X (Twitter) Advanced Search: Every Operator and How to Use Them (2026)
The complete X (Twitter) advanced search reference for 2026: every operator, the web form, mobile workarounds, why search fails, X Pro columns and a copy-paste query library.
X search looks simple: type a word, get a wall of posts. That wall is mostly noise. The people you want (buyers asking for tools, creators who own your niche, customers complaining about a competitor) are in there, but the default search buries them under replies, spam and posts from 2019.
Advanced search fixes that. X supports a set of search operators you can type straight into the search bar, plus a form on the web that builds some of them for you. This guide lists every operator worth knowing in 2026, which ones X documents and which ones are community-tested, how to search on mobile, why searches fail, and a library of queries you can copy for common jobs.
Quick answer: Type operators directly into the X search bar. The core ones are "exact phrase", OR, -word, from:, to:, @handle, lang:, since: and until: (dates as YYYY-MM-DD). Add min_faves:, min_replies: or min_retweets: to filter by engagement and -filter:replies to show only original posts. On the web you can also use the Advanced Search form at x.com/search-advanced. Switch to the Latest tab when you need everything, not just what X ranks as Top.
How X search works in 2026
A few things shape every search you run:
- You need to be logged in. X's help center says advanced search is available when you're logged in to X.com.
- Top is ranked, Latest is chronological. X explains that Top results are chosen by an algorithm based on popularity, keywords and other factors, while Latest shows posts in time order. Top can hide the exact post you want.
- Safe search filters results. By default, search excludes potentially sensitive content and accounts you've muted or blocked, in both Top and Latest. You can change this in your search settings on x.com.
- Operators work in the search bar. You don't need the form. Anything the form does, you can type.
The complete X search operator list
X documents the basics in its help center (words, phrases, accounts, language, location and dates). The engagement, filter and ID operators below are not in X's help docs. They come from years of community testing, most thoroughly documented in igorbrigadir's advanced search reference on GitHub. They are widely used, but X can change unofficial operators without notice, so test a query before you build a workflow on it.
Words and phrases
| Operator | What it finds | Example |
|---|---|---|
word1 word2 | Posts containing both words, in any order (space means AND) | cold email |
"exact phrase" | The exact phrase. Also stops X from "correcting" your spelling | "cold email" |
OR | Either term. Must be uppercase | SaaS OR B2B |
-word | Excludes a word, phrase or operator | marketing -crypto |
( ) | Groups terms so OR works with other operators | (churn OR retention) SaaS |
#hashtag | A hashtag | #buildinpublic |
$cashtag | A stock or ticker symbol | $TSLA |
"a * b" | Wildcard inside a quoted phrase | "best * for founders" |
lang: | Posts X detected as a language (not always accurate) | lang:en |
Accounts
| Operator | What it finds | Example |
|---|---|---|
from: | Posts sent by an account | from:naval |
to: | Replies sent to an account | to:stripe |
@handle | Posts that mention an account | @stripe -from:stripe |
list: | Posts from members of a public List (use the List ID from its URL) | list:1234567890 |
filter:follows | Only accounts you follow | pricing filter:follows |
filter:verified / filter:blue_verified | Verified accounts (community-documented; results vary) | AI agents filter:blue_verified |
Dates
| Operator | What it finds | Example |
|---|---|---|
since: | On or after a date (inclusive) | since:2026-06-01 |
until: | Before a date (the date itself is excluded) | until:2026-07-01 |
since_time: / until_time: | Unix timestamps in seconds, for precise windows | since_time:1780000000 |
Engagement
| Operator | What it finds | Example |
|---|---|---|
min_faves: | At least this many likes | min_faves:500 |
min_retweets: | At least this many reposts | min_retweets:50 |
min_replies: | At least this many replies | min_replies:25 |
-min_faves: | At most this many likes (negated) | -min_faves:20 |
Post type and media
| Operator | What it finds |
|---|---|
filter:replies / -filter:replies | Only replies / only original posts |
filter:self_threads | Posts that are part of the author's own thread |
filter:quote | Quote posts |
filter:links / -filter:links | Posts with or without links (links include media) |
filter:media | Any media |
filter:images | Images |
filter:videos | Video |
filter:mentions | Posts that mention any account |
filter:hashtags | Posts with hashtags |
filter:safe | Excludes posts marked potentially sensitive |
URLs, conversations and quotes
| Operator | What it finds | Example |
|---|---|---|
url: | Posts linking to a domain or URL fragment. Replace hyphens with underscores | url:okara.ai |
conversation_id: | Every reply in one thread (use the original post's ID) | conversation_id:1900000000000000000 |
quoted_tweet_id: | Quote posts of one specific post | quoted_tweet_id:1900000000000000000 |
Location
| Operator | What it finds | Example |
|---|---|---|
near: | Posts with location data near a place | coffee near:"San Francisco" |
within: | Radius around near: | near:London within:15km |
X's help center still lists a location option in advanced search. In practice, very few posts carry location data, so near: returns a thin, incomplete slice. Use it for local events, not for research that needs full coverage.
