays only React-related pages within GitHub. You can also specify subdomains, with site:blog.example.com limiting to a specific subdomain.
Searches only pages containing specific keywords in the page title. Example: intitle:SEO strategy displays pages with 'SEO strategy' in the title. Using allintitle: requires all keywords to be in the title.
Searches only pages containing specific keywords in the URL. Example: inurl:blog displays pages with 'blog' in the URL. Convenient for finding blog posts or pages in specific directories.
Searches only pages containing specific keywords in the page body text. Emphasizes keyword appearance in content body rather than titles or URLs. The allintext: operator can make all keywords required to be in the body.
Searches only documents of specific file formats. Supports various formats including PDF, DOC, XLS, PPT, etc. Example: machine learning filetype:pdf returns only PDF files about machine learning. Very effective for searching academic papers and technical materials.
Discovers sites highly related to the specified URL. Example: related:nytimes.com displays news sites similar to The New York Times. Effective for competitive analysis and researching similar services.
Displays the cached version of a page stored by Google. Example: cache:example.com displays the cached version of example.com. Convenient when sites are down or when you want to check past versions.
The most powerful searches are achieved by combining multiple operators. For example, 'site:github.com intitle:vue filetype:md' displays only Vue-related Markdown files within GitHub. 'site:edu filetype:pdf artificial intelligence -introduction' searches for advanced AI papers from educational institutions.
Using specific technical terms and proper nouns instead of vague words significantly improves search accuracy. Instead of 'programming study', specify in detail like 'Python Django tutorial beginners'.
By excluding unnecessary information, you can quickly reach your target information. Display only dedicated camera information with 'camera -smartphone -iPhone', or focus solely on React with 'React -Angular -Vue'.
When searching for technical information or news, including the year narrows down to the latest information. Adding the year like 'Node.js best practices 2024' eliminates old information and acquires only currently valid information.
Major search operators (site:, filetype:, intitle:, etc.) can be used in regular Google search, but some operators may not be available in certain services like Google News, Google Maps, and YouTube search. Also, specifications of some operators in Google search may change without notice.
Yes, it's possible. Specifying site:example.com includes example.com and all its subdomains (blog.example.com, shop.example.com, etc.) in the search. If you want to limit to a specific subdomain only, specify the complete subdomain like site:blog.example.com.
Almost all major file formats are supported. PDF (pdf), Microsoft Word (doc, docx), Excel (xls, xlsx), PowerPoint (ppt, pptx), text files (txt), HTML (html), XML (xml), CSV (csv), image formats (jpg, png, gif, svg), and many other diverse formats can be searched.
intitle: matches if the specified single keyword is in the title, but allintitle: requires all specified keywords to be in the title. For example, intitle:Python machine learning matches if 'Python' is in the title and 'machine learning' is in the body, but allintitle:Python machine learning requires both keywords in the title.
When combining operators, ① be careful about spacing (space needed after site:example.com), ② operator order is basically free, but placing site: or filetype: at the beginning is recommended for readability, ③ combining too many operators may result in zero search results, so it's recommended to add conditions gradually.
Put a minus sign (-) immediately before the keyword you want to exclude, with a space before the minus. Example: write it like 'Python -video'. For multiple exclusions, put - before each excluded keyword like 'Python -video -YouTube -beginner'. Be careful not to put a space between the minus and the keyword.
'OR' must be written in uppercase. Lowercase 'or' is treated as a regular keyword. Example: write 'React OR Vue OR Angular'. You can also use the pipe symbol (|) to write 'React | Vue | Angular'.
① Check if operator spelling and syntax are correct (space after site:, space before -, etc.), ② confirm quotation marks and colons are not full-width (write in half-width alphanumeric), ③ if combination is too complex, try simple conditions first, ④ some operators may stop functioning due to Google specification changes, so it's recommended to check Google's official documentation for the latest information.