Refine Google searches - Google Search Help (2024)

There are different ways to filter your Google searches to be more precise or to expand in new directions.

Advanced search

Google offers pages designed to help you perform specialized web and image searches:

Filters & topics

After you perform a search, filter and topic buttons appear near the search bar. They may also appear in other places on the page.

Filters

Filters allow you to narrow results to a particular type, such as:

  • Video
  • News
  • Images

The exact filters and the order in which thy appear is dynamic. It's based on what our systems might think are most helpful to your query. If you don't find a particular filter that you want, use the "All Filters" option to check others that are available.

Topics

Topics allow you to add terms to your query that can help you get more specific information or explore related information. Relevant topics for a query are automatically generated and displayed. They're based on what our systems understand about how people search and how content is analyzed across the web. Topics are available on computers for most countries or regions, and they'll expand to more countries or regions and languages on mobile.

Operators

To narrow your results in specific ways, you can use special operators in your search. Do not put spaces between the operator and your search term. A search for [site:nytimes.com] will work, but [site: nytimes.com] won't. Here are some popular operators:

Search for an exact match: Enter a word or phrase inside quotes. For example, [tallest building].

Go to our blogpost for more information about how to search using quotes.

Search for a specific site: Enter site:in front of a site or domain. For example, [site:youtube.com cat videos].

Exclude words from your search: Enter -in front of a word that you want to leave out. For example, [jaguar speed -car].

Related results

After you click a web result and return back to the search results, you may find more related results added to what was originally generated. These added results are related to the web result that you clicked on.

Related searches

After a search, you find related searches to what you originally searched for. Related searches are automatically generated based on what our systems understand about how people search.

Settings

In Google Search, you can use settings that allow you to match or remove certain types of content:

Related resources

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Refine Google searches - Google Search Help (2024)

FAQs

How do you refine your Google searches? ›

  1. Try a database on your topic. ...
  2. Broaden your topic. ...
  3. Change your search terms. ...
  4. Use fewer search terms. ...
  5. Use fewer limiters. ...
  6. Check your spelling. ...
  7. Use OR with synonyms.
  8. Use wildcard (usually a question mark) or truncation (an asterisk) to include additional variations of your search terms.
Mar 27, 2024

How to refine your search results? ›

Refining your Google search queries can significantly enhance the accuracy and relevance of your search results. Start by using specific keywords that precisely describe what you're looking for. Utilize quotation marks to search for exact phrases, and employ minus signs to exclude certain terms from your results.

How do I get rid of refine this search? ›

removing Google's "broaden this search" and "refine this search" feature, you can use a browser extension such as "uBlock Origin" or "AdBlock." These extensions allow you to block specific elements on a web page, including the "broaden this search" and "refine this search" feature.

How can you filter your Google searches so you get better search engine results? ›

Q: How Do I Make Google Search More Accurate?
  1. Use quotation marks to search for an exact phrase.
  2. Use filters like the date range or location to specify results.
  3. Exclude certain words by using the minus sign before them.
  4. Use specific keywords related to your search topic.
May 8, 2024

How can I clean up my Google Search? ›

Manage Search history saved to your Google Account
  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google app .
  2. At the top right, tap your Profile picture or initial. Search history.
  3. Choose the Search history you want to delete. You can choose: All your Search history: Above your history, tap Delete. Delete all time.

Why is Google filtering my searches? ›

SafeSearch is set to Filter automatically when Google's systems indicate you may be under 18. If you can't change your SafeSearch setting, it might be because it's being controlled by your account, device, or network administrator.

How to do refined search using Google? ›

Do an Advanced Search
  1. On your computer, go to Advanced Search: google.com/advanced_search.
  2. Under “Find pages with,” choose the query field/s to: ...
  3. Enter the words that you want to include or remove from your results. ...
  4. Under "Then narrow your results by," choose the filters you want to use. ...
  5. Click Advanced Search.

What does refine this search mean? ›

Refining a query means changing or adding to the set of search terms to do a better job of returning the pages you're seeking. Successful researchers frequently enter several queries to find what they're seeking. The search boxes at the top and bottom of the results page show the query for the current results page.

Which search engine is better than Google? ›

DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo is one of the best search engines you can use instead of any leading search engines for privacy. Its prime appeal is to give you search privacy. It does not track or collect user data and aims to protect users' online privacy.

How do I optimize my Google search? ›

Help Google find your content
  1. Check if Google can see your page the same way a user does.
  2. Don't want a page in Google's search results?
  3. Use descriptive URLs.
  4. Group topically similar pages in directories.
  5. Reduce duplicate content.
  6. Expect your readers' search terms.
  7. Avoid distracting advertisem*nts.
  8. Link to relevant resources.

What is the most reliable search engine? ›

Google. There's a reason Google is the top search engine in the world. It has a complex and advanced algorithm that ensures you get the most accurate results for your search phrase. In addition, it brings you the best image and video results, as well as updated news articles related to your search.

What are five ways you can refine your search results? ›

5 Tips for Better Searching
  • Put some thought into your search terms. ...
  • Use truncation to find similar words. ...
  • Use AND, OR or NOT between search terms. ...
  • Put quotation marks around phrases and use parentheses to group terms together. ...
  • Use Advanced Search when it's available.
Sep 20, 2013

What are some techniques you can use to refine your search? ›

These can save you time as well as making your search results more relevant.
  • Phrase searching. Enclosing two or more keywords in quotation marks will return results containing that exact phrase only. ...
  • Truncation. If you are searching for information on teenagers, you could use that as your keyword. ...
  • Wild cards.

How do I improve my Google Search results? ›

Help Google find your content
  1. Check if Google can see your page the same way a user does.
  2. Don't want a page in Google's search results?
  3. Use descriptive URLs.
  4. Group topically similar pages in directories.
  5. Reduce duplicate content.
  6. Expect your readers' search terms.
  7. Avoid distracting advertisem*nts.
  8. Link to relevant resources.

What does refine your search mean? ›

A refined search design pattern allows users to zero in on their desired content by indicating the specific category for which they want to display the results.

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