Advanced Search Query Basics for All Libraries

Search for one term or another

Apply the OR operator. This is the default operator.

google OR apple will return matches with either google or apple or both

Search for one term and another

Apply the AND operator

google AND alphabet will only return matches with both 

Search using a phrase

Add quotations around the phrase (")

"google inc." will only return results that include both keywords

Target a specific property in my search

Use the property name followed by a colon (:)

def:google will only search the defendant field and return results that match google as the defendant. See below for a complete list of searchable properties.

Target a specific property with groups of terms

Use the property name followed by a colon (:) then group terms together using brackets ()

def:(google or alphabet)

Search for variable endings of a root word

Apply a wildcard using asterisk (*)

educat* will match educate, educated, educating, education, and so on. Wildcards do not work inside quotations (")

Search for words with possible misspellings or variations

Apply the fuzzyness operator (~)

rise~ will match risk, rising, risen, rose, and so on

Search for words that are close together (“proximity search”)

Use the tilde (~) symbol at the end of a phrase

"Carole Sage"~3 will search for "Carole" and "Sage" within 3 words of each other

Apply different operators to different groups of terms

Group terms together using brackets () and operators (AND or OR)

(google OR alphabet) AND (samsung OR sony)

Exclude certain keywords or phrases

Apply the NOT operator

def:Apple AND NOT def:"Apple Inc."

Create a complex query

Combine the functions above

"class action" AND def:(Google OR "Alphabet Inc.") AND plaint:(Samsung* or Apple~)