Query Syntax

PublicWWW searches the source code of web pages, not the text visitors see. A query is the fragment of markup, script or stylesheet you expect to find - a tracker id, a library filename, a meta tag, an affiliate code.

Everything, briefly

"..." Exact phrase - those characters, in that order. What you want almost every time. "math.min.js" read more

a b Several words or phrases means all of them, in any order. bootstrap jquery read more

- A dash removes the pages that contain what follows it. "amcharts.js" -bootstrap read more

\" A backslash escapes a quote inside a phrase, or another backslash. "<html lang=\"fr\">" read more

depth: Reach indexed internal pages, not only home pages. depth:all "math.min.js" read more

site: Restrict to one top-level domain. site:de bootstrap read more

ip: One address, or a class C subnet with a *. ip:160.153.136.* bootstrap read more

filetype: Search inside linked css or js instead of the page. Website only. "stackoverflow.com/questions" filetype:css read more

snipexp: Show what a regular expression captures instead of the surrounding text. "addthis_widget.js#pubid=ra" snipexp:|pubid=(ra\-[\w\d]+)|i read more

In detail

Basics - words, exact phrases, combining, excluding, escaping.
Operators - depth:, site:, ip:, filetype:.
Regular expressions - snipexp:, with worked examples.
Country domains - every top-level domain PublicWWW indexes.

Where to go next

Usage examples - ready-made queries by topic.
API - the same searches from your own code.
Clusters - keep and compare sets of results.

Next Basics