Most useful Google tricks take seconds to learn. Put a phrase in quotes to match it exactly, add a minus sign to drop a word, use site: to search one website and filetype: to find PDFs. Type a sum or a conversion straight into the search box for an instant answer, and use Google Lens when the thing you want to find is a picture. This guide covers 25 tricks in the order you are most likely to need them, and it separates what Google officially documents from what only works some of the time.
In this guide: exact-match and filter operators (tricks 1 to 8), power-user combinations (9 to 13), built-in calculators and converters (14 to 18), visual search with Google Lens (19 to 25), then the Advanced Search page, common mistakes and an FAQ.
Tricks 1 to 8: the operators Google documents
Search operators are short commands you type into the normal search box. Google’s own Refine Google searches page documents a small core set, so these are the safest ones to learn first. One rule applies to all of them: do not put a space between the operator and your search term. According to Google, site:nytimes.com works but site: nytimes.com does not.
1. Quotes for an exact match. Put a word or phrase inside quotation marks, like “tallest building”, to search for it exactly. Google says it then shows only pages containing those exact words. One caveat from Google’s own blog: the phrase may sit in hidden page content, or the page may have changed since Google last visited it.
2. Minus sign to exclude a word. Put - directly before a word to leave it out. Google’s example is jaguar speed -car, which pushes the animal ahead of the vehicle.
3. site: to search one website. Add site:youtube.com before or after your keywords to see results only from that site. This is a handy replacement for a clumsy built-in site search.
4. filetype: to find documents. A search like photoelectric effect paper filetype:pdf returns only PDFs. Use it for reports, manuals, slide decks and research papers.
5. before: to set an upper date. Per Google, before: finds documents last updated before a year or date, for example avengers endgame before:2019.
6. after: to set a lower date. Use after:2020 to see pages updated after that year. This is the quickest way to cut out old guides when you search for software steps or prices.
7. Combine before: and after: for a date range. Google’s example is avengers endgame after:2019-03-01 before:2019-03-05.
8. -site: to remove one website. Per Google’s search tips page, adding a minus before site: excludes that site, for example -site:youtube.com.
| Trick | Type this | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Exact phrase | "tallest building" | Pages with that exact phrase |
| Exclude a word | jaguar speed -car | Results without the word “car” |
| One website | site:youtube.com cat videos | Only YouTube results |
| File type | photoelectric effect paper filetype:pdf | Only PDF files |
| Date range | avengers endgame after:2019-03-01 before:2019-03-05 | Pages updated in that window |
| Remove a site | -site:youtube.com | Results without that site |
Tricks 9 to 13: go beyond the basics
These tricks are not on Google’s short official list, so they come from SEO guides such as Ahrefs and cloro. A cloro test found that intitle: was honored in every result it checked, while inurl: was a softer match. Use them, but treat them as helpful rather than guaranteed.
9. intitle: to find pages about one topic. It finds pages with a word in the title. Ahrefs lists intitle:apple as an example. Use it when a general search returns pages that only mention your topic in passing.
10. inurl: to look inside web addresses. Ahrefs uses it with intitle: to find resource pages, for example a topic plus intitle:resources inurl:resources.
11. Stack operators together. Operators work as a team. A search such as site:example.com filetype:pdf policy finds PDF files on a single website, an example given by Hackr.io. Build the query in steps and add one operator at a time.
12. Search with words the target page would use. Google’s search tips page advises choosing terms likely to appear on the site you want. It suggests “headache” rather than “my head hurts”, because that is the term a medical site would use.
13. Open “Your search & this result”. Click the three dots (More) next to a result’s URL and scroll to this section in the info panel. Google says it explains how your search terms matched the result, including related words, language and region.
Tricks 14 to 18: Google as a calculator and converter
You do not always need a website. Google’s calculator and unit converter help page says you can get quick answers by entering math or conversions into the search box.
14. Use the built-in calculator. Type a sum such as 3*9123 directly into the search box, as Google’s tips page shows.
15. Plot a graph. Per Google’s help page, you can separate several formulas with a comma to plot them together, then zoom and pan across the plane.
16. Convert units. Type the conversion, for example Celsius to Fahrenheit or cups to liters, or search for “unit converter”. Google lists categories including temperature, length, mass, speed, volume, area, fuel consumption, time and digital storage.
17. Convert currency. Google’s example is 3 dollars in euros. Ahrefs shows the same pattern with $329 in GBP. Rates change, so check your bank for the exact rate before you pay.
18. Add an equals sign if the calculator hides. If a sum does not show the calculator, Google suggests adding = to the start or end of the search. Division by zero will never show a result.
