Search Strategies - Summary and Comparison of Commands

 

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The table below summarises and compares a selection of the advanced search commands that are available in Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo.

A list of Google's advanced search operators compiled by Google's own Dan Russell can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ydVaJJeL1EYbWtlfj9TPfBTE5IBADkQfZrQaBZxqXGs/ (updated August 2019)

 

Google
www.google.com

Bing
www.bing.com

DuckDuckGo
http://duckduckgo.com/

Default search

Automatically looks for synonyms and variations on your terms. Drops words from your search if the number of results is low or zero.

Automatically looks for synonyms and variations on your term. Drops words from your search if the number of results is low or zero.

All of your words and looks for synonyms and variations on your term.

Wild card or truncation

Not user specified. Google automatically looks for variations and synonyms. (See use of the asterisk to stand in for whole words below).

Not user specified. Automatically looks for synonyms and variations.

Not user specified. Automatically looks for synonyms and variations.

Specify alternative terms or variations

Use OR for example hematology OR haematology

Use OR for example hematology OR haematology

No

Suggests other search strategies and related terms

Suggests additional terms as you type in your search. Also offers related searches at the bottom of your results page.

Suggests additional terms as you type in your search. 'Related Searches' at the bottom or to the right of your results page.

Suggests searches as you type. Also offers related searches at the bottom of your results page.

Phrases

"." for example "climate change"

Sometimes ignored.

"." for example "climate change"

Sometimes ignored.

"..." for example "climate change"

Sometimes ignored.

Proximity

Use the asterisk to stand in for one or more words in a phrase for example solar * panels

No

No

Exclude pages with a word

Precede words with a minus sign (-) .
For example raspberry -jam

Precede words with a minus sign (-). For example
raspberry -jam

Precede words with a minus sign (-)
For example
raspberry -jam

Boost importance of a term

Repeat the term 2 or more times in your search.

Repeat the term 2 or more times in your search.

Repeat the term 2 or more times in your search.

Word in URL :

inurl: for example inurl:chocolate

No

No

Word or phrase in title

intitle: for example intitle:"clinical guidelines"

intitle: for example intitle:"clinical guidelines"

intitle: or t: for example intitle:"clinical guidelines"

Word in the text of the page

intext: ensures that an exact match of your term appears in the text of the page for example intext:penryn should not pick up Penrhyn. Sometimes ignored by Google.

inbody: ensures that an exact match of your term appears in the text of the page. For example inbody:penryn

No

Specify part of domain or limit by web site

site: looks for your terms on a specific site or type of site. For example
UK carbon emissions site:gov.uk

site: looks for your terms on a specific site or type of site. For example UK carbon emissions site:gov.uk

site: looks for your terms on a specific site or type of site. For example
UK carbon emissions site:gov.uk

Similar pages

related: looks for pages or sites that are similar in content. For example related:http://www.nice. org.uk/

No

No

File type or format

filetype: Looks for files in the specified format. For example fracking licences filetype:pdf

filetype: Looks for files in the specified format. For example fracking licences filetype:pdf

filetype: Looks for files in the specified format. For example fracking licences filetype:pdf

Search by date

On the results page click on ‘Search tools' in the menu above the results, then ‘Any time' and select a time period or specify a custom range.

Alternatively use before:YYYY/MM/DD and/or after:YYYY/MM/DD, for example
uk general election after:2017/06/01 before:2017/08/31

At the top of the results page select the Date option, and then a time period or specify a custom range.

 

On the results page click on "Any time"' in the menu above the results, then select a time period or specify a custom range.

Definitions define finds definitions and synonyms of words, for example define citrine . Also provides information on the origin of a word, use over time and translations. define finds definitions and synonyms of words, for example define citrine. Also provides information on the origin of a word and translations. define finds definitions of words, for example define citrine.

Limit by geography

Country versions of Google but now has to be done via Settings, Advanced Search. Scroll down to “Then narrow your results by…” You may need to change to the relevant language as well. Alternatively append &cr=countryXX to the URL of your search, where XX is the 2 letter country code

Country version of Bing. Go to Settings, Country/Region and select the country from the list.

Use the drop down menu on the left above the results. Not always reliable.

Boolean

OR between terms to specify alternatives

No longer ofers Boolean

No.

Cached copy

Click on the green arrow next to the URL of a page in the results list and select ‘Cached', or search using cache: for example cache:rba.co.uk

Click on the green arrow next to the URL of the page in your results list and select 'Cached'

No

Unique features

Numeric range search for example
electric vehicle production forecast 2022..2030

Verbatim to force Google to search for all of your terms exactly as you typed them in.
On a desktop/laptop, run your search and from the options across the top of the results page select ‘Tools'. From the second row of options that appears select ‘All results' followed by Verbatim. The location of Verbatim on mobile devices varies.

feed: looks for an RSS or Atom feed related to your search term for example feed:gardening

 

No tracking, no personalisation or "filter bubble"