Google is the most powerful tool in the world if you know how to use it properly. Let me show you how to get better at Googling.
1. Use Quotes for Exact-Match Search
You can use quotes to force an exact-match search. This is super useful if you know exactly the search phrase you're looking for. You'll simply get more accurate results if you do this.
"what is javascript"
2. Use the AND Operator
The AND operator will return only results related to both terms. In the example bellow you can see the perfect use-case of this operator.
html AND css
3. Use the OR Operator
You can use the OR operator to get results related to one of the search terms you enter.
(javascript OR python) free course
4. Use the - (minus) Operator
The - operator will exclude results that contain a term or phrase. So, in our case we want to get JavaScript related results, but exclude any CSS results from them.
javascript -css
5. Use (*) wildcards as placeholders
You can use the (*) wildcards as placeholders, which will be replaced by any word or phrase.
This one is my favorite. I use it when I know almost the whole search phrase and just replace the part I don't know with asterisk. Super useful.
"how to start * in 6 months"
6. How to Search Inside a Single Website
This is another one I use frequently. If I'm searching for something in particular on a specific website, this is my approach.
site:freecodecamp.org
7. How to Find a Specific File Type
You can also use this very useful feature to help you find a specific file type. It's handy if you're looking for some materials like PDFs. If you haven't used it before, from now on you will.
filetype:pdf learn css
8. How to Search for a Range of Numbers
This can be anything at all. If you're looking to buy something that falls within a specific price range, or you're searching for results that include a specific range of years, this is for you.
ecmascript 2016..2018
9. Use the before Operator
Use the before operator to return only results before a given date.
You must provide year-month-day dates or only a year. For example:
javascript before:2020
10. Use the after Operator
Use the after operator to return only results after a given date. You must provide year-month-day dates or only a year. Super useful if you want exclude outdated results.
web development after:2020
As you can see, Google can be a powerful tool if you know how to use it properly.
If you have any questions, you can contact me on Twitter.
You can find a ton of real-life tips and resources on my blog.