Question: What Are the Gmail Search Operators?
Looking for the Gmail advanced search operators to narrow search results?
Answer: The Gmail search operators are:
- from: - Sender name and email address. Partial addresses and names are okay.
- subject: - Subject line.
- to: - To line names and addresses.
- cc: - Cc field names and addresses.
- bcc: - Bcc field names and address in emails you sent.
- label: - Mail assigned a label. Replace whitespace characters in label names with hyphens.
- is:starred - Starred messages.
- is:unread - Unread messages.
- is:read - Rad messages.
- in: - Messages in a standard view: Drafts, Inbox, Chats, Sent, Spam, Trash and anywhere.
- has:attachment - Messages with attachments.
- filename: - Search attachment file names and file types.
- lang: - Messages in a particular language.
- after: - Messages sent after a date (YYYY/MM/DD).
- before: - Messages sent before a date (YYYY/MM/DD).
Stars Search Operators
- has:yellow-star - Messages with a yellow star.
- has:red-bang - Messages with a red exclamation mark.
- has:yellow-bang - Messages with a yellow exclamation mark.
- has:purple-question - Messages with a purple question mark.
- has:orange-guillemet - Messages with two orange forward arrows.
- has:blue-info - Messages with a blue i.
- has:red-star - Messages with a red star.
- has:orange-star - Messages with an orange star.
- has:green-star - Messages with a green star.
- has:blue-star - Messages with a blue star.
- has:purple-star - Messages with a purple star.
Combining Search Terms and Search Operators
- "" - Messages containing a phrase (case-insensitive).
- OR - Messages containing at least one of two terms or expressions.
- - - Messages that do not contain a term or expression.
- () - Group search terms or expressions.
By default, Gmail combines search terms and operators with "AND": all criteria must be met.
Gmail Search Operator Examples
For examples using and combining Gmail search operators, see How to Search Mail in Gmail.
(Updated September 2011)
