content/search-github/getting-started-with-searching-on-github/understanding-the-search-syntax.md

---
title: Understanding the search syntax
intro: 'When searching {% data variables.product.github %}, you can construct queries that match specific numbers and words.'
redirect_from:
  - /articles/search-syntax
  - /articles/understanding-the-search-syntax
  - /github/searching-for-information-on-github/understanding-the-search-syntax
  - /github/searching-for-information-on-github/getting-started-with-searching-on-github/understanding-the-search-syntax
versions:
  fpt: '*'
  ghes: '*'
  ghec: '*'
topics:
  - GitHub search
shortTitle: Understand search syntax
---

{% ifversion code-search-upgrade %}

> [!NOTE]
> The syntax below applies to non-code search. For more information on code search syntax, see [AUTOTITLE](/search-github/github-code-search/understanding-github-code-search-syntax).

{% endif %}

## Query for values greater or less than another value

You can use `>`, `>=`, `<`, and `<=` to search for values that are greater than, greater than or equal to, less than, and less than or equal to another value.

Query  | Example
------------- | -------------
<code>><em>n</em></code> | **[cats stars:>1000](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=cats+stars%3A%3E1000&type=Repositories)** matches repositories with the word "cats" that have more than 1000 stars.
<code>>=<em>n</em></code> | **[cats topics:>=5](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=cats+topics%3A%3E%3D5&type=Repositories)** matches repositories with the word "cats" that have 5 or more topics.
<code><<em>n</em></code> | **[cats size:<10000](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=cats+size%3A%3C10000&type=Code)** matches code with the word "cats" in files that are smaller than 10 KB.
<code><=<em>n</em></code> | **[cats stars:<=50](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=cats+stars%3A%3C%3D50&type=Repositories)** matches repositories with the word "cats" that have 50 or fewer stars.

You can also use [range queries](#query-for-values-between-a-range) to search for values that are greater than or equal to, or less than or equal to, another value.

Query  | Example
------------- | -------------
<code><em>n</em>..*</code> | **[cats stars:10..*](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=cats+stars%3A10..*&type=Repositories)** is equivalent to `stars:>=10` and matches repositories with the word "cats" that have 10 or more stars.
<code>*..<em>n</em></code> | **[cats stars:*..10](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=cats+stars%3A%22*..10%22&type=Repositories)** is equivalent to `stars:<=10` and matches repositories with the word "cats" that have 10 or fewer stars.

## Query for values between a range

You can use the range syntax <code><em>n</em>..<em>n</em></code> to search for values within a range, where the first number N is the lowest value and the second is the highest value.

Query  | Example
------------- | -------------
<code><em>n</em>..<em>n</em></code>  | **[cats stars:10..50](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=cats+stars%3A10..50&type=Repositories)** matches repositories with the word "cats" that have between 10 and 50 stars.

## Query for dates

You can search for dates that are earlier or later than another date, or that fall within a range of dates, by using `>`, `>=`, `<`, `<=`, and [range queries](#query-for-values-between-a-range). {% data reusables.time_date.date_format %}

Query  | Example
------------- | -------------
<code>><em>YYYY</em>-<em>MM</em>-<em>DD</em></code> | **[cats created:>2016-04-29](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=cats+created%3A%3E2016-04-29&type=Issues)** matches issues with the word "cats" that were created after April 29, 2016.
<code>>=<em>YYYY</em>-<em>MM</em>-<em>DD</em></code> | **[cats created:>=2017-04-01](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=cats+created%3A%3E%3D2017-04-01&type=Issues)** matches issues with the word "cats" that were created on or after April 1, 2017.
<code><<em>YYYY</em>-<em>MM</em>-<em>DD</em></code> | **[cats pushed:<2012-07-05](https://github.com/search?q=cats+pushed%3A%3C2012-07-05&type=Repositories&utf8=%E2%9C%93)** matches repositories with the word "cats" that were pushed to before July 5, 2012.
<code><=<em>YYYY</em>-<em>MM</em>-<em>DD</em></code> | **[cats created:<=2012-07-04](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=cats+created%3A%3C%3D2012-07-04&type=Issues)** matches issues with the word "cats" that were created on or before July 4, 2012.
<code><em>YYYY</em>-<em>MM</em>-<em>DD</em>..<em>YYYY</em>-<em>MM</em>-<em>DD</em></code> | **[cats pushed:2016-04-30..2016-07-04](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=cats+pushed%3A2016-04-30..2016-07-04&type=Repositories)** matches repositories with the word "cats" that were pushed to between the end of April and July of 2016.
<code><em>YYYY</em>-<em>MM</em>-<em>DD</em>..*</code> | **[cats created:2012-04-30..*](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=cats+created%3A2012-04-30..*&type=Issues)** matches issues created on or after April 30th, 2012 containing the word "cats."
<code>*..<em>YYYY</em>-<em>MM</em>-<em>DD</em></code> | **[cats created:*..2012-07-04](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=cats+created%3A*..2012-07-04&type=Issues)** matches issues created on or before July 4th, 2012 containing the word "cats."

