What are Google search operators?

They are pieces of syntax added to a query to narrow it: site: for one domain, quotes for an exact phrase, a minus sign to exclude a word, filetype: for a file type. They change what Google returns, not how it ranks.

How do I see all pages Google has indexed?

Use site:yourproduct.com for a rough look at what kind of pages are there, then open the Page indexing report in Search Console for the real list with a reason for every URL that is not indexed.

Does the site: operator show an exact number?

No. The figure above the results is an estimate and changes between searches. Treat it as an order of magnitude and never as a metric to report.

Is the cache: operator still available?

No. Google retired it in 2024. To see what Google holds of a page, use the URL Inspection tool in Search Console for your own pages.

Can I combine operators?

Yes. site:rival.com inurl:alternatives finds a rival’s alternatives pages, and "your brand" -site:yourproduct.com finds mentions elsewhere. Combining is where operators become useful.

Search operators

A search operator is syntax you add to a Google query to narrow it, such as site:example.com for one domain or a phrase in quotes for an exact match. They are diagnostic tools for reading what Google holds, not measurements. Here is what each one does, and the combinations worth keeping in a notes file.

By Théophile Louvart, founder of Porteur · Updated 15 September 2026 · Markdown

What each operator does

These are the operators that still work as of 2026. They can be combined in one query.

Operator	What it does	Example
site:	Limits results to one domain or one path	site:yourproduct.com/guides
"quotes"	Forces an exact phrase	"growth report for your product"
minus sign	Excludes a term	invoicing app -wordpress
OR	Widens to either term	pricing OR plans site:yourproduct.com
inurl:	Matches part of a URL	inurl:alternatives
intitle:	Matches part of a title	intitle:"best invoicing"
filetype:	Finds one file type	filetype:pdf site:yourproduct.com
related:	Shows sites Google considers similar	related:yourproduct.com
before: and after:	Filters by date	llms.txt after:2025-01-01
asterisk	Stands in for a word	best * for freelancers

The cache: operator was retired in 2024. Pages that still teach it are out of date.

The four combinations a founder uses

site:yourproduct.com to see roughly what Google holds of your site, and site:yourproduct.com/guides to check one section.
"your brand" -site:yourproduct.com to find pages that mention you without linking, which is the easiest link to ask for.
site:rival.com/blog to read a rival’s section in the order Google ranks it, which tells you what works for them.
intitle:"best invoicing software" to find the lists in your category, the pages worth being named on.

Why the site: count is not your indexed page count

The number Google shows above a site: search is an estimate, and it moves between two searches a minute apart. It is not the count of your indexed pages.

The count that is real lives in the Page indexing report of Search Console, which lists every URL Google knows for the property as indexed or not indexed with a reason. Use site: to see what kind of pages are there, and the report to count them.

What operators cannot tell you

Your ranking. Results are personalised by location and history, so what you see is not what a buyer in another country sees.
Whether a page is indexed. A site: search on one URL is a hint; the URL Inspection tool is the answer.
How much traffic a page gets, yours or a rival’s. Operators show presence, never volume.
What an AI assistant will cite. Assistants retrieve from their own index, and operators do not apply to them.

Questions

Check my site, free

Paste your URL and the check reads what your site holds and the searches around it in about thirty seconds, without a single operator to type.

Free check, no card
Read-only, your own accounts
Readable by your agent