Search Operator Builder
Fill in the boxes you need and this tool writes the advanced query for you, adjusted for each engine. Google, Bing and Brave share most operators but not all of them, so the query it builds for each one can be slightly different. Nothing you type is sent to us: the query is built in your browser and opened on the engine you pick.
How to use the builder
- Start with plain words. Put the main idea in "All of these words". Every engine treats separate words as AND by default, so you don't need to type AND yourself.
- Lock down a phrase. If a document will use a specific wording, such as a form name or a quote, put it in "This exact phrase". The builder wraps it in straight double quotes, which all three engines read as an exact match.
- Add alternatives. "Any of these words" becomes an OR group. Use it for synonyms or for places, such as
ontario OR quebec. - Remove noise. Words in "None of these words" get a minus sign in front of them. This is the quickest way to drop template sites, shopping pages or a word with a second meaning.
- Narrow the source. "Only this site or domain" adds
site:. You can use a whole domain (ontario.ca), a top-level domain (gov,edu,gc.ca) or a section (example.com/help). - Pick the engine. Check the three previews, then press Google, Bing or Brave. If an engine doesn't support one of your boxes, the preview tells you what was left out.
Operator syntax by engine
| What you want | Bing | Brave | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exact phrase | "notice to vacate" | "notice to vacate" | "notice to vacate" |
| Exclude a word | -template | -template or NOT template | -template or NOT template |
| Either word | (ontario OR quebec) | (ontario OR quebec), OR in capitals | ontario OR quebec |
| One site | site:ontario.ca | site:ontario.ca | site:ontario.ca |
| File type | filetype:pdf | filetype:pdf or ext:pdf | filetype:pdf or ext:pdf |
| Word in title | intitle:guide (works, not in Google's current help pages) | intitle:guide, one word per operator | intitle:guide |
| Word in address | inurl:faq (works, not in Google's current help pages) | No documented operator | No documented operator |
| Word in page body | No documented operator | inbody:word | inbody:word or inpage:word |
Where Bing and Brave differ from Google
- Bing needs capital letters for OR and NOT. Microsoft's help page says lowercase "or" and "not" are ignored as ordinary words. The builder always writes them in capitals.
- Bing only reads the first 10 terms. Long queries get cut off on Bing, so put the most important words first and use the phrase box rather than piling up single words.
- Bing's
intitle:takes one term. Microsoft says to use one term per keyword and repeat the operator, so the builder turns "privacy policy" intointitle:privacy intitle:policyfor Bing. - Brave documents OR but not brackets. Brave's operator page shows
ORbetween terms but doesn't mention grouping with parentheses, so the builder leaves the brackets out for Brave. Brave also says its operators are experimental. - Only Google reacts to
inurl:. Neither Microsoft nor Brave lists it, so the builder drops it from the Bing and Brave versions and says so. - Bing and Brave have extras. Both support
loc:(country) and a language filter (language:on Bing,lang:on Brave), which Google handles through settings instead.
Worked examples
- A government form as a PDF: all words
change of address, sitegc.ca, file typepdfgiveschange of address site:gc.ca filetype:pdf. - Reviews without the shop pages: all words
standing desk review, noneamazon coupongivesstanding desk review -amazon -coupon. - A quote you half remember: exact phrase
the best way out is always through, plusintitle:frostto favour pages about the poet.
Common mistakes
- A space after the colon.
site: ontario.cais read as two ordinary words. Google's help page warns about this, and the builder strips the space for you. - Curly quotes. Text pasted from a word processor often has typographic quotes. The builder converts them to straight quotes.
- Too many operators at once. Each operator removes pages. If you get nothing back, take off the file type or title filter first.
- Treating counts as exact. Operators narrow the results, but no engine promises to return every matching page.
FAQ
Do search operators still work in 2026?
Yes. Google's own help page lists quotes, minus, site:, filetype:, before: and after:. Microsoft documents the Bing operators and Brave publishes its own list. Results can still vary, and Brave calls its operators experimental.
Why does the Bing or Brave version of my query look different?
Each engine documents slightly different syntax. Bing needs OR and NOT in capitals and one word per intitle:, and Brave doesn't document brackets or inurl:. The builder adjusts each version and tells you what it changed.
Is anything I type sent to Searches.com?
No. The query is put together by JavaScript in your browser. Only when you press a button does your browser open Google, Bing or Brave with the query.
What is the most useful operator to learn first?
Usually site:. Limiting a search to one trusted domain, such as a government site, cuts out most low-quality results straight away.
Sources
Operator syntax checked on October 13, 2026 against each engine's own help pages. Bing and Brave date filters were checked with live requests.