{% data reusables.time_date.time_format %}

Query  | Example
------------- | -------------
<code><em>YYYY</em>-<em>MM</em>-<em>DD</em>T<em>HH</em>:<em>MM</em>:<em>SS</em>+<em>00</em>:<em>00</em></code> | **[cats created:2017-01-01T01:00:00+07:00..2017-03-01T15:30:15+07:00](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=cats+created%3A2017-01-01T01%3A00%3A00%2B07%3A00..2017-03-01T15%3A30%3A15%2B07%3A00&type=Issues)** matches issues created between January 1, 2017 at 1 a.m. with a UTC offset of `07:00` and March 1, 2017 at 3 p.m. with a UTC offset of `07:00`.
<code><em>YYYY</em>-<em>MM</em>-<em>DD</em>T<em>HH</em>:<em>MM</em>:<em>SS</em>Z</code>  | **[cats created:2016-03-21T14:11:00Z..2016-04-07T20:45:00Z](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=cats+created%3A2016-03-21T14%3A11%3A00Z..2016-04-07T20%3A45%3A00Z&type=Issues)** matches issues created between March 21, 2016 at 2:11pm and April 7, 2016 at 8:45pm.

## Exclude results that match a qualifier

You can narrow down search results by excluding one or more subsets. To exclude all results that are matched by a qualifier, prefix the search qualifier with a hyphen (`-`).

Query  | Example
------------- | -------------
<code>-<em>QUALIFIER</em></code>  | **[`cats stars:>10 -language:javascript`](https://github.com/search?q=cats+stars%3A>10+-language%3Ajavascript&type=Repositories)** matches repositories with the word "cats" that have more than 10 stars but are not written in JavaScript.
<code>-<em>QUALIFIER</em></code>  | **[`mentions:defunkt -org:github`](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=mentions%3Adefunkt+-org%3Agithub&type=Issues)** matches issues mentioning @defunkt that are not in repositories in the GitHub organization.

## Exclude results with specific keywords

You can exclude results containing a certain word, using the `NOT` syntax. The `NOT` operator can only be used for string keywords. It does not work for numerals or dates.

Query  | Example
------------- | -------------
`NOT`  | **[hello NOT world](https://github.com/search?q=hello+NOT+world&type=Repositories)** matches repositories that have the word "hello" but not the word "world."

## Use quotation marks for queries with whitespace

If your search query contains whitespace, you will need to surround it with quotation marks. For example:

* [cats NOT "hello world"](https://github.com/search?utf8=✓&q=cats+NOT+"hello+world"&type=Repositories) matches repositories with the word "cats" but not the words "hello world."
* [build label:"bug fix"](https://github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=build+label%3A%22bug+fix%22&type=Issues) matches issues with the word "build" that have the label "bug fix."

{% ifversion ghes %} Some non-alphanumeric symbols, such as spaces, are dropped from code search queries within quotation marks, so results can be unexpected.{% endif %}

## Queries with usernames

If your search query contains a qualifier that requires a username, such as `user`, `actor`, or `assignee`, you can use any valid username to specify a specific person{% ifversion copilot %}, `@me` to specify the current user, or `@copilot` to specify {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}.{% else %} or `@me`, to specify the current user.{% endif %}

| Query  | Example |
| ------ | ------- |
| `QUALIFIER:USERNAME` | [`author:nat`](https://github.com/search?q=author%3Anat&type=Commits) matches commits authored by @nat |
| `QUALIFIER:@me` | [`is:issue assignee:@me`](https://github.com/search?q=is%3Aissue+assignee%3A%40me&type=Issues) matches issues assigned to the person viewing the results |
| {% ifversion copilot %} |
| `QUALIFIER:@copilot` | [`is:pr reviewed-by:@copilot`](https://github.com/search?q=is:pr+reviewed-by:@copilot&type=pullrequests) matches pull requests reviewed by {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}. For more information, see [AUTOTITLE](/copilot/using-github-copilot/code-review/using-copilot-code-review). |
| {% endif %} |

You can only use `@me` {% ifversion copilot %} or `@copilot` {% endif %} with a qualifier, and not as a search term, such as `@me main.workflow`.