# Find Anything with Search

Source: https://notesgarden.com/help/2G42b2qC8HgL-find-anything-with-search

Press `Ctrl/Cmd + F` and type to find items in your outline, or press `Ctrl/Cmd + K` to jump to any item with **Go to...**. Filters narrow a search down by tag, date, person and more.

## Search using the top-right search field

1. Press `Ctrl/Cmd + F`, or click the search field at the top right, and type. Matches are highlighted as you type.
2. Press `G` to go to the next match and `Shift + G` to go to the previous one, or use the arrows in the search field.

[search-field.mp4](https://api.notesgarden.com/v1/files/BYBZ2ZJATECOMJKO63IF?publishedHomeItemUid=DNpY9fnmQY20)

*Typing “tomato” highlights three matches. `Enter` steps from one to the next.*

A collapsed item, or an item in Column view, shows how many matches are inside it. Click that number to see only those matches.

**Hint:** To step through matches without leaving the search field, press `Enter` for the next match and `Shift + Enter` for the previous one. After the last match, it starts again at the first.

**Filters**: Click the field to see filters such as **Tag** and **Content Date**, then pick a value. For a date, choose **Pick a date…**, pick a day and search **On**, **Before** or **After** it.

## Search on a phone

1. **Open search**: Tap the search icon in the top bar.
2. **Filter**: Tap a filter in the row under the field — **Tag**, **Is**, **Content Date**, **Changed Date** or **Mention** — and pick a value. **More** holds the rest.
3. **Remove a filter**: A picked filter stays in the row, for example **Tag: work**. Tap its **×** to remove it.

*Hint:* The search in the sidebar has the same filter row.

## Jump to any item with “Go to...” (`Ctrl/Cmd + K`)

1. **Open the Modal**: Press `Ctrl/Cmd + K` to open the **Go to...** modal.
2. **Filter**: Pick a filter in the row under the field, such as **Tag** or **Content Date**, then choose a value.
3. **Refine Search Scope**: Once search results are displayed, you can adjust the scope of your search by clicking on the path shown above each result. This will narrow the search to the selected subtree, showing results only within that section.

## Filter with search operators

You can use the following operators to refine your searches in both the search field and the modal:

### 🏷️ Tag Filters

You can search for items by tag using the `tag:` prefix.

**Format:** `tag:<name>` **Example:** `tag:work`

### 🙋 Mentions

You can find items that mention a specific person using the `mention:` prefix.

**Format:** `mention:<name>` **Example:** `mention:John`

### 📅 Date Filters

You can search for items using specific dates or date ranges. Use one of the following prefixes to control which date is evaluated:

- `created:` — matches the item’s creation date
- `changed:` — matches the item’s last changed date
- `date:` — matches dates mentioned in the item’s content

If the date value includes spaces (e.g., *this month*), wrap it in quotes: ✅ `created:"this month"` ❌ `created:this month`

#### Supported values:

- Relative days:
    - `today` — *e.g.,* `created:today`
    - `tomorrow` — *e.g.,* `date:tomorrow`
    - `yesterday` — *e.g.,* `date:yesterday`
- Rolling ranges:
    - `last x (days, weeks, years)` — *e.g.,* `changed:"last 2 days"`
    - `next x (days, weeks, years)` — *e.g.,* `date:"next 3 weeks"`
- Calendar-aligned ranges:
    - `last (week, month, year)` — *e.g.,* `date:"last year"`
    - `this (week, month, year)` — *e.g.,* `created:"this month"`
    - `next (week, month, year)` — *e.g.,* `date:"next month"`
- Weekdays:
    - `last <weekday>` — *e.g.,* `created:"last monday"`
    - `next <weekday>` — *e.g.,* `date:"next friday"`
- Specific dates:
    - `created:2024-07-14`
- Date comparisons:
    - Before a date: `changed:<2024-07-14`
    - After a date: `created:>2024-07-14`

### 👤 Author Filters

- Created by you or others:
    - `created-by:me`
    - `created-by:others`
- Changed by you or others:
    - `changed-by:me`
    - `changed-by:others`

### 📝 Format Filters

- Text: `format:text`
- Bullet: `format:bullet`
- Numbered List: `format:numbered`
- Task: `format:task`
- Quote: `format:quote`
- Code: `format:code`

### 🧩 Additional Filters

- Checked Tasks: `is:checked`
- Unchecked Tasks: `is:unchecked`
- File: `is:file`
- Image: `is:image`
- Video: `is:video`
- PDF: `is:pdf`
- Audio: `is:audio`
- Shared Items: `is:shared`

### 🔤 Text Exclusion

Prefix a word with `-` to exclude items that contain it.

**Example:** `project -archived` finds items containing “project” but not “archived”.

### 🔗 Find a note by its ID or link

Paste a copied link to an item (`Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + L`) or its ID into the search field to find that note. Links to an item opened through an alias work too.

To find only the note itself, use the `id:` prefix. Without it, items whose text contains the ID are found as well.

**Format:** `id:<ID or link>` **Example:** `id:XXVxqSCbg7en`

- Separate several IDs with commas to find all of those notes: `id:XXVxqSCbg7en,EpmaZ7UzqulJ`

## Track what’s new in a saved search

When you open the results of a **starred search**, each result is tracked as either *unread* (new since you last checked) or *read*. This lets you use starred searches as a live feed of new content that matches your query.

### Unread counter badge

Starred searches in the sidebar show a counter badge next to their name whenever there are unread results. Clicking a starred search that has unread items automatically opens the results pre-filtered to show unread items only.

### Filter by unread

Inside the search results modal, use the **Filter by unread** button (funnel icon, top-right of the results header) to toggle between showing all results and showing only unread results.

### Mark all as read

Click **Mark all as read** (double-check icon) to dismiss all unread indicators for the currently displayed results in one go. On mobile this option appears in the overflow menu.

### Auto-read on open

When you open or focus an item, it is automatically marked as read across all starred searches it appears in — no manual action needed.