Wiki_QA_PREVIEW__@@

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## Search

   
{{ :wiki:search-box.png?300|}}

A search can be started from any page, using the Search box in upper right of each page.

### Syntax

DokuWiki's default search is a "logical `AND`" search — that is, _all the words_ you put in the query will be used.

Search is always case insensitive.

All of the syntaxes can be combined together.

In this section, we'll use square brackets ''\[ ... \]'' to represent characters entered in the query.

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### Phrase search ("")

You can search for exact phrases by putting double quotes around a set of words, e.g. ''\[ "Cornell Law Review" \]''. 

{{:wiki:searchsample\_1.jpg?400|}}

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### Excluding Terms (-)

To exclude pages, from a search, which contain a specific word or phrase, then attach a minus sign ''-'' immediately before the excluded word/phrase.

For example, [searching](https://wikipreview.qacos.com/doku.php?do=search&id=wiki%3Asearch&sf=1&q=%22Cornell+Law+Review%22) for ''\[ "Cornell Law Review" \]''

*   will find the 3 pages —

those which contain "Cornell Law Review":

*   briefing\_book\_pdf\_files\_4014
*   problems\_with\_the\_testimony\_of\_robert\_brown\_pdf\_files\_16269
*   problems\_in\_the\_testimony\_of\_robert\_brown\_txt\_pages\_19389

But, [searching](https://wikipreview.qacos.com/doku.php?do=search&id=wiki%3Asearch&sf=1&q=%22Cornell+Law+Review%22+-Humbertson) for ''\[ "Cornell Law Review" -Humbertson \]''

{{:wiki:cornell-humbertson.jpg?500|}}

*   will find only the 2 pages —

those which contain "Cornell Law Review" but do _not_ contain "Humbertson":

*   briefing\_book\_pdf\_files\_4014
*   problems\_with\_the\_testimony\_of\_robert\_brown\_pdf\_files\_16269

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### Partial matching (\*)

To search for words for which you want the root word, plus any variation with suffixes (-ed, -ing, etc.), by using _Partial Matching_.

Add a prefix and/or suffix of an asterisk ''**\***'' to a search word.

For example, searching for ''\[ [onboard](https://wikipreview.qacos.com/doku.php?do=search&id=start&sf=1&q=onboard) \]''

*   will only find "onboard".

but [searching](https://wikipreview.qacos.com/doku.php?do=search&id=start&sf=1&q=onboard*) for ''\[ onboard\* \]''

*   will also find "onboard, onboarding, onboarded".

**Extending the example:**

Searching for ''\[ [onboard](https://wikipreview.qacos.com/doku.php?do=search&id=start&sf=1&q=onboard) \]'' results in these top search results:

*   8 Hits: energy\_independence\_charter\_pdf\_files\_15840
*   8 Hits: texas\_cos\_energy\_independence\_coalition\_eic\_txt\_pages\_15296
*   7 Hits: texas\_election\_action\_coalition\_charter\_docx\_files\_14865

          (where "# hits" in the search results means number of times word appeared in document);

while searching for ''\[ onboard\* \]'' results in a different set of top 3 search results — and a larger number of "hits" within each document:

*   64 Hits: leaders\_onboarding\_guide\_pdf\_files\_22275
*   19 Hits: lmt\_applicant\_processing\_pdf\_files\_8219
*   17 Hits: texas\_election\_action\_coalition\_charter\_docx\_files\_14865

You can also perform ''\[ doku**\*** \]'' (prefix matching) and \[\*okuwik\*\] (partial matching).
.  
Note that ''**\***'' is not a "wildcard". You can't use it _inside_ of a word. For example, searching ''\[ doku\*iki \]'' will not find anything for you.
### The OR operator (|)

By default, DokuWiki searches for _all_ the words in your search, but you can also search for _any_ of your search terms. (This is called a logical OR search.)

"OR" searching is done by including ''|'' or ''or'' as a separator between your search terms.

For example, the query ''\[ event | show \]'' will find pages which contain either "event" or "show" or both.

The query ''\[ event _or_ show \]'' will do the same thing.

#### Examples:

Suppose we are looking for volunteer Mary Magathan and Representative Duane Droge (both of Kansas)

A search using the default "and" search of the two last names, `[ Droge magathan ]` , brings up only one result.

{{:wiki:search\_droge\_magathan.jpg?300|}}

*   mary\_magathan\_s\_district\_page\_txt\_pages\_20882

A search using an "or" search, `[ Droge | magathan ]`, returns six results.

{{:wiki:search\_droge\_or\_magathan.jpg?300|}}

*   mary\_magathan\_s\_district\_page\_txt\_pages\_20882
*   mary\_magathan\_is\_convention\_of\_states\_txt\_blogposts\_28290
*   kansas\_district\_13\_txt\_pages\_16778
*   2024\_general\_election\_candidate\_list\_txt\_pages\_25882
*   april\_2025\_newsletter\_txt\_blogposts\_29033
*   cos\_gains\_support\_from\_kansans\_for\_constitutional\_integrity\_txt\_blogposts\_19416

You can make use of OR as a way to find search terms with _spelling variations_, for example ''\[ capitol | capital \]'', or, ''\[ state capitol | state capital \]''.

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The OR operator has a lower 'precedence' than the default AND operator.

That is, the query

''\[ gun show | event \]''

is the same as

''\[ (gun show) | event \]''.

  
But, if you needed to search for (gun show) or for (gun event), you could _not_ write it as ''\[ gun (show | event) \]''.

Instead, use a _grouping search_ — as described below.
### Grouping search

You can group search terms by enclosing terms with parentheses ''( ... )''. Having the highest precedence, parentheses may be used to force precedence.

For example, let's say we want to find Robert Cahaly mentioned, but not in the context of John Birch Society _nor_ in the context of Georgia. 

The query would be ''\[ Cahaly -(JBS | Georgia) \]'', and it will find pages which do contain the word "Cahaly" but not contain the word "JBS" and also not contain the word "Georgia".