Gmail Search Operators: 50 Commands to Find Emails Faster (With Examples)

When your inbox is overflowing with customer conversations, updates, and follow-ups, finding a specific email can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. That’s where Gmail search operators come in. 

Whether you’re trying to track down a client’s invoice, dig up an old support thread, or locate unread emails from last month, search operators help you get there faster.

In this guide, you’ll find:

• 50 powerful Gmail search operators
• Real-world examples of these operators

Let’s dive in.

Table of Contents

• What are Gmail Search Operators?
• Why use Gmail Search Operators?
• How to Use Gmail Search Operators
• 50 Gmail Search Operators That Can Help You Find Anything
  •  Find Emails by Sender or Recipient
  • Search by Content & Keyword
  • Filter by Folder or Category
  • Check Email Status
  • Find Attachments & File Types
  • Refine by Date or Time
  • Sort by Size or Message ID
  • Include Chats or Mailing List Emails
  • Combine Operators for Complex Queries
  • Bonus Operators for Extra Control
• 5 Real-Life Examples of Using Gmail Search Operators
• Advanced Tips to Use Gmail Search Operators
  • Save your frequent searches as bookmarks
  • Turn searches into Gmail filters
• What Are the Common Limitations of Search Operators in Gmail
• Ready to Master Gmail Search Operators? 
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
  • 4. How can I search emails without any labels?
  • 5. What categories can I search for using Gmail operators?
  • 6. Can I search for specific star icon colors or markers?
  • 7. Can I search chats using Gmail operators?

What are Gmail Search Operators?

Gmail search operators, also known as advanced Gmail search commands, email search filters, or Gmail search shortcuts, are specialized commands you type into Gmail’s search bar to narrow your results quickly and precisely.

They let you filter emails by sender, recipient, subject line, date range, labels, attachment type, keywords, and more. This helps you find exactly what you’re looking for without digging through your entire inbox.

Why use Gmail Search Operators?

Let’s say you need to pull up all unread emails sent to support@ in the last 7 days. Or find a customer thread with the word “refund,”  but only if it had a PDF attached. Or maybe you just want to clean up emails older than a year that are taking up storage.

That’s where Gmail search operators come in. These simple commands help you:

• Save time when you’re hunting for specific conversations
• Keep your inbox clean and organized
• Respond faster by surfacing high-priority messages
• Avoid missing SLAs or client escalations buried in clutter

Here’s an exhaustive list of things you can search for using Gmail search operators:

• Specific Emails
• Attachments
• Conversations 
• Dates
• Labels or Categories 
• Unread Messages
• Archived Emails
• Starred or Important Emails 
• Specific Phrases or Keywords 
• Emails with Links
• Calendar Invites and Events 
• Old Conversations
• Contacts and Email Addresses 
• Shopping Receipts and Order Confirmations
• Newsletter Subscriptions

How to Use Gmail Search Operators

To use Gmail search operators, just type them into the search bar at the top of your Gmail inbox. 

Here are a few quick tips to get your searches right:

• Don’t add spaces between the operator, the colon, and the search term (e.g., from:jane, not from : jane).
• Use quotation marks to search for exact phrases, like “project update”.
• You can combine operators by adding a space between them, like from:john has:attachment.
  

50 Gmail Search Operators That Can Help You Find Anything

Gmail offers a powerful set of search operators that go way beyond just a few basic commands. While many people know the common ones, like from: or has:attachment, there are dozens more that let you slice and dice your inbox exactly how you want. To make your life easier, we’ve expanded our list to over 50 Gmail search operators:

Find Emails by Sender or Recipient

1. from: – Emails from a person, e.g., from:alice@gmail.com shows all messages from Alice. 
2. to: – Emails you sent to someone, e.g., to:bob@gmail.com displays messages you sent to Bob. 
3. cc: – Emails where someone was CC’d, e.g., cc:manager@company.com. 
4. bcc: – Your sent emails with someone BCC’d, e.g., bcc:teamlead@company.com. 
5. deliveredto: – Emails delivered to a specific address, e.g., deliveredto:alias@yourdomain.com. 

