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HomeAltaVista HelpSearchSpecial search terms

You can use these terms for both basic and advanced Web searches. For advanced searches, type these into the free-form Boolean box.

AND Finds documents containing all of the specified words or phrases. Peanut AND butter finds documents with both the word peanut and the word butter.
OR Finds documents containing at least one of the specified words or phrases. Peanut OR butter finds documents containing either peanut or butter. The found documents could contain both items, but not necessarily.
NOT Excludes documents containing the specified word or phrase. Peanut NOT butter finds documents with peanut but not containing butter. NOT must be used with another operator, like AND. AltaVista does not accept 'peanut NOT butter'; instead, specify peanut NOT butter.
domain:domainname Finds pages within the specified domain. Use domain:uk to find pages from the United Kingdom, or use domain:com to find pages from commercial sites.
host:hostname Finds pages on a specific computer. The search host:www.shopping.com would find pages on the Shopping.com computer, and host:dilbert.unitedmedia.com would find pages on the computer called dilbert at unitedmedia.com.
link:URLtext Finds pages with a link to a page with the specified URL text. Use link:www.myway.com to find all pages linking to myway.com.
title:text Finds pages that contain the specified word or phrase in the page title (which appears in the title bar of most browsers). The search title:sunset would find pages with sunset in the title.
url:text Finds pages with a specific word or phrase in the URL. Use url:garden to find all pages on all servers that have the word garden anywhere in the host name, path, or filename.


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