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This is very helpful if I search for a name I didn't quite pick up or don't know how to spell, or if I only remember fragments of a quote or topic, then I just

This is very helpful if I search for a name I didn't quite pick up or don't know how to spell, or if I only remember fragments of a quote or topic, then I just blurt out my stream of consciousness and Google will mostly point me in the right direction. That being said, I wish I could explicitly tell Google to treat my query more literally. Ideally you would be able specify the search query in some kind of grammar. They have these kinds of prompt mechanics for GPT3, so I doesn't seem too unrealistic, even if it's all ML nowadays.

KaoruAoiShiho 5y ago
You can though, put quotes around it.
- layer8 5y ago
  Google still decides to interpret that however they like. Even the verbatim option in Search Tools doesn’t always help.
- amptorn 5y ago
  That's stopped working! Google is just ignoring them from time to time now. Did you even read the article?
  - bambax 5y ago
    I read the article, and the HN comment it links to, but didn't find an example in either, and it doesn't match my experience. Does someone have a concrete example when using quotes results in pages not containing the search terms?
    - adamc 5y ago
      I've hit this many, many times, but I'm not sure I can easily reproduce it. Tends to happen when there are more search terms, in my experience.
    - allochthon 5y ago
      It's definitely happened from time to time in my experience. If I had to guess, Google PMs really don't like blank search result pages.
    - bambax 5y ago
      I just checked again. Here's what I get: - no results with or without quotes: No results containing all your search terms were found. - few results with quotes, not more without quotes: Your search did not match any documents. It looks like there aren't many great matches for your search Tip: Try using words that might appear on the page you’re looking for. For example, "cake recipes" instead of "how to make a cake." - no results with quotes, but results without quotes: Google says that the search with quotes didn't find anything, and that they searched without quotes instead. I have yet to find any instance where Google corrects the inside of quotes without any warning.
    - dannysullivan 5y ago
      I work for Google Search, and as I shared elsewhere, quoting still works. It really does. If you or anyone finds an example where you believe it doesn't, please let me know, and we'll debug. Typically the reasons people believe it is not working is because: 1) text appears in ALT text 2) text is not readily visible on a page (maybe in a menu bar or small text) 3) there's punctuation ("dog cat" will match "dog, cat" 4) page has changed after we've indexed it (so view the cached copy, if available)
      - bambax 5y ago
        I believe you! (see my other comment in response to the original one). But it seems people don't (my original comment is being heavily downvoted because of this). And although they can't submit even one example, the fact that they don't believe you is obviously a symptom of a bigger problem. For some reason, Google is losing the trust of power users.
  - flyinghamster 5y ago
    I noticed that years ago, and it was one of my first frustrations with Google - the first inkling that the big G had jumped the shark.
  - KaoruAoiShiho 5y ago
    Well, no the premise doesn't match with my experience at all. Quoting works perfectly for me dunno.
- mtizim 5y ago
  As per the article, not anymore
- rurp 5y ago
  Google has been regularly ignoring quotes for at least 5 years, probably longer. That was one of the biggest factors for me dropping it as my main search engine.
robotresearcher 5y ago
> Ideally you would be able specify the search query in some kind of grammar. The query syntax: https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2466433?hl=en https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2466433?hl=en
dannysullivan 5y ago
I work for Google Search. We have several ways for you to do this. The easies is to put quotes around a word or a phrase that you absolutely, positively want to be present in content retrieved. And yes -- it still works. It really really does, but if you or anyone finds an example where you believe it doesn't, please let me know. We'll debug it. The reasons people sometimes think it's not working is because the text appears in ALT text, or it appears in text that's not readily visible on a page (maybe in a menu bar or small text), or there's punctuation ("dog cat" will match "dog, cat") or sometimes a page has changed after we've indexed it (so view the cached copy, if available). You can also use verbatim mode from the toolbar so that we search for only the exact words you provide.
- johnny22 5y ago
  why can't verbatim mode be combined with time frame limits?
  - dannysullivan 5y ago
    You should be able to. I can. Tools, then change All results to Verbatim. Then change Any Time to one of the presets of custom range. Or just quote the words in regular mode then use our before/after commands: https://twitter.com/searchliaison/status/1115706765088182272 https://twitter.com/searchliaison/status/1115706765088182272
    - b112 5y ago
      What?! Have you tried this? It immediately turns verbatim off. For everyone! It's been like this forever. Years and years. Gaslighting won't help here! In terms of quotes, again, this does NOT work like +, like verbatim. If it did, then that term would absolutely show up, just as it is, in search results. Yet, over the years I've seen: - aliasing happen from within quotes (EG, bob -> robert) - quotes entirely ignored (eg, those terms NOT showing up) Yet searching with verbatim on, immediately causes those quoted words to appear! You are absolutely gaslighting people on this! Right now, in this thread. And if it isn't intentional, if you aren't gaslighting, then how can you not even notice that verbatim turns off, the second you select a date range? I want to say so much more here, but it's filled with such ... vitriol, that I think my terminal would melt.

