UltraSearch > Search > Search Syntax

UltraSearch provides a syntax that allows you to quickly and flexibly customize your search.

Below are some examples for a simple search:

Search for photos from 2022: Images 2022

UltraSearch will then list all image files, whether jpg, png, bmp or similar, with the modification date in 2022.

Search for large Office files: Office > 10MB

UltraSearch lists all Excel, Word, PDF, etc. files that are larger than 10 megabytes.

Certain keywords also offer the opportunity to formulate the search more precisely. In addition to file names, you can also search for file extensions, size, date, file contents and much more. Search terms can be combined via 'AND' or 'OR' and file names can be excluded from the search using the syntax. It is also possible to use wildcards and regular expressions. Below you will find a description of the permitted keywords and some use cases. For most keywords, there is a abbreviated form for faster search entry.

The search syntax is structured as follows:

for example

name: = readme

finds all files whose name (property) matches (operator) the word readme (value).

Several search terms can be combined:

name:=readme, name:=movie

name:=readme OR name:=movie

finds all files with 'readme' OR 'movie' in their name.

The following table shows all available properties, operators and conjunctions that you can use in UltraSearch.

Information: When searching for file names, name: can be omitted. Regardless of this, the = character can generally be omitted as an operator, as well as AND as conjunction between two search terms. These are the default property, operator, and connection values used in the search. There are different spellings for individual properties, which can be found in the table below.

Important: If you want to use reserved characters of the search syntax such as brackets, commas or spaces in the search term, the search term must be enclosed in double quotes. Examples are in the table below.

A note regarding dates: When using a date as part of the search term, the required date format depends on the region settings that are configured within Windows.

Property:	Description:	Example:	Alternative form:	Explanation:
name:	Search by file name. This is the default property that is used when no property is explicitly specified.	readme	name:readme	Search for all files whose file name contains the word 'readme'.
path:	Search by folder path.	path:Windows	-	Search for all files and folders in the Windows folder.
extension:	Search by file extension.	ext:txt	extension:txt	Search for all files with the file extension 'txt'.
group:	Search by file group.	group:Video-Dateien	-	Search for all video files. Information: The available file groups can be adjusted under 'Options > Configure file groups.
content:	Search by file content.	cont:license	content:license	Full text search for all files, in whose file content the word 'license' occurs. Information: The full text search is time consuming. It is therefore recommended to use additional search criteria.
size:	Search by file size.	size:<500MB size:>5MB	-	Search all files smaller than 500 MB. Search all files bigger than 5 MB. Information: The search only refers to file sizes, folder sizes are not taken into account.
accessed:	Search by access date.	accessed:<=01.11.2021 accessed:>01.11.2021 accessed:15.03.2020-15.11.2021	-	Search for files with access date in the specified time interval. Instead of an explicit time interval, the maximum or minimum date can also be specified.
created:	Search by creation date.	created:<=01.11.2021 created:>01.11.2021 created:15.03.2020-15.11.2021	-	Search for files with creation date in the specified time interval. Instead of an explicit time interval, the maximum or minimum date can also be specified.
modified:	Search by modification date.	modified:<=01.11.2021 modified:>01.11.2021 modified:15.03.2020-15.11.2021	-	Search for files with modification date in the specified time interval. Instead of an explicit time interval, the maximum or minimum date can also be specified.
datetaken:	Search by date taken.	datetaken:03.03.2023	-	Search for files, in most cases photos, taken on March 3, 2023.
attribute:	Search by file attributes	attribute: HS	-	Search for files with the file attributes H (Hidden) and S (System).
keyword:	Search by keywords in files	keyword: my_keyword	-	Search for files (like docx files) which are marked with the keyword "my_keyword".
owner:	Search by file owner	owner: John	-	Search for files whose file owner is named "John".

