Skip to main content
Tech Radar TechRadar the technology experts
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
  • Phones
  • Computing
  • TVs
  • AI
  • Streaming
  • Health
  • Audio
  • VPN
  • More
    • Cameras
    • Home
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Opinion
    • How to
    • Versus
    • Deals
    • Coupons
    • Best
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • Back to school
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • Best VPN
  • ChatGPT
  • NYT Wordle today
  • Best laptop
  • Best web hosting
Recommended reading
Google AI Mode
Artificial Intelligence I've been using Google AI Search mode for 4 months, and here are 5 tips to get the best results
A phone on a green and blue background showing AI Mode next to a laptop showing Deep Search
Artificial Intelligence Google Search just got its biggest-ever upgrade to lure you away from ChatGPT – here are 7 new things to try
Google AI Mode
Artificial Intelligence I’ve tried Google’s new AI Mode and now you can too – here are 3 tips for getting more from Google's new free AI search tool
Google AI Mode
Artificial Intelligence I've been using Google's new AI mode for Search – here's how to master it
YouTube
Artificial Intelligence I used Google Gemini to analyze YouTube, and the results were seriously impressive - 4 ways you can use video integration to get the most from AI
Google Photos interface displayed on two phones on a yellow background
Phones These 9 Google Photos features will change the way you save, share, and edit images
ChatGPT Search
Artificial Intelligence ChatGPT wants to replace Google but I’m not convinced it’s a competition
  1. Computing
  2. Internet
  3. Search Engines

Advanced Google search tips and tricks

How-to
By Ian Evenden published 3 June 2016

Search smarter in Google

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Google tips

Google tips

Type a word into Google's search box and it searches the internet for it. Then it returns the results via the PageRank algorithm it paid patent holder Stanford University £336 million in Google shares for.

This weights results based on their perceived usefulness and puts more useful ones nearer the top. And it works pretty well, but can return a torrent of information that's hard to sift through. Type in 'cheese' or 'socks' or 'fishmonger' and you'll get results on those topics, but sometimes it pays to narrow down the search to avoid being swamped by results that, while not irrelevant, aren't precisely what you were looking for.

Happily, Google has several built-in tools to help you do this narrowing, and they're all available from the search box, with no extra add-ons required.

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
1. Site search

1. Site search

If you know the site where the article appears, narrow down the search using the 'site' command. Type site:techradar.com Windows 10 to search TechRadar for Windows 10.

Or type site:.ac.uk dinosaurs to search UK universities, or site:.mil aliens to find aliens held by the US military. Exclude a term by typing '-', so for instance site:.mil aliens -conspiracy.

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
2. Get definitions (and calculate)

2. Get definitions (and calculate)

Type define: followed by the word that's perplexing you into the search box to get a definition. You can do the same thing to get answers to arithmetic problems: tap in the digits with +, -, * and / (without spaces between them) to get a result on a calculator (which you can then use for more maths).

Searching for the answer to life the universe and everything returns 42, by the way.

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
3. Google Instant and autocomplete

3. Google Instant and autocomplete

Google Instant sends your search terms to Google while you're typing, and attempts to predict what you're going to input.

As you can imagine, we're regular visitors to techradar.com, so typing tech in the search box means it autocompletes to the site name, with the word 'technology' further down the list. You can turn this on and off in Search Settings at www.google.com/preferences.

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
4. Image search tricks

4. Image search tricks

Google image search is a powerful tool for tracking down pictures. Input search terms, and you'll be taken to a screen of images, with the most relevant ones at the top. As you scroll down, it's not uncommon to find baffling inclusions – make sure Safesearch is turned on in Search Settings (see step 3) to ensure these don't become risque.

  • How Microsoft beat Google at understanding images with machine learning
Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
5. Advanced image search

5. Advanced image search

If you have requirements for the image you're looking for, head to www.google.co.uk/advanced_image_search where you can filter images by size, aspect ratio, colour, type and format.

You can choose words to omit from the search, search only within pages you've visited and ensure the image is suitable for you to use in a publication or website without violating copyright.

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
6. Reverse image search

6. Reverse image search

Reverse image search is useful for finding similar images to one you already have, for identifying the source of an image, or for finding a larger version of an image.

Click the camera icon in the Google image search box, and you can paste in the URL of an image on the internet or drag and drop one from your PC into the search box.

Click 'Search Tools' to refine the search.