How to use the Advanced Search form on the web
If you'd rather click than type:
- Search for anything on x.com.
- Click Advanced search under Search filters on the right of the results page, or open the "More options" menu and choose Advanced search. You can also go straight to x.com/search-advanced.
- Fill in the fields you need.
- Click Search.
X's help page describes these field groups:
| Section | Fields | Operator it writes |
|---|---|---|
| Words | All of these words, exact phrase, any of these words, none of these words, hashtags, language | spaces, " ", OR, -, #, lang: |
| Accounts | From, to (replies), mentioning | from:, to:, @ |
| Places | A location from the place dropdown | location filter |
| Dates | From and to dates | since:, until: |
The web form has also offered reply, link and minimum-engagement filters. If you don't see them, type -filter:replies or min_faves: straight into the search bar. The form writes a query string into the search box, so you can run it once, then edit the text and add operators the form doesn't cover.
How to use advanced search on mobile
The X app doesn't have the full form. Two workarounds:
- Type operators in the app's search box. Operators like
from:,since:andmin_faves:work when you type them into the Explore search bar. After searching, the filter icon lets you limit results to people you follow or (on iOS) to posts near you. - Use the web form in your phone's browser. Open x.com/search-advanced in Safari or Chrome while logged in, build the query, and run it.
Keep a note on your phone with your most-used queries so you can paste them in.
Why X search sometimes fails (and fixes)
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No results for a query that should work | A typo in an operator (space after the colon, lowercase or, wrong date format) | Use from:handle, uppercase OR, and dates as YYYY-MM-DD |
| The post you remember is missing | You're on the Top tab | Switch to Latest |
| Posts from a known account don't show | The account is protected, or you've muted or blocked it | Protected posts only appear to approved followers. Check your safe search settings |
| Sensitive posts are missing | Safe search is on | Turn off "Hide sensitive content" in search settings on x.com |
| Search stops working at an office or event | X rate-limits searches from a single network address | Try again later or switch networks. X confirms this limit |
| Date range misses the last day | until: excludes the date you give it | Set until: to the day after your end date |
| A domain search returns nothing | Hyphens in url: | Replace hyphens with underscores, e.g. url:t_mobile.com |
| Very long query returns nothing | Too many operators | The community reference notes a practical limit of around 22 operators. Split it into two searches |
| Searching "photo" returns only images | X treats some words as signals | Put the word in quotes: "photo" |
If your own posts seem to vanish from search and feeds, X's Under the Hood report (piloted from August 2026 for eligible accounts) shows whether any visibility-limiting labels have been applied to your account or posts.
How to save X searches
X's help center says saved searches work in the app: tap Explore, run your search, tap the overflow (three dots) icon at the top of the results and tap Save. Saved searches then appear when you tap the search box. To remove one, tap the search box and tap the X next to it.
The same page says saved searches are currently not available on x.com. On desktop, the workaround is to bookmark the results URL. A search URL looks like this, and f=live opens the Latest tab:
https://x.com/search?q=%22anyone%20recommend%22%20CRM%20-filter%3Areplies&f=live
Make a browser bookmark folder called "X searches" and you can run your daily set in a few clicks.
X Pro: search columns for power users
X Pro (formerly TweetDeck) lets you pin searches as columns and watch them side by side. According to X's Premium help page, X Pro access is included only in the Premium+ tier as of September 2026. It's desktop only; X says Pro needs a browser window larger than 500 by 500 pixels.
How to use it for search:
- Open X Pro and log in.