Operator:	Description:	Example:	Alternative form:	Explanation:
=	The property must apply. This is the default operator that is used if no operator is explicitly specified.	readme	name:=readme	Search for all files whose file name contains the word 'readme'.
!=	The property must not apply.	!=readme	name:!=readme	Search for all files that do not contain the word 'readme'.
~	Can be used in conjunction with the name:property. The following value is a Regular Expression (Regex) and must apply the property. Note: The regular expression must be enclosed in quotation marks if search syntax characters such as brackets, commas or spaces are used.	~[0-9]	name:~[0-9]	Search for all files that have at least one digit in their name.
!~	Can be used in conjunction with the name:property. The following value is a Regular Expression (Regex) and must not apply to the property.	!~[0-9]	name:!~[0-9]	Search for all files that have no digits in their names.
> or >=	Operator for size or date comparisons: The property must be greater than (greater than or equal to) the specified value.	size:>= 5MB	-	Search for all files that are bigger than or equal to 5 MB. Information: The search only refers to file sizes, folder sizes are not taken into account.
< or <=	Operator for size or date comparisons: The property must be smaller than (smaller than or equal to) the specified value.	size:<= 500MB	-	Search for all files that are less than or equal to 500 MB. Information: The search only refers to file sizes, folder sizes are not taken into account.
( and )	Parentheses can be used to group parts of the search input.	(readme, license)*.txt	(name:=readme OR name:=license) AND *.txt	Search for all text files that have the word "readme" or "license" in their filename.

Conjunction:	Description:		Example:	Alternative form:	Explanation:
Space character or AND	The conjunct search patterns must all match. This is the default connection that is used if no connection is explicitly specified.		readme ext:txt	name:=readme AND extension:=txt	Search for all files whose file name contains the word 'readme' and which have the file extension 'txt'.
Commar or OR	At least one of the related search patterns must match.		readme, movie	name:=readme OR name:=movie	Search for all files whose file name contains the word 'readme' or 'movie'.

Conjunction:

Description:

Example:

Alternative form:

Explanation:

Space character or

AND

The conjunct search patterns must all match.
This is the default connection that is used if no connection is explicitly specified.

readme ext:txt

name:=readme AND extension:=txt

Search for all files whose file name contains the word 'readme' and which have the file extension 'txt'.

Commar or

At least one of the related search patterns must match.

readme, movie

name:=readme OR name:=movie

Search for all files whose file name contains the word 'readme' or 'movie'.

When specifying values, more previsely the actual search pattern, there are various reserved characters such as wildcards or quotation marks for exact searches. The following table lists these characters and explains them using some examples.

Example value:	Description:	Example:	Alternative form:	Results:
readme	Search for readme, where any number of characters can be placed before and after the word. The word contains 'readme'.	readme	name:=readme	Finds: '123readme.txt', '123readme.docx' but NOT: 'read_me.txt', 'reading.docx'
readme	Corresponds readme. The two wildcards before and after the word can be omitted for simplicity.	readme	name:=readme	Finds:: '123readme.txt', '123readme.docx' but NOT: 'read_me.txt', 'reading.docx'
readme*	Search for readme, where any number of characters can be placed after the word, but no characters are allowed before the word. The word begins with 'readme'.	readme*	name:=readme*	Finds: 'readme.txt', 'readme_c.docx' but NOT: '123readme.txt', 'read_me.txt'
*readme	Search for readme, where any number of characters can be placed before the word, but no characters are allowed after that. The word ends with 'readme'.	*readme	name:=*readme	Finds: '123readme', 'c_readme' but NOT: 'readme.txt', 'readme_c'
"readme"	Word search for the exact occurrence of the word "readme". It searches for the exact occurrence of the word without taking parts or variations of the word into account. This means that the searched word must be present in the text as an independent and complete word in order to be recognized as a hit.	"readme"	name:="readme"	Finds: 'readme' or 'readme.txt' but NOT: 'readmes.txt', '123readme'
rea?me	Search for file names beginning with 'rea' and ending with 'me' and containing exactly one character in between.		name:=rea?me	Finds: 'readme', 'reasme', 'rea1me' but NOT: 'rea123me', 'readme.txt'
\readme	Search for files that contain the term "readme" anywhere in their path.	\readme	name:=\readme	Finds: "readme.txt" in any folder, "abc.doc" in "C:\temp\readme\local". but NOT: "abc.doc" in "C:\temp\local".