Most people only ever type plain keywords into Google, missing a set of simple operators that dramatically narrow results.

Operators Worth Learning

Putting a phrase in quotation marks searches for that exact wording. Adding site:example.com restricts results to one website, and a minus sign before a word excludes it from results entirely. Typing filetype:pdf finds documents in that specific format.

Beyond the Search Box

Google’s built-in unit converter, calculator, and time zone lookup can all be accessed by typing the question directly into the search bar, skipping the need for a separate app. For research, the tools menu lets you filter results by date, which is invaluable for finding recent information.

Learning even three or four of these tricks noticeably speeds up everyday searching.