Search by Content & Keyword

6. subject: – Emails with words in the subject, e.g., subject:invoice.
7. “exact phrase” – Helps you search emails with the exact phrase, e.g., “meeting agenda”.
8. +word – Must include a particular word, e.g., +unicorn. 
9. -word – Exclude emails with that word, e.g., contract -draft.
10. AROUND n – Words within n words apart, e.g., “report AROUND 5 Q2”.

Filter by Folder or Category

11. in: – Search a folder like Spam, e.g., in:spam.
12. in:anywhere – Search across all folders, e.g., in:anywhere receipt. 
13. category: – Gmail tab categories, e.g., category:promotions.
14. label: – Custom labels, e.g., label:work. 
15. has:userlabels – Emails with any label, e.g., has:userlabels.
16. has:nouserlabels – Unlabeled emails, e.g., has:nouserlabels.

Check Email Status

17. is:read – Already opened emails, e.g., from:yourcompany@123.com is:read. 
18. is:unread – Unopened messages, e.q., from:client@business.com is:unread.
19. is:starred – Starred items, e.g., subject:invoice is:starred.
20. is:unstarred – Non-starred items, e.g., label:marketing is:unstarred.
21. is:snoozed – Snoozed emails, e.g., is:snoozed after:2024/07/01.
22. is:important – Important messages, e.g., from:hr@company.com is:important

Find Attachments & File Types

23. has:attachment – Shows emails with any attachment (PDFs, images, docs, etc.), e.g., from:Robert.pattinson@shuri.com has:attachment 
24. filename: – Specific file type, e.g., filename:budget.xlsx
25. has:drive – Shows emails that include Google Drive links or shared Drive files, e.g., from: Robert.pattinson@shuri.com has:drive
26. has:document – Google Docs attachments, e.g., subject:”project plan” has:document
27. has:spreadsheet – Google Sheets, e.g., to:finance@hiverhq.com has:spreadsheet.
28. has:presentation – Google Slides, e.g., label:training has:presentation 
29. has:youtube – Emails with YouTube links, e.g., from:marketing@hiverhq.com has:youtube.
30. has:image – Embedded images, e.g.,from:Robert.pattinson@shuri.com has:image. 

Refine by Date or Time

31. before: – Sent before a date, e.g., before:2023/01/01.
32. after: – Sent after a date, e.g., after:2024/01/01.
33. older_than: – Older than a specific date, e.g., older_than:6m. 
34. newer_than: – Newer than a specific date, e.g., newer_than:1y. 
35. newer: – Another way to filter by after-date, newer:2023/05/01.
36. older: – Another way to filter by before=date, e.g., older:2022/12/31. 

Sort by Size or Message ID

37. size: – Filters emails larger than X bytes, e.g., size:1000000.
38. larger: – Same as above but more readable, e.g., larger:5M.
39. smaller: – Filters emails smaller than a size, e.g., smaller:10k.
40. rfc822msgid: – Search using a unique message ID, e.g.,
    rfc822msgid:200503292@example.com.

Include Chats or Mailing List Emails

41. is:chat – Includes Hangouts or Google Chat messages, e.g., is:chat project notes.
42. in:chats – Searches your chat history, e.g., in:chats team plan.
    list: – Filters by mailing list source, e.g., list:newsletter@example.com. 

Combine Operators for Complex Queries

44. Default (AND) – All terms must match, e.g., from:alice has:attachment. 
45. OR – Either term can match, e.g., from:alice OR from:bob. 
46. Parentheses ( ) – Group search terms, e.g., (from:alice OR from:bob) subject:report.
47. Braces { } – Alternate syntax for OR, e.g., {from:amy from:david}.
48. Negate ‘– ‘ Exclude a term, e.g., meeting -agenda.

Bonus Operators for Extra Control

49. List:- This search operator helps you find emails that came from a specific mailing list or newsletter address. It’s handy if you want to see all updates or digests from one source, like a product update list or a team newsletter. For example, list:news@updates.hiver.com will show you every email that was sent to you through that mailing list.

50. label:^unread – This search operator helps you find unread emails by using Gmail’s built-in system label for unread messages. While most people just use is:unread, label:^unread can be helpful when you’re setting up advanced filters or searches. For example, if you type label:^unread in:inbox in the search bar, you’ll see only the unread emails sitting in your inbox.

