Essential Search Operators
| Operator / Example | What It Does |
|---|---|
| "exact phrase" | Search for exact phrase in quotes |
| site:nytimes.com climate | Search only within a specific domain |
| filetype:pdf resume template | Find specific file types |
| intitle:recipe pasta | Find pages with keyword in the title |
| inurl:blog wordpress tutorial | Find pages with keyword in the URL |
| intext:shortcut cheat sheet | Find pages with keyword in body text |
| -keyword | Exclude a word from results (minus sign) |
| keyword OR keyword2 | Find results with either term |
| word1 AND word2 | Both terms must appear (implicit by default) |
| word1 * word2 | Wildcard — any words between the two terms |
| before:2020 electric cars | Results published before a date |
| after:2023 AI news | Results published after a date |
| 2000..2024 | Number range (works for prices, years, etc.) |
| related:nytimes.com | Find websites similar to this one |
| cache:site.com | View Google's cached version of a page |
Google Calculator & Quick Answers
| Search Term | Result |
|---|---|
| 5 feet in meters | Unit conversion |
| 100 USD in EUR | Currency conversion |
| timer 25 minutes | Set a countdown timer in search |
| stopwatch | Launch a stopwatch in search results |
| flip a coin | Google flips a coin |
| roll a die | Google rolls a virtual die |
| weather 93230 | Weather by zip code |
| sunrise Hanford CA | Sunrise/sunset for a location |
| define:serendipity | Dictionary definition |
| etymology serendipity | Word origin/history |
| translate hello to spanish | Quick translation |
Image Search Tricks
| Method / Filter | Action |
|---|---|
| image search by URL | Paste image URL into search bar for reverse lookup |
| Drag image into search bar | Reverse image search (find where an image appears) |
| imagesize:1920x1080 wallpaper | Find images of exact dimensions |
| Tools → Any size → Exact... | Filter images by size in results |
| Tools → Color | Filter image results by dominant color |
| Tools → Usage rights | Filter for Creative Commons / license-free images |
Little-Known Google Tricks
| Trick / Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| google.com/ncr | No Country Redirect — force google.com globally |
| Search: do a barrel roll | Page does a 360° spin |
| Search: zerg rush | O's attack your search results |
| Search: blink html | Makes results blink briefly |
| Google Fonts: fonts.google.com | Browse 1,500+ free fonts with preview |
| Verbatim (Tools → All results → Verbatim) | Disable synonyms — exact words only |
| Search: "@twitter handle" | Find Twitter/social profiles |
| link:yoursite.com | Find pages linking TO a specific site |