Google search operators are commands that filter search results with precision. The highest-value ones still working in 2026: site:, intitle:, inurl:, filetype:, "exact phrase", -exclude, before: and after:. Several classics are now dead: cache: (removed 2024), link: and info: (2017). Use the working ones to run technical SEO audits and to check your own AI search footprint.
Most operator lists you will find are years out of date. They still tell you to use cache: and link:, which Google killed long ago. This is the corrected 2026 reference: what works, what is dead, and the operator combinations I actually use for SEO and AI search audits.
Google search operators that still work in 2026
Every operator below is currently functional. Combine them freely. No space after the colon.
| Operator | What it does | Example | 2026 status |
|---|---|---|---|
site: | Limit results to one domain or path | site:lawrencehitches.com | Working |
intitle: | A word in the page title tag | intitle:cheatsheet | Working |
allintitle: | All words in the title | allintitle:ai seo guide | Working |
inurl: | A word in the URL | inurl:cheatsheet | Working |
allinurl: | All words in the URL | allinurl:seo tools | Working |
intext: | A word in the body text | intext:"answer engine" | Working |
allintext: | All words in the body | allintext:search operators list | Working |
filetype: / ext: | A specific file type | filetype:pdf seo | Working |
"exact phrase" | Exact-match a phrase | "google search operators" | Working |
- | Exclude a term | seo -jobs | Working |
OR / | | Either term | seo OR sem | Working |
* | Wildcard for an unknown word | "best * for seo" | Working |
( ) | Group terms | (seo OR sem) tools | Working |
.. | A number or price range | seo course $50..$200 | Working |
before: | Published before a date | ai seo before:2024-01-01 | Working |
after: | Published after a date | ai seo after:2025-01-01 | Working |
define: | Dictionary definition | define:entity | Working |
AROUND(X) | Two words within X words of each other | seo AROUND(3) ai | Working (unofficial) |
source: | A source inside Google News | apple source:the_verge | Working (News) |
related: | Sites similar to a domain | related:ahrefs.com | Unreliable |
inanchor: | A word in anchor text linking to a page | inanchor:"ai seo" | Unreliable |
Operators that are dead or unreliable in 2026
These still appear in nearly every "ultimate list". They no longer work. Stop using them and use the replacement.
| Operator | What it used to do | What to use instead | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
cache: | Viewed Google’s cached copy of a page | Removed February 2024. Use the Wayback Machine instead. | Dead |
link: | Found pages linking to a URL | Retired 2017. Use Search Console or a backlink tool. | Dead |
info: | Showed Google’s info about a URL | Retired 2017. Use site: on the exact URL. | Dead |
+ | Forced a term to be included | Removed 2011. Use "quotes" around the term. | Dead |
~ | Included synonyms of a term | Removed 2013. Google expands synonyms automatically now. | Dead |
phonebook: | Returned phone listings | Long dead. | Dead |
# | Hashtag search on the web | Unreliable on Google web Search. | Dead |
Audit your AI search footprint with operators
This is where operators earn their keep in 2026. Before a page can be cited in an AI Overview or by ChatGPT, it has to be indexed and free of cannibalisation. Operators check both in seconds. See the AI search engines cheatsheet for where each engine grounds.
| The goal | The search string |
|---|---|
| See everything Google has indexed (the AI-eligible set) | site:yourdomain.com |
| Find pages competing for the same query (cannibalisation that confuses AI) | site:yourdomain.com intitle:"your keyword" |
| Find where AI grounds its answers (the forums it leans on) | site:reddit.com "your topic" |
| Find unlinked brand mentions to reclaim as entity signals | "Your Brand" -site:yourdomain.com |
| Check a competitor’s indexed footprint for a topic | site:competitor.com intext:"ai seo" |
| Spot indexation bloat (thin or junk URLs) | site:yourdomain.com inurl:tag |
Operator combinations for real SEO tasks
The power is in stacking operators. These are the recipes I reach for most.
| The goal | The search string |
|---|---|
| Find guest-post and link targets | "your niche" inurl:write-for-us |
| Find resource pages to pitch | intitle:resources "your topic" |
| Find PDFs and original data to cite | filetype:pdf "your topic" statistics |
| Find duplicate or scraped copies of your content | "a full sentence from your page" |
| Audit a competitor minus their blog | site:competitor.com -inurl:blog |
| Find recent coverage of a topic only | "topic" after:2025-06-01 |
Bookmark this search operators primer: keep it handy for your next audit.
