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created: 2025-07-20T17:22
updated: 2025-07-20T17:22
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Each word in the search term is matched independently within each file. To search for an exact phrase, surround it with quotes, for example `"star wars"`. To search for quoted text within an exact phrase, you can _escape_ the quotes by adding a backslash (`\`) in front of the quote, for example `"they said \"hello\" to each other"`.

You can control whether to return files that contain _all_ the words in your search term, or _any_ of the words:

- `meeting work` returns files that contain both `meeting` and `work`.
- `meeting OR work` returns files that contain either `meeting` or `work`.

You can even combine the two in the same search term.

- `meeting work OR meetup personal` returns files for work meetings and personal meetups.

You can use parentheses to control the priority of each expression.

- `meeting (work OR meetup) personal` returns files that contain `meeting`, `personal`, and either `work` or `meetup`.

To exclude, or negate, a word from the search results, add a hyphen (`-`) in front of it:

- `meeting -work` returns files that contain `meeting` but not `work`.

You can exclude multiple expressions:

- `meeting -work -meetup` returns files that contain `meeting` but not `work` or `meetup`.

You can exclude a combination of expressions using parentheses:

- `meeting -(work meetup)` returns files that contain `meeting` but not _both_ `work` and `meetup`.





#obsidian #howto