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Google search operators are words or symbols you add to a query to narrow its results. Put a phrase in quotation marks to request an exact match, use site: to target a site or URL prefix, add a leading minus sign to exclude a term, or use before: and after: to set date boundaries. Keep each operator joined directly to its value, with no space.
What are Google search operators?
They are words or symbols that modify a Google query so you can make a more focused request. They help when an ordinary search returns too much, includes an unwanted meaning, or needs to be limited to a particular site or date range. Operators refine the query; they do not guarantee that Google will return every matching page.
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Which operators should you use?
| What you want | Syntax | Example | What it requests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match an exact phrase | "phrase" |
"climate report" |
Pages matching the quoted phrase. |
| Search within a site | site:domain |
site:example.com renewable energy |
Results from the specified domain. The operator can also target a URL or URL prefix. |
| Exclude a term | -term |
jaguar speed -car |
Results about jaguar speed that exclude the term “car.” |
| Set a date boundary | after:YYYY/MM/DD or before:YYYY/MM/DD |
astronomy discovery after:2026/03/10 |
Results constrained by the specified date boundary. |
Google’s Search Help documents quotation marks, site:, the minus sign, and before:/after: as ways to refine searches: Google Search Help: Refine Google searches.
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How do you search an exact phrase on Google?
Enclose the words in quotation marks. For example, "climate report" asks Google to match that phrase rather than treating the words as separate concepts. Use this when the wording itself matters, such as finding a named document or a phrase you remember.
How do you search only one website on Google?
Put site: immediately before a domain, URL, or URL prefix, then add the subject. For example, site:example.com renewable energy requests results about renewable energy from that domain. Google Search Central documents these supported targets in its guide to Google Search operators.
There is an important limitation: a site: search is not a complete index report. Google says, “If a URL is indexed in Google, it can show up in search results for site: queries that are related to the URL, however it’s not guaranteed.” Results are not necessarily exhaustive, and a site query without an additional term generally does not rank results. So a missing page in a site: search does not prove that Google has not indexed it, and the results cannot reliably count every indexed URL.
How do you exclude words or limit results by date?
Exclude an unwanted meaning
Place a minus sign directly before the term to leave out. In jaguar speed -car, the minus sign excludes results containing “car,” which can help distinguish the animal from the vehicle.
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Add after: or before: followed directly by a date. For example, astronomy discovery after:2026/03/10 asks for results after March 10, 2026. Use a date boundary when recency or a historical cutoff is part of the search; it is a filter on the query, not a guarantee that every result is dated or classified as you expect.
How should you format operators?
Do not put a space between an operator and the value it controls. Write site:nytimes.com, not site: nytimes.com. The operator and its value need to stay together for the syntax to work as intended.
When is Advanced Search easier?
For a one-off query, typing an operator is usually direct. If you want to combine several conditions without remembering syntax, use Google Advanced Search. Its form includes fields for exact words or phrases, any of several words, excluded words, language, region, and file type.
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These controls are not available in exactly the same way for every search. Google notes that filters can depend on language, sign-in status, browser, and result type; available tools vary with the search. See Google Search Help: Filter your search results.
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