Boolean Search Syntax

Not all search engines use the same Boolean Search Syntax.   Some examples are given below to help you form your correct search strategy.

To Find Web Pages Containing Search Syntax
The word boats or the word cars boats cars
The word boats and the word cars +boats +cars
The word boats but not the word cars +boats -cars
The phrase: scenic view "scenic view"

Following the examples above, describe what you're looking for:

AltaVista Tips
You can enter up to 200 characters (15 to 20 words) into this search box.

To reduce the number of documents retrieved by your search, try combining multiple terms with the search operators. Example:

+"mountain climbing" +photos -tours

finds pages containing the phrase mountain climbing and the word photos, but not the word tours.


Excite

To Find Web Pages Containing Search Syntax
The word boats or the word cars boats OR cars
The word boats and the word cars boats AND cars
The word boats but not the word cars boats AND NOT cars
The phrase: scenic view  n/a

Following the examples above, describe what you're looking for:

Excite Tips
Search operators AND, OR, and AND NOT must be entered as capital letters to be recognized.

Use parentheses to group search terms. The search:

pie AND (custard OR coconut)

will retrieve documents that contain the word pie and either of the words custard or coconut.

HotBot

To Find Web Pages Containing Search Syntax
The word boats or the word cars 1. boats cars
2. Select ANY
The word boats and the word cars 1. boats cars
2. Select ALL
The word boats but not the word cars  n/a
The phrase: scenic view 1. scenic view
2. Select PHRASE

Following the examples above, describe what you're looking for:

ALL ANY PHRASE

HotBot Tips
You can enter up to 100 characters (8 to 10 words) into this search box. While your initial search is constrained to finding pages with either all or any of your terms, the HotBot results page offers a large number of search refinement options that you can use to narrow down your results.


Infoseek Ultra

To Find Web Pages Containing Search Syntax
The word boats or the word cars boats cars
The word boats and the word cars +boats +cars
The word boats but not the word cars +boats -cars
The phrase: scenic view "scenic view"

Following the examples above, describe what you're looking for:

Infoseek Ultra Tips
Infoseek can search for proper names and titles. Two adjacent words, each beginning with a capital letter, (e.g. General Motors) will be searched for like a phrase.

To search for two or more proper names, separate each with a comma. (e.g. Michael Jordan, Bugs Bunny)

Do not place a space between the + or - operators and the search terms that follow or else the + or - will be ignored.

To Find Web Pages Containing Search Syntax
The word boats or the word cars boats cars
The word boats and the word cars boats AND cars
The word boats but not the word cars boats NOT cars
The phrase: scenic view "scenic view"

Following the examples above, describe what you're looking for:

WebCrawler Tips
Use parentheses to group search terms. The search:

(vegetable and garden) not flower

will retrieve documents that contain the word vegetable and the word garden but not the word flower.


Web Searching, by user's choice of keywords

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