zulip/templates/zerver/help/search-for-messages.md

# Searching for messages

Zulip has a powerful search engine under its hood. Search for messages using
the search bar at the top of the screen.

## Example

* `stream:design has:link -is:starred new logo`

Searches for messages in `#design` that have a link, that you haven't
starred, and that contain the words `new` and `logo`.

The permalink for that search (web only) will look something like
this:

`https://your-zulip-url/#narrow/stream/123-design/has/link/-is/starred/search/new.20logo`.

## List of operators

As you start typing, Zulip will suggest possible operator completions.
Operators can be used with keywords, or on their own. For example,

* `stream:design logo` will search for the word `logo` within `#design`
* `stream:design` will navigate to `#design`

Here is the **full list of search operators**.

* `stream:design`: Search within the stream `#design`.
* `stream:design topic:emoji+picker`: Search within the topic `emoji picker`.
* `is:private`: Search all your private messages.
* `pm-with:ada@zulip.com`: Search 1-on-1 private messages between you and Ada.
* `sender:ada@zulip.com`: Search messages sent by Ada.
* `sender:me`: Search sent messages.
* `near:12345`: Show messages around the message with ID `12345`.
* `id:12345`: Show only message `12345`.
* `streams:public`: Search the history of all [public
  streams](/help/change-the-privacy-of-a-stream) in the organization.

* `is:alerted`: See [alert words](/help/add-an-alert-word).
* `is:mentioned`: See [mentions](/help/mention-a-user-or-group).
* `is:starred`: See [starred messages](/help/star-a-message).
* `is:resolved`: Search messages in [resolved topics](/help/resolve-a-topic).
* `-is:resolved`: Search messages in [unresolved topics](/help/resolve-a-topic).
* `is:unread`
* `has:link`
* `has:image`
* `has:attachment`
* `pm-with:ada@zulip.com,bob@zulip.com`: Search private message conversation
  between you, Bob, and Ada.
* `group-pm-with:ada@zulip.com,bob@zulip.com`: Search all group
  private messages that include Ada and Bob.

### Excluding messages

Zulip's search operators can be negated, to exclude messages matching
the rule.  For example, `stream:design -is:resolved -has:image` will
match all messages that don't contain an image and were sent to
unresolved topics in the `#design` stream.

## Searching shared history

Zulip's [stream permissions](/help/stream-permissions) model allows
access to the full history of public streams and [private streams with
shared history](/help/stream-permissions), including messages sent
before you joined the stream (or organization) or those sent to public
streams you are not subscribed to.

By default, Zulip searches messages in your history, i.e. the
messages you actually received.  This avoids cluttering search results
with irrelevant messages from public streams you're not interested in.

If you'd like to instead search the organization's shared history, any
query using the `stream:` or `streams:` operators will search all
messages that you have access to in the selected stream(s).  For
example:

* `streams:public keyword` searches for `keyword` in all public
  streams in the organization.
* `streams:public sender:user@example.com` searches for all messages
  sent by the user to any public stream.

## Words and phrases

Most searches consist of a list of operators followed by a list of keywords.

* `new logo`: Search for messages with both `new` and `logo`.
* `"new logo"`: Search for messages with the phrase `"new logo"`.

Zulip does some basic stemming, so `wave` will match `waves` and
`waving`. Keywords are case-insensitive, so `wave` will also match `Wave`.

Emoji are included in searches, so if you search for `octopus` it will
include messages with
<img src="/static/generated/emoji/images-google-64/1f419.png" alt="octopus"
class="emoji-small"/>.


Note that Zulip ignores common words like `a`, `the`, and about 100
others. A quirk in Zulip's current implementation means that if all of your
keywords are ignored, we'll return 0 search results.