# 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.

Updated 2026-09-15 · Source: https://porteur.ai/glossary/search-operators

## 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 Pages that still teach it are out of date.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.

> Operators are case sensitive in their syntax but not in the words: site: works, Site: does not.

## 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

### 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.

## Read next

- [Google index](https://porteur.ai/glossary/google-index): The Google index is the store of pages Google keeps. See if your pages are indexed, how this differs from ranking, and what to fix in Search Console.
- [Index coverage](https://porteur.ai/glossary/index-coverage): Index coverage is the old name of the Search Console report now called Page indexing. What it lists, which reasons to act on, and how to read the trend.
- [How to check if a page is indexed by Google](https://porteur.ai/guides/how-to-check-if-a-page-is-indexed): Use site: search for a quick clue, then confirm with Search Console: URL Inspection for one page and the Page indexing report for the whole site.
- [Read a rival’s sitemap: their whole content plan in one file](https://porteur.ai/guides/read-a-rivals-sitemap): Open a rival’s sitemap, spot their page families, see what they update, and turn it into a list of pages you can build and win.
- [Googlebot](https://porteur.ai/glossary/googlebot): Googlebot is Google’s web crawler. Learn its versions, what it obeys, how it renders JavaScript, how to verify it, and what to fix on a small site.
- [The Search Console performance report, column by column](https://porteur.ai/guides/search-console-performance-report): Every column in the Google Search Console performance report explained with the traps that trip small sites, and how to act on each.
- [Brand mention](https://porteur.ai/glossary/brand-mention): What brand mentions are, why they matter for a small site, how to find and measure them, and how to turn unlinked mentions into links.

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: https://porteur.ai/