mirror of https://github.com/zulip/zulip.git
130 lines
6.3 KiB
Markdown
130 lines
6.3 KiB
Markdown
# Searching for messages
|
||
|
||
In Zulip, you can find specific messages by using the search bar (highlighted in
|
||
red in the image below) at the top of your screen. This feature allows you to
|
||
narrow your view to show specific messages using search constraints called
|
||
**operators**.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Operators are short phrases in the format `operator:operand` where `operand`
|
||
represents the criteria that fits the specified operator. Operators allow you to
|
||
instantly find messages that meet the specified criteria, such as messages that
|
||
belong to a specific stream or topic.
|
||
|
||
It is important to note that spaces in `operand` must be replaced with
|
||
`+`. Multiple search operators can be used in a single query by
|
||
separating each operator with spaces in your search bar. For example,
|
||
a query like `stream:announce topic:zulip near:1` would show the
|
||
very oldest messages in a that stream and topic.
|
||
|
||
By default, search will only display messages that you actually
|
||
received. However, if your search operators include narrowing to a
|
||
public stream, you have full access to that stream's history, and thus
|
||
can search messages from before you subscribed to the stream (or even
|
||
joined your Zulip organization).
|
||
|
||
## Features and limitations
|
||
|
||
* Search hits include morphological variants by default; for example, if you
|
||
search for messages that contain "walking", you’ll also find messages that
|
||
contain "walk", "walks", "walked", etc.
|
||
* Searches are case-insensitive.
|
||
* Searching by date currently is not possible.
|
||
* When pressing space in the search bar, a dropdown menu with autocompletion
|
||
suggestions appears. Clicking on one of its items narrows your search to the
|
||
stream/topic/criterion described by the item.
|
||
|
||
## Search operators
|
||
|
||
To see a list of all search operators in Zulip, click the search (<i
|
||
class="icon-vector-search"></i>) icon on the left side of the search bar.
|
||
You can alternatively click the cog (<i class="icon-vector-cog"></i>) icon
|
||
in the upper right corner of the right sidebar and choose **Search help**
|
||
from the dropdown menu that appears.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Listed below are all Zulip search operators.
|
||
|
||
* `stream:foobar` - This operator narrows the view to show only
|
||
messages in the stream `foobar`
|
||
* `topic:foo+bar` - This operator narrows the view to show only
|
||
messages with the topic `foo bar`. It is important to note that the
|
||
complete topic name must be entered, if else, no results will be shown.
|
||
* `pm-with:foo@bar.com` - This operator narrows the view to show only
|
||
private messages sent from the user with the email address
|
||
`foo@bar.com`.
|
||
* `sender:foo@bar.com` - This operator narrows the view to show all
|
||
messages sent by the user with the email address `foo@bar.com`.
|
||
* `sender:me` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages sent by you.
|
||
* `near:xxxxx` - This operator narrows the view to show the message
|
||
with the ID `xxxxx` as well as a few messages sent before and after
|
||
the message.
|
||
* `id:xxxxx` - This operator narrows the view to show only the message with the
|
||
ID `xxxxx`.
|
||
* `is:alerted` - This operator narrows the view to show messages with alert
|
||
words. You can [add alert words](/help/add-an-alert-word) in the
|
||
[Settings](/#settings) page.
|
||
* `is:mentioned` - This operator narrows the view to show messages that mention
|
||
you.
|
||
* `is:private` - This operator narrows the view to show all private messages
|
||
that you've received.
|
||
* `is:starred` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages that you've
|
||
starred.
|
||
* `has:link` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages that contain
|
||
any links.
|
||
* `has:image` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages that contain
|
||
any images.
|
||
* `has:attachment` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages that
|
||
contain any attachments or uploads.
|
||
* `keyword` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages containing the
|
||
`keyword`.
|
||
|
||
!!! warn ""
|
||
**Warning:** Some common words, such as "a", "the", and "or", might be
|
||
handled as [stop words](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_words) — the
|
||
search tool will ignore them because they appear in too many messages to
|
||
be useful. **This can lead to no results being found at all!**
|
||
|
||
* `key phrase` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages containing
|
||
all of the words in `key phrase`.
|
||
* `"key phrase"` - This operator narrows the view to show all messages
|
||
containing the exact phrase `key phrase`.
|
||
(The difference between `keyword`, `key phrase` and `"key phrase"` is better
|
||
explained [below](#difference-between-keyword-key-phrase-and-key-phrase)).
|
||
* `-operator:operand` - This operator narrows the view to exclude messages with the operator `operand`
|
||
* For example, `-topic:foobar` narrows the view to exclude messages with the topic `foobar`.
|
||
|
||
### Difference between `keyword`, `key phrase`, and `"key phrase"`
|
||
|
||
* `keyword` is an operator that consists of one word. It narrows the view to show all the messages that contain
|
||
that one word.
|
||
* `key phrase` is an operator that consists of multiple words. It narrows the view to show all the messages that
|
||
contain all of the words in that phrase, regardless of the order.
|
||
* `"key phrase"` is an operator that consists of multiple words surrounded by quotation marks ( `"` ). It narrows
|
||
the view to show all the messages that contain the key phrase in the exact same order.
|
||
|
||
For example, if there are 3 messages containing "Cheese", "I like cheese" and
|
||
"Like cheese I":
|
||
|
||
* the operator `cheese` would show all three messages.
|
||
* the operator `I like cheese` would only show the messages containing "I like
|
||
cheese" and "Like cheese I".
|
||
* the operator `"I like cheese"` would only show the message containing "I like
|
||
cheese".
|
||
|
||
## Keyboard shortcuts
|
||
|
||
Listed below are some Zulip keyboard shortcuts that will aid you in conducting a search.
|
||
|
||
* **Initiate a search** `/` - This shortcut moves the user's cursor to
|
||
the message search bar at the top of the window to allow them to
|
||
begin searching for messages belonging to a specific topic, stream,
|
||
view, etc. in the organization.
|
||
* **Clear a search** `Esc` - This shortcut clears the search bar of
|
||
any search criteria that was previously entered. This action can also be
|
||
achieved by clicking the x (<i class="icon-vector-remove"></i>) icon to the
|
||
right of the search bar or the home (<i class="icon-vector-home"></i>) icon to
|
||
the left of the search bar.
|