Simplify Your Gmail Searches with Search Operators

Have you ever searched for a single email within your Gmail account only to have an entire page (or more) of results appear? You don’t have to sift through all of those options. You can simplify and refine your Gmail search using Gmail search operators.

How to use search operators to simplify your Gmail searches

1. Open your Shift and sign into your Gmail account.

2. Type the search operator you wish to use into the search box. Here are some of our favorites:

What you can search for Search operator & example
Specific sender from:

Examplefrom:nicole

Specific recipient to:

Exampleto:nadia

Words in the subject line subject:

Examplesubject:meeting

Emails meeting multiple conditions OR or { }

Example

from:nicole OR from:nadia

{from:nicole from:nadia}

Exclude certain messages -

Examplemeeting -Q3

Results only matching the exact word +

Example+productivity

Messages with a certain label label:

Examplelabel:Receipts

Messages that have an attachment has:attachment

Examplehas:attachment

Messages that have a Google Drive, Docs and Sheets attachment or link has:drive

has:document

has:spreadsheet

Examplehas:drive has:document

Messages from a mailing list list:

Examplelist:info@tryshift.com

Exact word or phrase " "

Example"Shift advanced"

Search including Spam and Trash in:anywhere

Examplein:anywhere insurance

Search for messages older or newer than a time period using d (day), m (month), and y (year) older_than:

newer_than:

Exampleolder_than:7d

Also, ensure to use a space or a dash to separate your numbers when you use numbers in your search query. A period will register as a decimal point.

search operators gmail

For Shift Users: Did you know that Gmail search operators also work in Shift’s unified search bar? Try your favorite search operators in Shift to search across ALL of your email addresses at once. You can also exclude certain Gmail accounts from the search parameter.

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