UtilibyWritten by the Utiliby editorial team · Last updated October 14, 2026 · Rules and formulas reviewed October 2026
What this free search operator builder does
Typing a plain phrase into a search engine returns whatever the engine thinks is most popular. Search operators change that. They let you say: only this site, only PDF files, only titles that contain this word, only pages from the last year. Used well, they turn a search engine into a precise research tool.
This free online Google search operator builder gives you a box for each operator and builds the query for you. You do not need to remember the syntax, the capital letters for OR, or where the quotes go. A table under the query explains each part in plain English, a set of SEO presets covers common tasks, and buttons open the finished query in Google, Bing or DuckDuckGo.
How to use the builder
- Start with words. Enter your main words, or an exact phrase if the order matters.
- Narrow it down. Add a site, a file type, a title word or a date range.
- Leave things out. Add words or sites you do not want to see.
- Read the table. Each part is explained, and notes warn about common problems.
- Search. Press the Google, Bing or DuckDuckGo button, or copy the query.
If you are not sure where to begin, press a preset such as Guest post pages or Copied content check. It fills in the boxes with a starting point that you can edit.
The main search operators
| Operator | Example | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| " " | "content audit" | Exact phrase |
| OR | seo OR sem | Either term |
| - | jaguar -car | Excludes a word |
| site: | site:example.com | Only one website |
| filetype: | filetype:pdf | Only one file type |
| intitle: | intitle:review | Word in the title |
| inurl: | inurl:blog | Word in the address |
| intext: | intext:budget | Word in the page text |
| after: before: | after:2025-01-01 | Date limits |
| .. | $50..$100 | Number range |
| AROUND(n) | seo AROUND(4) audit | Words close together |
| define: | define:canonical | Definition |
Do not put a space between the operator and the word, so write site:example.com and not site: example.com. Operators can be combined in one query.
Search operators for SEO work
- Check indexing.
site:example.comgives a rough view of the pages Google knows. Add a folder, such assite:example.com/blog/, to look at a section. - Find thin or duplicate pages. Search for an exact sentence from your page and leave out your own site to see who else has it.
- Find link opportunities. Look for resource pages with
intitle:resourcesand your topic, or for brand mentions without a link. - Research guest posting. Combine your topic with phrases such as "write for us", and judge each site by its quality, not just by the phrase.
- Audit documents. Use
site:example.com filetype:pdfto see which files are public. - Study competitors. Search a competitor site with a topic word to see how many pages cover it.
- Find stale content. Use date operators to find newer coverage you may need to match.
Tips for better searches
- Start broad, then add one operator at a time and watch the results change.
- Use the exact phrase for names and short sentences, and AROUND when the order might vary.
- Use a minus sign to remove a meaning you do not want, such as a brand or a product type.
- Keep the query short. Very long queries are partly ignored.
- Check results in a private window if you want to reduce the effect of your search history.
- Treat site: counts as estimates, not exact totals.
Operators that have changed
Search engines remove features over time. The cache: operator no longer shows saved copies of pages, and link:, related: and info: no longer return useful data. For links to your site, use the Links report in Google Search Console. For the indexing status of a page, use the URL Inspection tool. Operators are also not a full set of filters, and results can vary by country, language and account. If a query behaves oddly, remove operators one by one to find the cause.
Use operators responsibly
Search operators are simply a way to ask for what is publicly indexed. Security researchers and site owners use them to find exposed files so they can be fixed. That does not make it acceptable to search for private information about other people, to open systems you do not own or to collect data you have no right to. Use the tool for your own sites, for market and SEO research, and for study, and follow the terms of the search engine you use.
Ready-made query ideas
These patterns show how operators combine. Replace the example words with your own, and add or remove parts to see how the results change.
- Pages that mention you but do not link:
"your brand" -site:yourbrand.com, then check each result for a link. - Tutorials in PDF form:
how to write a content brief filetype:pdf. - Fresh studies:
"survey results" seo after:2025-01-01. - Product pages with a price range:
standing desk $200..$400. - Competitor blog topics:
site:competitor.com inurl:blog "email marketing". - Pages with the topic in the title:
intitle:"keyword research" -tool. - Missing or odd pages:
site:example.com -inurl:blog -inurl:productsto find other sections of a site.