  • Search engine basics
Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
7. Time/date range and more

7. Time/date range and more

The Search Tools button is available on any search – click it on a web search to narrow down results by time, or country (perhaps to omit American results when you're searching for Washington in Britain, say).

Drop down the time-range menu to set a custom range within which your results will fall. Choose both dates, then click the 'Go' button to perform the search.

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
8. Google Flights

8. Google Flights

Search for air travel flights and prices at Google Flights. If you have flights booked, and have allowed Google to include private information in results, search the flight number and departure and landing times will appear.

If you've booked through Google Flights, or had confirmation sent to a Gmail, the information will be added to your Calendar.

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
9. Get the 'I'm Feeling Lucky' button back

9. Get the 'I'm Feeling Lucky' button back

A much-loved part of Google used to be the 'I'm Feeling Lucky' button that takes you to the first result for any search. It's a harder to find these days, as Google Instant constantly updates your results and many people search with the Return key rather than clicking.

To get it back, turn off Google Instant in Search Settings (see step 3) and go to the Google home page.

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
10. Whois

10. Whois

Find out who owns a website using the 'whois' operator. Type it as a search query including the web address, for example whois:techradar.com and click the top result.

Our example doesn't throw up anything unusual, but if you believe a site is indulging in abusive behaviour, however, a whois search will lead you to an email address, so you can report it to the domain's registrar.

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
TOPICS
Google
Ian Evenden
See more Computing How Tos
Read more
Google AI Mode
I've been using Google AI Search mode for 4 months, and here are 5 tips to get the best results
A phone on a green and blue background showing AI Mode next to a laptop showing Deep Search
Google Search just got its biggest-ever upgrade to lure you away from ChatGPT – here are 7 new things to try
Google AI Mode
I’ve tried Google’s new AI Mode and now you can too – here are 3 tips for getting more from Google's new free AI search tool
Google AI Mode
I've been using Google's new AI mode for Search – here's how to master it
YouTube
I used Google Gemini to analyze YouTube, and the results were seriously impressive - 4 ways you can use video integration to get the most from AI
Google Photos interface displayed on two phones on a yellow background
These 9 Google Photos features will change the way you save, share, and edit images
Latest in Search Engines
Google IO 2024
Google AI Overview thinks it's still 2024, sometimes
Perplexity search on a laptop.
How to replace Google Search with Perplexity AI
Google Learn About
Google Learn About is the patient teacher with a bag full of tricks we all wanted as kids
Bing
Microsoft is so desperate for people to drop Google for Bing it’s offering a $1 million reward
ChatGPT Search
I tried ChatGPT Search and now I might never Google again
Google AI Overviews
Google’s AI Overviews are now available to help a billion people avoid reading full articles
Latest in How Tos
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 12: Wimbledon tennis balls sit ready on the Queens Club practice court at The Queen's Club on June 12, 2025 in London, England.
How to watch Sinner vs Alcaraz Wimbledon on BBC iPlayer (it's free)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain plays a forehand volley against Taylor Fritz of United States during the Gentlemen's Singles semi-final match on day twelve of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 11, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
How to watch Alcaraz vs Sinner online: live stream Wimbledon 2025 men's final
Amanda Anisimova of the United States celebrates her victory with her nephew Jackson after her victory against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the Quarter-Finals of the Ladies' Singles Competition
How to watch Wimbledon women's final on BBC iPlayer (it's FREE) today
Owen Farrell in training for British & Irish Lions.
AUNZ Invitational vs Lions FREE streams: How to watch British & Irish Lions tour live online from anywhere
Three members of staff wave towards a red helicopter in Billion Dollar Playground
How to watch Billion Dollar Playground season 1 for free online from anywhere
Jofra Archer in practice for England cricket.
How to watch England vs India 3rd Test: Live stream cricket online – India need another 135 runs to win, England want six wickets on Day 5
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. 1
    Donkey Kong Bananza director acknowledges the game's performance issues, but says the team 'prioritized fun and playability' first
  2. 2
    Many top data center locations could be at risk of climate change
  3. 3
    Detailed leaks reveal likely designs of the DJI Mic 3 and DJI Osmo 360 ahead of rumored reveal later this month
  4. 4
    Two Samsung Galaxy S26 models could be in for camera upgrades – and their codenames have leaked too
  5. 5
    A top Apple tipster thinks he's worked out the iPhone 17 release date – and it could be just two months away

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...