KaoruAoiShiho 5y ago

You can though, put quotes around it.

layer8 5y ago
Google still decides to interpret that however they like. Even the verbatim option in Search Tools doesn’t always help.
amptorn 5y ago
That's stopped working! Google is just ignoring them from time to time now. Did you even read the article?
- bambax 5y ago
  I read the article, and the HN comment it links to, but didn't find an example in either, and it doesn't match my experience. Does someone have a concrete example when using quotes results in pages not containing the search terms?
  - adamc 5y ago
    I've hit this many, many times, but I'm not sure I can easily reproduce it. Tends to happen when there are more search terms, in my experience.
  - allochthon 5y ago
    It's definitely happened from time to time in my experience. If I had to guess, Google PMs really don't like blank search result pages.
  - bambax 5y ago
    I just checked again. Here's what I get: - no results with or without quotes: No results containing all your search terms were found. - few results with quotes, not more without quotes: Your search did not match any documents. It looks like there aren't many great matches for your search Tip: Try using words that might appear on the page you’re looking for. For example, "cake recipes" instead of "how to make a cake." - no results with quotes, but results without quotes: Google says that the search with quotes didn't find anything, and that they searched without quotes instead. I have yet to find any instance where Google corrects the inside of quotes without any warning.
  - dannysullivan 5y ago
    I work for Google Search, and as I shared elsewhere, quoting still works. It really does. If you or anyone finds an example where you believe it doesn't, please let me know, and we'll debug. Typically the reasons people believe it is not working is because: 1) text appears in ALT text 2) text is not readily visible on a page (maybe in a menu bar or small text) 3) there's punctuation ("dog cat" will match "dog, cat" 4) page has changed after we've indexed it (so view the cached copy, if available)
    - bambax 5y ago
      I believe you! (see my other comment in response to the original one). But it seems people don't (my original comment is being heavily downvoted because of this). And although they can't submit even one example, the fact that they don't believe you is obviously a symptom of a bigger problem. For some reason, Google is losing the trust of power users.
- flyinghamster 5y ago
  I noticed that years ago, and it was one of my first frustrations with Google - the first inkling that the big G had jumped the shark.
- KaoruAoiShiho 5y ago
  Well, no the premise doesn't match with my experience at all. Quoting works perfectly for me dunno.
mtizim 5y ago
As per the article, not anymore
rurp 5y ago
Google has been regularly ignoring quotes for at least 5 years, probably longer. That was one of the biggest factors for me dropping it as my main search engine.

robotresearcher 5y ago

> Ideally you would be able specify the search query in some kind of grammar. The query syntax: https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2466433?hl=en https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2466433?hl=en

dannysullivan 5y ago

I work for Google Search. We have several ways for you to do this. The easies is to put quotes around a word or a phrase that you absolutely, positively want to be present in content retrieved. And yes -- it still works. It really really does, but if you or anyone finds an example where you believe it doesn't, please let me know. We'll debug it. The reasons people sometimes think it's not working is because the text appears in ALT text, or it appears in text that's not readily visible on a page (maybe in a menu bar or small text), or there's punctuation ("dog cat" will match "dog, cat") or sometimes a page has changed after we've indexed it (so view the cached copy, if available). You can also use verbatim mode from the toolbar so that we search for only the exact words you provide.

johnny22 5y ago
why can't verbatim mode be combined with time frame limits?
- dannysullivan 5y ago
  You should be able to. I can. Tools, then change All results to Verbatim. Then change Any Time to one of the presets of custom range. Or just quote the words in regular mode then use our before/after commands: https://twitter.com/searchliaison/status/1115706765088182272 https://twitter.com/searchliaison/status/1115706765088182272
  - b112 5y ago
    What?! Have you tried this? It immediately turns verbatim off. For everyone! It's been like this forever. Years and years. Gaslighting won't help here! In terms of quotes, again, this does NOT work like +, like verbatim. If it did, then that term would absolutely show up, just as it is, in search results. Yet, over the years I've seen: - aliasing happen from within quotes (EG, bob -> robert) - quotes entirely ignored (eg, those terms NOT showing up) Yet searching with verbatim on, immediately causes those quoted words to appear! You are absolutely gaslighting people on this! Right now, in this thread. And if it isn't intentional, if you aren't gaslighting, then how can you not even notice that verbatim turns off, the second you select a date range? I want to say so much more here, but it's filled with such ... vitriol, that I think my terminal would melt.