Google Search Operator 101
(Web Search, Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Cloud Search — concise, practical reference.)
1. Google (web) Search — core operators
| Operator | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| "exact phrase" | Match the exact wording | "construction certificate" |
| -term | Exclude a term | fire door -timber |
| OR | Either term can match | vesda OR aspirating |
| site: | Limit to a domain | site:planningportal.nsw.gov.au |
| filetype: | Restrict to a file type | filetype:pdf facade test report |
| before: / after: | Filter by indexed date (YYYY-MM-DD) | after:2024-01-01 AS2047 |
Tip: you can set most of these via* *Advanced Search* *UI if you prefer.
2. Gmail — search operators you’ll actually use
| Operator | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| from: / to: / cc: | Address filters | from:pca@example.com |
| subject: | Subject contains | subject:"Section J" |
| label: / in: | Label/system folder | in:spam, label:Invoices |
| is: | State | is:unread, is:starred |
| has:attachment / filename: | Attachment filters | filename:dwg |
| larger: / smaller: | Size filter (e.g., 2M) | larger:5M |
| before: / after: | Date (YYYY/MM/DD accepted) | after:2025/07/01 |
| older_than: / newer_than: | Relative date (d, m, y) | older_than:6m |
| category: | Tabs | category:promotions |
| has:userlabels / has:nouserlabels | Labeled vs not | has:nouserlabels |
Combine freely, e.g.:
from:supplier.com filename:pdf newer_than:30d -in:spam
3. Google Drive — quick filters (UI + typed)
| Operator | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| type: | File type/MIME class | type:pdf, type:spreadsheets |
| owner: | File owner | owner:me |
| sharedwith: | People the file is shared with | sharedwith:maria@company.com |
| is:starred / is:trashed | Starred or in trash | is:starred |
| before: / after: | Modified date | before:2024-12-31 |
| Quotes "" | Exact title/text matches | "CC1 certificate" |
Note: You can also click filter chips in the search box: Type, People, Modified, etc.
Developer view (for API and exact fields): filter on mimeType, owners, modifiedTime, name contains, starred, trashed, etc. UI search maps to these under the hood.
4. Google Cloud Search (Workspace) — org-wide search
| Operator | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| owner: | Content owner | owner:alex@company.com |
| type: | Content type | type:document (Docs), type:presentation |
| after: / before: | Date filters | after:2025-07-01 |
Note: Schema-level notes for admins/devs: some operators (e.g., source, site) are reserved in Cloud Search schemas and behave differently than in consumer Search.
Fast, practical recipes
-
NSW regs PDFs from the last year:
site:legislation.nsw.gov.au filetype:pdf after:2024-08-01 "Building Code"
-
Gmail: invoices this month ≥5 MB:
subject:invoice has:attachment larger:5M newer_than:30d
-
Drive: your starred DWGs:
type:dwg is:starred owner:me (or use filter chips Type → Autodesk/AutoCAD + Starred)
-
Cloud Search: presentations by a colleague since July:
owner:kim@company.com type:presentation after:2025-07-01
Pro tips
- Group with parentheses: (vesda OR aspirating) smoke to keep logic tidy. (Works reliably on Web Search; Drive UI logic is more limited—prefer chips there.)
- Stick to ISO dates: YYYY-MM-DD avoids ambiguity across products.
- Prefer UI filters in Drive for people/type/date; they’re faster and less error-prone than remembering syntax.
- Know what’s “undocumented”: some web operators come and go; if a query looks off, remove the fancy operators and re-add one by one.