Google Search Prefixes or Query Options
Most of us already know handful of prefixes that can be used in Google for specific purpose like link:, related: or site:. However, there are much more prefixes whose utility can vary from general users to webmasters. Lets see some of the most useful and valuable prefixes that are blessing in disguise.
| Search prefix | Function |
|---|---|
| define:word | Shows dictionary meaning of the word from various sources. Easiest to use, most useful of all. Interchangeable with meaning or define. |
| link:www.site.com | Shows other pages that links to that url. |
| related:www.site.com | Find sites that Google considers related. |
| site:www.site.com | Restrict search results to the specified site. |
| allinurl: | Shows only pages with all terms in the url. |
| inurl: | like allinurl, but only for the next query word. |
| allintitle: | Shows only results with terms in title. |
| intitle: | Same as allintitle, but only for the next word. |
| intitle:search google | Finds only pages with search in the title, and google anywhere on the page. |
| cache:URL | Gives you google’s stored version of webpage. Useful if the site is down. |
| info: | URL will give you description about a given site. This is same as typing url in search box. |
| spell: | Does a spellcheck on your query. you don’t have to do this, google will automatically spellcheck any words searched. |
| stocks: | Does a search for stocks quotes of a company. For example stocks:GOOG . |
| filetype: | Does a search for a specific file type. For example filetype:docx will search for Microsoft word files along with search query. |
| daterange: | It supports Julian date format only. 2457250 is an example of a Julian date for 15 August 2015. Use this calculator to convert. . |
| maps: | Shortcut to do a google maps search. |
| phone: | Searches for anything that looks like a phone number. |
| allinlinks: | Searches only within links, not text or title. |
| allintext: | Searches only within text of pages, but not in the links or page title. |
| allinanchor:keyword | List results ordered by number of anchor texts as keyword. |
| nutrition: or calorie: | Shows health facts with nutrition amount and calorie count. |
Note: Google keeps on adding new search prefixes and removes the ones which are not relevant anymore. With the new knowledge graph, Google has started showing informational cards like word origins and lyrics at the top and left side of search listings. We will update the article whenever we come to know of any new operators.
My Favorite on is define prefix which instantly gives meaning of any word. And since Google has abandon its dictionary service, this becomes quite handy. Tell us in your comments which one of them is your favorite?
Related: Gmail Search Operators
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I had read about all other operators just except phone: and spell: – of course, spell is not at all useful as google itself suggest the right one.
Stumbled :)
Thanks for the tips!
Another great Google trick. Define: Will search for meanings of a word, acronym, phrase, etc
Yet another one… Weather in {name of town/city} will give you current temp. and 4 day forecast
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