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SEO Madmanby Adam Hafez
Free tool

Google search operators query builder

Google search operators builder: combine site:, filetype:, quotes, minus, intitle: and OR into one query and open it in Google. Free, runs in your browser.

Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded, logged or stored.

This only builds a query string in your browser. Nothing is searched or sent anywhere until you choose to open it in Google.

Query

Open in Google

Key takeaways

  • Google's search help documents quotes, site:, the minus sign, filetype:, before: and after:, and says not to put a space between an operator and its term.
  • intitle:, inurl:, intext: and OR are missing from Google's help page, but Ahrefs lists them as still working.
  • The tilde synonym operator was dropped by Google in 2013, so this builder leaves it out.
  • AROUND(n) is listed by Ahrefs as unreliable, so this builder does not offer it as a field.
  • Every query is assembled in your browser, and nothing is sent anywhere until you choose to open it in Google.

What it takes

  • Free-text words
  • Exact phrase
  • site:
  • filetype:
  • intitle: (unofficial)
  • inurl: (unofficial)
  • intext: (unofficial)
  • Exclude words
  • OR terms (unofficial)

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How to use it

  1. 1Start with plain wordsAnything typed in Words is added to the query unchanged, exactly as if you had typed it into Google directly.
  2. 2Add an exact phraseText in Exact phrase is wrapped in quotes, which tells Google to match that sequence of words rather than each word separately.
  3. 3Narrow to a site or file typesite: restricts results to one domain, and filetype: restricts to one document format such as pdf or docx.
  4. 4Use the unofficial operators if you need themintitle:, inurl:, intext: and OR are flagged because Google stopped documenting them, not because they stopped working; verify results still look right.
  5. 5Exclude termsEach word in Exclude words is prefixed with a minus sign, so results containing it are left out.
  6. 6Read the built queryThe output box updates on every keystroke and shows exactly what will be sent to Google.
  7. 7Open it in GoogleThe button opens the built query at google.com/search in a new tab. This tool never performs the search itself.

Google’s search box accepts more than plain keywords, but its own list of that syntax is short. This builder assembles a query from separate fields, so you do not have to remember where the colons and quote marks go, and it marks which operators Google documents and which merely still work. It runs in your browser; nothing is sent until you press the button that opens Google.

What the builder supports

Google’s Refine web searches page documents six pieces of syntax: quotes for an exact match, site:, the minus sign, filetype:, and before: and after: for dates. The builder has a field for the first four, with no warning label:

  • Words are added exactly as typed.
  • Exact phrase is wrapped in quotes. Any quote marks you type inside it are removed so the phrase cannot break.
  • site: takes a domain. A pasted full URL is trimmed to the host, so https://example.com/ becomes site:example.com.
  • filetype: takes a format such as pdf. A leading dot is removed.
  • Exclude words puts a minus sign in front of each word.

Four more fields are labelled unofficial: intitle:, inurl:, intext: and “any of these words”, which joins two or more words with a capital OR in brackets. They are not on Google’s help page, but Ahrefs lists them as working. When an intitle, inurl or intext value has a space in it, the builder wraps it in quotes so the phrase stays together as one term.

There is no date field. Type before: or after: into Words and it passes through unchanged.

How to read the results

The query box updates on every keystroke and shows exactly what will be sent. Fields appear in a fixed order: words, exact phrase, site, filetype, intitle, inurl, intext, excluded words, then the OR group. Copy puts the query on your clipboard; the open button loads it at google.com/search in a new tab, with the query URL-encoded.

Worked example

Fill the fields like this:

  • Words: robots
  • Exact phrase: crawl budget
  • site: https://developers.google.com/
  • intitle: robots txt
  • Exclude words: forum reddit
  • Any of these words: googlebot bingbot

The builder produces:

robots "crawl budget" site:developers.google.com intitle:"robots txt" -forum -reddit (googlebot OR bingbot)

Every value is joined to its operator with no space, which is the format Google’s help page asks for.

Common mistakes it catches

  • A space after the colon, as in site: example.com. The builder writes the operator and the term together.
  • A full URL in site:, which the builder trims to the host.
  • A multi-word intitle: value left unquoted. The builder quotes it so the phrase stays together.
  • A lowercase or. The builder always writes OR in capitals, the form Ahrefs documents.
  • Reaching for dead operators. The tilde was dropped in 2013, and Ahrefs lists AROUND(n) as unreliable, so neither has a field.

Treat any query as something to run and read. Google can change how an operator behaves without notice, and the unofficial ones carry no promise at all.

Sources

  1. 1.Refine web searches - Google Search HelpPrimary
  2. 2.Google Advanced Search Operators (2026 update) - Ahrefs

Frequently asked questions

Which search operators does Google officially support?

Google's Refine web searches help page documents quotes for an exact match, site: for one site or domain, a minus sign to leave a word out, filetype: for one file format, and before: and after: for dates. Everything else is undocumented, even where it still works.

Do intitle: and inurl: still work?

They are not on Google's help page, but Ahrefs lists intitle:, inurl:, intext: and OR among the operators that still work. The builder includes them with an unofficial label, so check the results look right before you rely on them.

Why does my operator return odd results?

One common cause is a space after the colon. Google's help page says not to put spaces between the operator and your search term. The builder removes the protocol and trailing slash from site: and the leading dot from filetype:, and quotes multi-word intitle:, inurl: and intext: values.

Does the tilde synonym operator still work?

No. Ahrefs records the tilde as dropped by Google in 2013, so it has no field here.

Can I search by date with this builder?

There is no date field, but Google documents before: and after:, for example after:2026/03/10. Type them into the Words field and they are added to the query unchanged.

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