5 Real-Life Examples of Using Gmail Search Operators

Here are a few practical ways to combine Gmail search operators and get more specific results from your inbox. To keep things simple, let’s use the email address robert.pattinson@shuri.com as our example sender. You’ll see just how flexible and powerful these searches can be when you start mixing and matching different operators.

1. Find all emails from Robert that have attachments: You’re looking for any file Robert sent you—maybe a proposal or a report.

2. Pull up emails from Robert about quarterly reviews: You want every message from Robert with “quarterly review” in the subject line.

3. Locate unread emails from Robert sent in the last month: You don’t want to miss any new updates or requests.

4. Find emails where Robert sent a Google Doc: Perfect for tracking down shared project docs.

5. Search for emails from Robert that mention “SLA” but exclude drafts: Get only finalized discussions about SLAs. Skip anything still in draft form.

Advanced Tips to Use Gmail Search Operators

Once you’re comfortable with search operators, try these advanced techniques. They’ll help you set up shortcuts, save time, and make your searches even more powerful:

Save your frequent searches as bookmarks

Every search query in Gmail gets its URL, so after running a search, just bookmark the page in your browser. Whenever you click it, you’ll see the most up-to-date results without retyping.

Turn searches into Gmail filters

Once you’ve entered your search, click the filter icon on the search bar, choose actions like applying a label, forwarding, or archiving, and then select ‘Create filter’. You can even apply it to existing emails, so you’ll never miss a message that matches your criteria again.

What Are the Common Limitations of Search Operators in Gmail

Gmail search operators are powerful, but they’re not as flexible or forgiving as search tools in some other email clients or as intuitive as point-and-click filters. Here are a few built-in limitations you should know:

• No autocomplete or search suggestions: Gmail won’t help you complete operators or fix typos. You must get the command right, or your search won’t work. For example, if you type from:johndoe@gmial.com (typo in “gmail”), Gmail won’t suggest or fix it, so you’ll see zero results.
  
• Can’t search inside attachments: Operators can help you find emails with attachments, but you can’t search for specific words inside the attached files themselves. So, if you search for contract hoping to find a PDF attachment containing that word, Gmail will only show emails with “contract” in the message, not inside the PDF itself.
  
• Limited mobile support: Not all advanced operators work on the Gmail mobile app, and typing long queries is less convenient on a small screen. Typing a complex query such as from:boss has:attachment older_than:1y on your phone is quite time-consuming.
  
• No advanced logic (like NOT, AND, OR in brackets): While you can use OR and the minus sign to exclude, Gmail doesn’t support complex logic or accurate nested boolean searches. You can’t run a search like (from:alice AND subject:invoice) OR (from:bob AND subject:report).
  
• No custom saved searches: Unlike some email clients, Gmail doesn’t let you save a search and reuse it as a dynamic smart folder unless you bookmark the search or create a filter.
  
• Operators may change or become unsupported: If Google retires an operator like category:updates, it might stop working without warning.
  
• Syntax must be exact: If you write from: alice (with a space after the colon), Gmail won’t recognize the operator, so your search won’t work as expected.

Ready to Master Gmail Search Operators?

Using Gmail search operators makes it much easier to find what you need, no matter how full your inbox gets. Whether you’re looking for a single message, tracking down attachments, or just want to stay organized, these simple search queries can help you save time and reduce hassle. 

With a bit of practice, searching in Gmail will feel much more straightforward, and you’ll spend less time scrolling and more time getting things done.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

4. How can I search emails without any labels?

Use the operator has:nouserlabels in the Gmail search bar. This will show all emails that don’t have any custom labels applied.

5. What categories can I search for using Gmail operators?

You can search Gmail’s main categories using the category: operator. The main categories are:

• category:primary (for your main inbox)
• category:social (for social media updates)
• category:promotions (for marketing and deals)
• category:updates (for order confirmations, bills, etc.)
• category:forums (for group conversations or mailing lists)

6. Can I search for specific star icon colors or markers?

Yes! Gmail supports searching for different star colors and markers with special keywords:

• has:yellow-star
• has:blue-info
• has:red-star
• has:green-check

 …and more. Just type the specific star marker in the search bar.

7. Can I search chats using Gmail operators?

Yes, you can! Use the is:chat or in:chats operator to include Hangouts/Google Chat messages in your results.