---
metadata:
  - name: generator
    content: Diplodoc Platform v5.50.6
alternate:
  - https://yandex.com/support/search/en/query-language/search-context.md
---
> **Documentation Index:** Fetch the complete configuration index at https://yandex.com/support/search/en/llms.txt

# Search by individual words and phrases

By default, Yandex searches for all forms of the word specified in the query (differing by gender, case, number, and so on) but ignores the word's cognates belonging to a different part of speech.



You can refine your query using operators.

## Search for a word in the specified form {#exclamation}

<div class="striped-none">

#|
||
**Operator**
|
**Syntax**
|
**Query description and example**
||
||
`!`
|
``` 
!word 
```
|
This finds documents with the word "mountain" in the specified form:

``` 
!mountain 
```

You can use multiple operators in one query.
||

|#

</div>

## Search for documents with a specific word {#plus}

<div class="striped-none">

#|
||
**Operator**
|
**Syntax**
|
**Query description and example**
||
||
`+`
|
``` 
word₁ +word₂ 
```
|
This finds documents that must include "forest" and "river" and may also include "mountain":

``` 
mountain +forest +river 
```

You can use multiple operators in one query.
||

|#

{% note info %}

Yandex doesn't guarantee that search results will include every document matching the query.

{% endnote %}

</div>

## Search by quotation {#quotes}

Search for documents containing query words in the specified sequence and form.

<div class="striped-none">

#|
||
**Operator**
|
**Syntax**
|
**Query description and example**
||
||
`"`
|
``` 
"word₁ word₂ ... wordₙ" 
```
|
This finds documents containing this quotation:

``` 
"fell down stood up" 
```
||

|#

</div>

## Search by quotation with a missing word {#asterix}

{% note alert %}

Used only as part of the [`"`](#quotes) operator.

{% endnote %}

<div class="striped-none">

#|
||
**Operator**
|
**Syntax**
|
**Query description and example**
||
||
`*`
|
``` 
"word₁  * word₂ ... wordₙ" 
```

The operator is separated by spaces.
|
This finds documents containing this quotation, including the missing words:

``` 
"fell down * up" 
```

One operator matches a single missing word.
||

|#
</div>

## Search for documents with any word from the query {#line}

<div class="striped-none">

#|
||
**Operator**
|
**Syntax**
|
**Query description and example**
||
||

```
|
```
|
``` 
word₁ | word₂ | ... | wordₙ 
```

The operator is separated by spaces.
|
This finds documents containing at least one of these words: "mountain", "river", or "forest":

``` 
mountain | river | forest 
```

You can use multiple operators in one query.
||

|#

</div>

## Search for documents that don't have a specific word {#minus}

<div class="striped-none">

#|
||
**Operator**
|
**Syntax**
|
**Query description and example**
||
||
`-`
|
``` 
word₁ word₂ ... -wordₙ -wordₙ₊₁ 
```
|
Only the word preceded by the operator is excluded. The excluded word should be placed at the end of the search query.

This finds documents containing "climb" and "mountain" but not "Elbrus":

``` 
climb mountain -Elbrus 
```

You can use multiple operators in one query.
||

|#

</div>

{% note alert %}

If you place this operator before a number, the search algorithms will read it as a negative number you want to find. For the operator to work, put the text fragment starting with a number in quotation marks.

{% endnote %}


[Contact support](https://yandex.com/support/search/en/troubleshooting/feedback.md){.button}

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