SEARCH ACCOUNT

Google Search Tips: Getting Started

Getting Started Power Tips Search Operators Google Scholar

Before you search More tips

Determine what you're looking for. Power Tips

Choose as many descriptive words as needed.
Search Operators
Too few words may give poor results.
Google search box accepts up to 32 words. Google Scholar
Select nouns to avoid stop words.
Explore Search Settings to set your Google preferences.
Learn about the Google Toolbar. Download here.
More ways to get help

Google search conventions

 

Searches are not case sensitive.  Ask Us

Keywords may be entered in lower or upper case or a combination of both. Math, math, Ask a question, make an
MATH   appointment,
Exception: Boolean operator OR give feedback, or visit us.
Find apartments in Cambridge or Arlington          
Apartments Cambridge OR Arlington      
OR must be in caps.
Pipe symbol may be used instead of OR               
Apartments Cambridge | Arlington
Boolean operator AND is assumed
Find apartments in Cambridge and Arlington         
Apartments Cambridge Arlington
Word order matters.
Google ranks the first word slightly higher than the second, the second slightly more than
the third, etc.
music math (results are slightly different from the search math music)
Google ignores most punctuation and symbols. Exceptions:
Dollar sign when used to indicate price.
canon $400 gives different results than canon 400.
Underscore or hyphen when used to connect words.
brother-in-law
end_of_힣�le
Symbols when used to convey meaning such as a programming language (C++), musical
terms (G#), etc.
Google uses automatic word stemming.
Google does not allow wildcards to be used for variable ends of words.
Instead, Google searches for all possible word variations.
Diet returns diets dieting dietary

Login to LibApps

Faculty Alumni

Visitors Giving

Persons with disabilities