- Click Add column and choose Search.
- Paste your query, including operators.
- Repeat for each query, then drag columns into order. Group related columns into Decks (for example, "Leads" and "Brand mentions").
X Pro columns can also show Lists, profiles, notifications, bookmarks and scheduled posts. Premium+ also includes a feature X calls Radar Search, but X hasn't published enough detail on it for us to explain how it differs from standard search.
Copy-paste query library
Swap in your own topic, product and handles. Operators marked "community-documented" above can change, so check results the first time you run each one.
Find influencers in your niche
Posts on your topic that already get traction, original posts only, recent:
"customer onboarding" min_faves:200 -filter:replies lang:en since:2026-06-01
(churn OR retention) (SaaS OR B2B) min_replies:20 -filter:replies lang:en
"how we grew" (newsletter OR startup) min_faves:300 -filter:replies
Note which authors show up across several queries. For the full process, including how to vet engagement, read our guide on how to find X influencers.
Find leads with buying intent
"anyone recommend" (CRM OR "email tool") lang:en -filter:replies
"alternative to [competitor]" OR "[competitor] alternative" -from:[competitor]
("looking for" OR "need a") ("social media tool" OR scheduler) -filter:links lang:en
"just launched" (SaaS OR app) min_faves:10 lang:en since:2026-09-01
Use Latest for leads, because a reply two days late rarely lands. Our playbook on AI for Twitter lead generation covers how to score these posts and reply without breaking X's automation rules.
Track competitor mentions
(@competitor OR competitor OR url:competitor.com) -from:competitor
competitor (expensive OR slow OR "switching from" OR cancel OR refund)
url:competitor.com/pricing
Collect customer feedback about your product
(@yourbrand OR "your brand") -from:yourbrand -filter:links
(@yourbrand OR "your brand") (love OR hate OR bug OR "wish it" OR broken)
to:yourbrand -from:yourbrand
The last query shows every reply people send to your account, which is often where honest feedback lives.
Find viral posts in a niche
(AI OR LLM) agents min_faves:2000 -filter:replies lang:en since:2026-09-01
"cold email" min_retweets:100 -filter:replies
(founder OR startup) filter:videos min_faves:1000 since:2026-08-01
Sort by Top for this job. Study the first line of each post; that's usually what made it spread.
Find old posts from a specific account
By date range:
from:handle since:2021-03-01 until:2021-04-01
By keyword:
from:handle "pricing" until:2023-01-01
Only their original posts with images:
from:handle filter:images -filter:replies
Every reply in a thread you found:
conversation_id:1900000000000000000
Take the ID from the post's URL (the number after /status/).
Turn searches into a routine
Search is where you find opportunities. Acting on them daily is the hard part: replying, posting and following up. Two ways Okara can help with the posting and creator side:
- Okara's X Agent drafts at least 30 posts and threads a month based on your website and goals, and you can schedule or publish them to X from the dashboard. It's included in AI CMO Lite ($129/month, or $108/month billed annually).
- Okara's Influencer Agent, also in Lite, finds relevant X creators, handles outreach and tracks campaigns. Campaigns cost the Lite plan plus 10% of campaign spend, with no retainer.
Neither replaces search itself. You still run the queries above to find conversations worth joining, and you reply from your own account. For the bigger picture on growing on X, see X marketing for founders.
Common questions
Does X still have advanced search in 2026?
Yes. X's help center documents advanced search on x.com for logged-in users, and operators still work when typed into the search bar on web and in the app.
Do min_faves and min_retweets still work?
They are not in X's official help docs, but they are community-documented and widely used. Test them on a topic you know well before relying on them, and combine them with since: so results stay recent.
How do I search someone's old tweets on X?
Use from:handle with a date range, such as from:handle since:2020-01-01 until:2020-02-01, and switch to the Latest tab. Add a keyword in quotes to narrow it further.
Can I save searches on X?
In the app, yes: run a search, tap the three dots at the top of the results and tap Save. X says saved searches aren't currently available on x.com, so on desktop bookmark the search URL instead.
Is X Pro free?
No. According to X's Premium help page, X Pro access is part of the Premium+ tier.
Why does X search show old posts first?
You're on the Top tab, which ranks by relevance and popularity. Click Latest for a chronological view, or add since: with a recent date.