Google Search Commands

Search within a site, browse archival info, locate resources in specific domains

While more people use Google than any other search engine on the Web, most do not realize that there is much more to this mammoth search index than meets the eye: an amazing repertoire of specific Google search commands that can help Web searchers find what they're looking for, fast.

If you'd like to make your Google searches effective every time, these are the basics that you should have in your web search repertoire. Here are 13 Google search commands that will make your searches as efficient as possible:

1
Find a specific phrase

If you want Google to find a specific phrase that has words in a specific order, than you want to use quotation marks.

Quotation marks tell Google to only retrieve Web pages with your words in the exact order and proximity that you typed them, which makes exact searches much more efficient. Learn more about using quotation marks to make your searches more effective. 

2
Locate a particular file format

Google doesn't just index Web pages, written primarily in HTML and other markup languages. You can also use Google to find virtually any kind of file format available, including PDF files, Word documents, and Excel spreadsheets.

This can be a very useful tip to know, especially when you're searching for research information. Learn more about using Google to find particular types of files with one easy search command. 

3
Get a definition

Don't waste time thumbing through a dictionary. You can use Google to find the definition of any word or acronym simply by using a very direct search command.

Learn more about using Google to find the definition of a word or acronym. 

4
See the cached version of a Web site

If a site has been taken down, you can't see it anymore, right? Not necessarily.

Google's cache command can retrieve archived versions of most Web sites online, making it easy for you to see a site that has been taken down (for whatever reason), or is under too much traffic from an unexpected event.

Learn more about using Google cache to dig up old versions of pages.

5
Search for more than one word within a Web address

Looking for specific words within a Web address? Google's "allinurl" search command retrieves all specified words that appear in the URL of a Web site, and make it easy to find links that have the words you're looking for in the web address.

If you want to find a specific word and restrict your search only to URLs, you can also use the "inurl" search command to accomplish this.

Learn more about using Google to find words within a URL.

6
Search within Web page titles

Web page titles are found at the top of your Web browser and within search results.

You can restrict your Google search to only Web page titles with the "allintitle" search command. The term allintitle is a search operator specific to Google that brings back search results restricted to search terms found in Web page titles.

For example, if you only wanted search results with the word "tennis championships", you would use this syntax:

allintitle: tennis championships

This would bring back Google search results with the words "tennis championships" in the Web page titles.

7
Find information about any Web site

Get an instant snapshot of any Web site with the "info:" command, a unique Google search operator that retrieves a complete set of information.

8
See sites that link to a specific site

Using "link:URL" (with URL representing your specific Web address), you can see which sites link to any other site.

This is especially useful for Web site owners.....keep reading

9
Find movie information and theater showtimes

Want to go see a movie? Simply type "movies" or "movie" into the Google search field, and Google will retrieve a brief movie summary as well as local theater showtimes.

10
Get a weather report from anywhere in the world

Simply type the word "weather" plus the city you're interested in, any city in the world, and Google can retrieve a quick forecast for you.

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