List of Google Search Tips and Tricks - Find What You are Looking for Easier
Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2009/01/02 - Updated: 2017/01/28
Category Topic: Website Accessibility - Academic Publications
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main
Synopsis: A list of tips to easily find what you are looking for when using the Google search engine.
Introduction
The Google search engine has more functions and uses than just everyday searches. There are many different tricks and tips you can use when using Google search engine to make life easier.
Main Content
The following is a comprehensive guide to most of the commands you can enter in the Google search box, it will get you what you want easier and faster.
NOTE: Google also provides a number of services which are accessible online and through mobile devices that make searching for, obtaining, using, and sharing information both easy and pleasurable for nearly anyone. For further information see our article: Google Online Services - Accessible Information Applications
| Searching Tips for Google Search Engine | |
|---|---|
| Search Query | Description and Example |
| What Time Is It? | By typing "what time is it" in the google search bar followed by a city name, you will get the live hour of your chosen city. Example: What time is it new york |
| Search a Specific Web Site | Type "site:" in front of the domain name. Example: site:disabled-world.com or site:.us |
| Search Hashtags | Add a # (hashtag) sign in front of a word. Example: #DisabledWorld |
| Search for Similiar Web Sites | Type "related:" in front of a web address you already know. Example: related:disabled-world.com |
| Search Social Media | Add an @ symbol in front of a word to search social media. Example: @DisabledWorld |
| Flight Departures and Arrivals | By typing an airline's name along with a flight number google will give you the time of departure and the time of arrival. Example: delta flight 323 |
| Exclude Certain Words From a Search Query | Add an - (minus sign) in front of the word you want to omit from the search. Example: Ancient King-Egypt |
| Finding Addresses From Phone Numbers | Type the phone number into the search bar or search box on Googles home page and Google will return the address listed for that phone number. |
| Search Within a Certain Range of Numbers | Put.. (2 periods) between the numbers. Example: Used iPad $50..$120 |
| Calculator | Enter the calculation you'd like done into the Google search box and hit the Enter key. |
| Combine Search Words | Add "OR" between each search query. Example: cat OR tiger |
| Street Maps | Enter a U.S. street address, including zip code or city/ state in the Google search box. Sometimes just the street address and city name will be enough. |
| View a Cached Version of a Web Site | Type "cache:" in front of the web site url. Example: cache:disabled-world.com |
| Find a Definition | To find a definition for a word or phrase type the word "define," then a space, and then the word(s) you want defined. |
| Search for Wildcard Words | Type an * (asterix) sign where the unknown word is. Example: Best * Restaurant in town |
| Calculators | Google can be a powerful converter, from how many seconds are in a year or how many teaspoons in a quarter cup to the very useful exchange worth between different currency's. Here are a few examples of the commands you must type in to do so. (quarter cup in teaspoons) - (seconds in a year) - (20 USD in euro). |
| Search Exact Match of a Group of Words | Type the word(s) inside quotation marks. Example: "Mary had a little lamb" |
| Search Item Prices | Add a $ sign in front of a number. Example: iPod $200 |
| Find Related Terms and Documents | Simply adding a tilde (~) to a search term will return related results. Example ~car |
| Get Further Details About a Web site | Type "info:" in front of the site address. Example: info:disabled-world.com |
| Other Tricks | Type (better than) followed by anything and you will in most cases find a better alternative. Example: better than pizza |
Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.