Tricks 19 to 25: search with pictures using Google Lens
When you cannot describe something in words, search with an image. Google’s Lens announcement describes Lens as a way to search what you see with your camera, a photo, a screenshot or a long-pressed image. Exact menu names differ by device and app version, so use the official search with an image help page if a button looks different.
19. Search with your camera. In the Google or Chrome app, tap the Lens icon in the search bar, point at an object and tap the shutter.
20. Press and hold any image. On a phone, touch and hold an image on a website and choose Search image with Google Lens.
21. Search part of an image. After starting a Lens search, drag the corners of the box around only the item you care about, such as one product in a busy photo.
22. Add words to the picture. Lens multisearch lets you combine words and an image. Google’s example is photographing shoes, then adding “blue” to see similar shoes in that color. Adding “near me” to a food photo can show nearby restaurants.
23. Search a whole web page in Chrome. On a computer, choose More, then Search this tab with Google Lens. Results open in the side panel, per Chrome Help.
24. Paste an image link. On a computer, copy an image address, go to google.com, click Search by image and paste the link. Google notes it may store URLs you search.
25. Copy text out of a picture. Google’s Chrome Lens page lists copying text from an image as one of the things Lens can do, which helps with screenshots and photos of signs or notes.
When you do not want to memorize operators: Advanced Search and filters
Google has a form that does the same job. According to its Refine Google searches page, enter your query, click Tools under the search box (Search Tools on mobile), then choose Advanced Search.
The Advanced Search help page lists these filters:
- Language: find pages in one language.
- Region: find pages published in a certain region.
- Last update: find pages updated within the time you pick.
- File type: find formats such as PDF, DOC, XLS or PPT, and image formats such as JPG, PNG or SVG.
Google’s own example is finding German-language sites updated in the last 24 hours. The filter options on the results page (Images, News, Videos, Books) change depending on your query, so use those when you want a certain type of result.
Common mistakes and tricks that no longer work well
- Adding a space after the colon.
site: example.comfails wheresite:example.comworks. - Trusting every operator guide. Many online lists repeat commands that no longer work. Ahrefs notes that the hashtag search ended in 2019 when Google+ shut down.
- Relying on
related:,AROUND(n)orinanchor:. cloro foundrelated:largely broken in its test, and Seonio callsAROUND(X),inanchor:anddaterange:unreliable. They are fine to try, but do not build your work on them. - Treating dates as publish dates. Google describes
before:andafter:as relating to when a document was last updated. Seonio adds that they reflect when Google discovered content, so check the date on the page itself. - Assuming quotes always find the text you see. Google says a page may have changed since its last visit, so a quoted phrase can appear in results but not on the live page.
- Pasting private details into search. Google says it may store URLs you search with an image. Do not search with images or links that contain private information.
FAQ
What are the most useful Google search tricks? Quotes for exact phrases, the minus sign to remove words, site: for one website and filetype: for documents cover most needs. Adding after: with a year is the quickest way to get fresher results.
Do Google search operators still work? The ones Google documents (quotes, minus, site:, filetype:, before:, after:) are your safest choice. Others such as intitle: appear to work in tests, but some, like related:, have been reported as unreliable.
How do I search only one website? Type site: followed by the domain with no space, then your keywords, for example site:youtube.com cat videos.
How do I search by image on Google? Use Google Lens. On a phone, tap the Lens icon in the Google or Chrome app or press and hold an image. On a computer, go to google.com and click Search by image, or right-click an image in Chrome.
Can Google convert currency and units? Yes. Type something like 3 dollars in euros or a unit conversion directly into the search box. Check a bank or exchange for exact rates before paying.
Where is Google Advanced Search? Enter a search, click Tools below the search box, and choose Advanced Search. On mobile, tap Search Tools.
Sources
- Google Search Help: Refine Google searches
- Google Search Help: Learn search tips and how results relate to your search
- Google Search Help: Do an Advanced Search
- Google Search Help: Calculator, unit converter and color codes
- Google Search Help: Search with an image
- Google Chrome Help: Search with Google Lens
- Google: Google Lens in Chrome
- Google blog: 8 ways Google Lens can help
- Google blog: Improving results when you use quotes
- Ahrefs: Google search operators
- cloro: Google search operators
- Hackr.io: Search operators cheat sheet
- Seonio: Google search operators
Checked 8 November 2026.
About the Author
Aman Ullah Hridoy
Founder & Content Creator
I’m Aman Ullah Hridoy, the founder of Technolozia. I write about technology, software, gadgets and practical how-to guides to help readers understand tech and make smarter digital choices.
