Command line and power tools

A search syntax worth learning

Updated 2026-07-31 · 4 min read

Five operators cover almost every file search anyone actually performs. They take about two minutes to learn and save time daily.

The five that matter

Operator	Means	Example
ext:	File type	ext:pdf
size:	Bigger or smaller than	size:>100mb
dm:	Date modified	dm:today, dm:<7d
path:	Must be in this folder	path:Downloads
!	Exclude	!cache

They compose. invoice ext:pdf dm:<30d means an invoice PDF from the last month, and that is a genuinely common question expressed in eight words.

Boolean terms

• Two words means both — tax 2024 finds files matching each
• | means either — invoice | receipt
• ! means not — photo !screenshot
• "quoted text" means exactly that phrase, no fuzzy matching
• /regex/ for the cases where nothing else will do

Why operators beat filter menus

A filter row in a dialog takes four clicks and cannot be saved as text. A query is one line, can be edited mid-thought, and can be shared or bookmarked. Once you know five operators the dialog is strictly slower.

The same ideas elsewhere

• Finder — the criteria rows behind the + button express the same logic
• mdfind — kMDItemFSSize > 104857600 is the verbose form of size:>100mb
• find — -size +100M -mtime -30

The concepts transfer; only the spelling changes.

Discoverability is the real problem

Nobody types an operator they were never taught. This is why a search box that suggests ext: values from the files you actually have — rather than requiring you to know the syntax first — is worth more than a larger operator list nobody uses.

Common questions

Do search operators work in Spotlight?

Spotlight accepts kind: and date: and a few others. Finder's criteria rows are more capable than the menu bar search.

What is the difference between AND and OR in file search?

AND narrows — both terms must match. OR widens — either will do. Most tools default to AND for multiple words.