How many times have you searched Google only to get a bunch of incorrect or unrelated search results that you wish you could filter out? Well, with a few shortcuts, you can narrow down your search and always get the exact results you're looking for.
You’ll find these shortcuts in our Google Search cheat sheet below. It contains various search commands to help you filter results by site, timelines, and context, plus some handy widgets.
FREE DOWNLOAD: This cheat sheet is available as a downloadable PDF from our distribution partner, TradePub. You will have to complete a short form to access it for the first time. Download the Google Search Operators Cheat Sheet.
The Google Search Operators Cheat Sheet
Operator |
Description |
Example |
---|---|---|
Informational Search Operators |
||
define [term] |
Returns a definition of the given term. |
define gregarious |
time [location] |
Returns the current time at a particular location. |
time Stockholm |
[unit] to [unit] |
Convert from one unit to another. |
1 cup to tbsp |
[unit] in [unit] |
Convert from one unit to another. |
1000USD in GBP |
translate [term] [language] |
Translates the queried term into another specified language. |
translate hello world German |
map [location] |
Returns map result. |
map New York |
movie [term] |
Returns information about a movie, plus local performance times if available. |
movie Mario |
stocks [stock symbol] |
Returns stock information. |
stocks SBUX |
weather [location] |
Returns the weather forecast for the given location or ZIP code. |
weather Berlin |
sunrise [location] |
Provides the sunrise time for the specified location. |
sunrise:Delhi |
sunset [location] |
Provides the sunset time for the specified location. |
sunset:London |
[city 1] [city 2] |
Returns the flight details between two cities. |
London Mumbai |
[flight number] |
Returns the flight details along with the timeline. |
BA 139 |
[team 1] [team 2] |
Returns the current or most recent score of the match between two teams. |
Argentina France |
Search Symbols |
||
[term 1] -[term 2] |
Excludes search results that include this term. |
best tablets -drawing |
[term 1] | [term 2] |
Returns search results that match terms on either side of the pipe. The same as writing "OR" between search terms. |
computer | tablet |
"[term]" |
Returns search results that include all terms within quotes in the exact given order. |
"never gonna give you up" |
* |
Returns search results where any words can be matched in place of the asterisk. |
best * in America |
[term] [number 1]..[number 2] |
When placed between two numbers, returns search results that match within the number range. |
Chromebook $200..$500 |
([term 1]) [term 2] |
Group search terms and control the search logic of the query. |
(best | worst) office suite |
[term] $[number] |
Returns prices. |
Mac $1000 |
Website, Timeline, and News Search Operators |
||
cache:[website] |
Show Google's cached version of a specific page. |
cache:makeuseof.com |
[term] filetype:[format] |
Returns only search results that match a particular file extension. |
sleep study filetype:pdf |
related:[website] |
Returns other websites that are similar to the queried website. |
related:nytimes.com |
[term] site:[website] |
Returns only search results from a particular website. |
productivity tips site:makeuseof.com |
[term] before:[date] |
Returns results before a given date. |
internet before:2005 |
[term] after:[date] |
Returns results after a given date. |
internet after:2022 |
[term] source:[website] |
Returns news articles on searched terms from specified sources in Google News. |
startup source:MakeUseOf |
[term] location:[location] |
Returns news articles on searched terms from the specified location in Google News. |
startup location:India |
intext:[term] |
Returns only search results that match the term in the page's body. |
intext:blackhole |
allintext:[term] |
Same as intext, but returns only search results that match the complete term. |
allintext:time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time |
intitle:[term] |
Returns only search results that match the term in the page's title. |
intitle:contact |
allintitle:[term] |
Same as intitle, but returns only search results that match the complete term. |
allintitle:Google Search operators |
inurl:[term] |
Returns only search results that match the term in the page's URL. |
inurl:programming |
allinurl:[term] |
Same as inurl, but returns only search results that match the complete term. |
allinurl:iPhone 14 |
Widgets |
||
calculator |
Opens a calculator widget. |
calculator |
unit converter |
Opens a unit converter widget to convert a unit from one measurement to another. |
unit converter |
color picker |
Opens an interactive color picker widget. |
color picker |
[duration] timer |
Opens a timer widget. You can also specify the timer duration in the search query itself. |
45 second timer |
tip calculator |
Opens a tip calculator widget to quickly calculate the tip amount. |
tip calculator |
stopwatch |
Opens a stopwatch widget. |
stopwatch |
How to Use Google Advanced Search
If you struggle to remember these operators, you can also use Google Advanced Search. This tool doesn't cover all the functionalities listed above, but it's still handy as a guided way to filter results. You need only to populate the fields you wish to filter by.
To open the Advanced Search page, first perform a Google search. Then, click the cog icon in the top-right and select Advanced search.
Utilize Chrome Extensions for Google Search
Google Search is powerful on its own, but it occasionally fails to provide the best results. On top of the search operators outlined above, you can also leverage Chrome extensions to get a better Google Search experience.