Search operators are commands you type into the search box to narrow results: site: limits results to one domain, quotes match an exact phrase, a minus sign excludes a word, and intitle: looks for words in page titles. They are not a measurement tool, and Google says site: results do not show everything it has indexed. They are a fast way to spot-check what is in the index, find where a topic is already covered, and see how competitors structure a section.
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The ones worth knowing
Operators combine. Google documents some, such as site:, and others are long-standing behaviour that can change without notice.
- site:example.com to see pages from one domain, or site:example.com/blog for one folder
- "exact phrase" to match words in order, useful for finding copied text or brand mentions
- -word or -site:example.com to exclude a term or domain
- intitle:word to find pages with a word in the title
- inurl:word to find URLs containing a word
- filetype:pdf to find documents of one type
- before:2025-01-01 and after:2025-01-01 to filter by date
- OR between terms to match either one
site:yourapp.com intitle:pricing
"your product name" -site:yourapp.com
site:competitor.com/integrations
site:reddit.com "best expense software" after:2025-06-01How SEOs use them
Checking whether a new page is indexed, before opening Search Console. Finding pages on your own site that already cover a topic, so you update one rather than publish a duplicate. Finding unlinked brand mentions with a quoted brand name that excludes your own domain. Mapping a competitor's site sections, and finding the forums and review sites that rank for your category, which are also sources AI answers often draw on.
Example
Finding cannibalisation before writing
Before briefing a post on SOC 2 checklists, a fictional compliance startup, Vaultmere, searches site:vaultmere.com soc 2 checklist. Three older posts and a docs page come up, each covering part of the topic. The team merges them into one page instead of adding a fourth.
Common mistakes
Reading the site: count as an index count
The number of results is a rough estimate. Use the Page indexing report for real figures.
Treating operator results as rankings
Operators change the query, so the order you see is not how pages rank for normal searches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Google says the site: operator is not guaranteed to return all indexed URLs. It is a quick check, not an audit.
Not reliably. They are built for Google's classic results. AI search tools interpret your words rather than parsing operators.
Keep reading
- Indexing: Indexing is when a search engine processes a crawled page and stores it in its index so it can appear in search results.
- Keyword Cannibalization: Keyword cannibalization is when several pages on one site target the same search intent, so they split signals and compete with each other in results.
- Unlinked Brand Mentions: Unlinked brand mentions are places where other sites name your company or product without linking to you. Many can be turned into links with a polite request.
- Competitor Keyword Research: Competitor keyword research studies which searches competitors rank for and which pages drive their traffic, to find gaps and openings in your coverage.
- Alternative Keywords: “Alternative” keywords are searches like “Mailchimp alternatives” from people looking to replace a product. They often signal dissatisfaction and high intent.
- Best Keywords: “Best” keywords are searches like “best CRM for startups” where buyers want a ranked shortlist. Results are usually roundups from publishers and review sites.
- Branded Keywords: Branded keywords are searches that include a company or product name, such as “Acme pricing”. They signal strong intent and need their own tracking.
- Click-Through Rate: Click-through rate is clicks divided by impressions: the share of times your result was shown that someone clicked it. Position and SERP layout drive it heavily.