This is one of the full SEO cheatsheet library, all free.
This sheet is part of the Technical SEO cheatsheet, the category hub.
Frequently asked questions
What are Google search operators?
Google search operators are special commands (like site:, intitle: and filetype:) that you add to a search to filter results with precision. They turn Google into a fast research and SEO audit tool.
Which Google search operators still work in 2026?
The reliable ones are site:, intitle:, allintitle:, inurl:, intext:, filetype:, "exact phrase", -, OR, *, before:, after:, define: and AROUND(X). The cache:, link:, info:, + and ~ operators are dead.
Does the Google cache: operator still work?
No. Google removed the cache: operator and cached-page links in February 2024. To view an old version of a page, use the Wayback Machine at web.archive.org instead.
How do I use search operators for SEO?
Combine them. Use site:yourdomain.com to see your indexed pages, site:yourdomain.com intitle:"keyword" to find cannibalisation, "Your Brand" -site:yourdomain.com to find unlinked mentions, and "niche" inurl:write-for-us to find link targets.
Can search operators help with AI search and AI Overviews?
Yes. A page must be indexed and non-cannibalising before it can be cited in an AI Overview or by ChatGPT. Use site: to confirm indexation, site: plus intitle: to find competing pages, and site:reddit.com "topic" to find the sources AI engines lean on.
Is Google dorking legal, and what are the ethical lines?
Searching with operators is legal. Acting on what you find can be a crime. Google dorking is precise querying of an index Google already built, and using it to audit your own site or research competitors' public pages is standard SEO work. The line is access: if an operator surfaces a file, admin panel or database that was never meant to be public, opening it, downloading it or using it can breach computer misuse laws in Australia, the UK and the US regardless of how easy it was to find. The rule I give juniors: query anything, touch only what belongs to you or your client, and report exposures to the owner.
Do I need a VPN or special setup before using advanced operators?
No. For SEO research you need a normal browser and a Google account. The only setup worth doing is defensive: run site:yourdomain.com filetype:pdf, site:yourdomain.com inurl:admin and site:yourdomain.com intitle:"index of" on your own properties first, because anything those return is visible to everyone else too. SafeSearch does not affect operator results. Security assessment work is a different discipline with authorisation paperwork, and a cheatsheet is not the place to learn it.
Why does Google block my searches when I use several operators?
You are not blocked; you are being rate limited. Stacking operators and running dozens of variations in a few minutes looks like automation, so Google serves a CAPTCHA or an "unusual traffic" page. Slow down, stay signed in, and avoid tools that fire queries in bulk. Two other limits look like blocking but are not: Google reads only the first 32 words of a query and ignores the rest, and it silently drops operators it no longer supports rather than showing an error.
How do I use filetype: to find only PDF research papers?
Combine filetype:pdf with the topic and a source restriction. filetype:pdf "query fan-out" site:edu returns academic PDFs on that topic from university domains; swap site:edu for site:gov, site:ac.uk or a specific publisher. Add intitle: for the phrase you expect in the paper title, and after:2024 to keep results recent. The same pattern finds competitor whitepapers, which is the SEO use case: filetype:pdf site:competitor.com.
Is there a Chrome extension for Google search operators?
There is no official one. The fastest equivalent is Chrome's site search shortcuts: in Settings, Search engine, Manage search engines, add a shortcut such as ss with the URL https://www.google.com/search?q=site:yourdomain.com+%s, then type ss keyword in the address bar. Keep this page bookmarked for the operators themselves.
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AI SEO consultant and AI search consultant helping brands appear in AI Overviews, AI Mode and ChatGPT. Chief of Staff at StudioHawk, Australia's largest dedicated SEO agency. Runs a measured three-channel playbook: Google, Bing and AI citations. Book a free consultation →