Save the queries you use often as bookmarks or in a note, so a monthly check of your own site takes a minute. When you find a problem, such as a staging page that is indexed, confirm it in Search Console before you fix it, because the site: count is only an estimate.
Limits to keep in mind
Operators are shortcuts, not a database query. Results are limited to what the engine has indexed, and different countries, languages and signed-in accounts can show different results for the same query. The engine may also quietly ignore an operator, treat a word as a hint instead of a rule, or return fewer results than exist. If a query seems wrong, remove one part at a time, check the spelling, and try the same query in a private window.
For work that needs exact numbers, use the proper tools instead. Google Search Console gives accurate data about your own pages, links and queries. A crawler such as a site audit tool lists every page it can reach. Use search operators for quick checks, ideas and research, and use those tools to confirm anything that matters.
Finally, be gentle with automation. Running many searches by script against a search engine can break its terms of service, so use the engine's official search tools or an approved data provider when you need results at scale.
Privacy and how it works
The page builds the query text in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to Utiliby. When you press a search button, your browser opens the engine you chose in a new tab and that engine receives the query, under its own privacy policy. Print / save summary uses your entries only, and the rest of the page is left out.
Frequently asked questions
What are Google search operators?
They are short commands you add to a search, such as site:, filetype: and quotes, that narrow results to pages that match more exactly.
How do I use site: to search one website?
Type site:example.com followed by your words, for example site:example.com pricing. Use only the domain, without https:// or a path.
How do I search for an exact phrase?
Put the words in double quotes. Google then looks for those words together in that order. Use the exact phrase box here.
How do I find PDF or Word files?
Use filetype: with the extension, for example filetype:pdf or filetype:docx. Combine it with site: to look inside one website.
What does the minus sign do?
A minus sign directly before a word removes pages that contain it. Use -site:example.com to leave out a whole website.
How does OR work?
OR shows pages that contain either term. It must be in capital letters. This tool wraps your choices in brackets so the meaning stays clear.
What is the difference between intitle: and allintitle:?
Intitle: requires one word or phrase in the page title. Allintitle: requires every word that follows to be in the title, and it works best on its own.
Can I search by date?
Yes. Use after: and before: with a date in the form YYYY-MM-DD. They are supported by Google, but other search engines may ignore them.
What is AROUND(n)?
It finds two words that appear within n words of each other, such as seo AROUND(5) audit. It is useful when an exact phrase is too strict.
Does the asterisk work in a search?
Inside quotes the asterisk stands for any word, so "best * for beginners" finds many versions of the phrase.
Can I search for a number range?
Yes. Two dots between numbers search a range, for example laptop $500..$900. Add the unit to both numbers.
Which operators no longer work?
Cache:, link:, related: and info: were removed or no longer give useful results. Use Search Console for links and indexing data instead.
Do these operators work in Bing and DuckDuckGo?
Site:, filetype:, intitle: and inurl: work in many engines. Date operators, AROUND and intext: may be ignored, so test the results.
How do I check which of my pages are indexed?
Search site:yourdomain.com to see an estimate. The numbers are rough, so use the Pages report in Google Search Console for accurate data.
Is it legal to use search operators?
Using search operators is normal searching. What you do with the results matters: use them for legitimate research, and do not use them to collect private data or access systems you do not own.
Is my search sent to Utiliby?
No. The query is built in your browser. It goes to a search engine only when you press one of the open buttons.
What can I print or save?
Print / save summary gives the query and a plain-English list of what each part does. Download saves the query as a text file.
Sources and further reading
- Google Search Help, Refine web searches (support.google.com), for the basic operators.
- Google Search Central, Search Console Help, for the Pages report and URL Inspection tool.
- Bing Search Help, Advanced search options, for operators supported by Bing.
- DuckDuckGo Help, Search syntax, for operators supported by DuckDuckGo.
- Google Search Central blog, for notices about removed features such as cache: and link:.
Sources were consulted in October 2026. Standards and rules can change, so always check the official page for your situation.