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title: "Search Syntax"
canonical: "https://support.soutron.net/space/HG/3279469/Search%20Syntax"
format: markdown
---
Soutron provides a comprehensive search across the the application. This can be performed in the Search Portal, in the OPAC or using the API (Application Program Interface)
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# Boolean operators
To search within a single field or in the All Fields Search and/or other specific fields in [Advanced Search](https://soutron.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/HG/pages/3279409), Boolean operators AND, OR, NOT can be applied.
> ⚠️ As of Version 4.0.1 the AND, OR and NOT operators are case-sensitive and must be entered as upper-case. If lower-case, they are treated as part of the search phrase.
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| **AND operator** | use the word **AND **followed by a space or use the & symbol to narrow down a set of results
For example, to find records containing both of the words Concorde and Supersonic, enter either:
- **Concorde AND Supersonic**
- **Concorde Supersonic**
- **Concorde & Supersonic**
All of the above will return the same number of results. |
| **OR operator** | use the word **OR** between words to increase the number of results that might be returned
For example, to find records containing either the word Concorde or the word Supersonic, enter:
- **Concorde OR Supersonic** |
| **NOT operator** | use the word **NOT** between words.
For example, to find records containing the word Concorde but not the word Supersonic, enter:
- **Concorde NOT Supersonic** |
To use Boolean operators across fields, select AND, OR or NOT from the drop-down lists next to the appropriate fields. Note that this is only available in [Advanced Search](https://soutron.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/HG/pages/3279409).
# Other search syntax
The following additional search methods are also available:
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| **Wild card / truncation** | The truncation / wild card symbol is the exclamation mark.
For example, to search for all variants of Market enter **Market!**
As of 4.1.5 Phrase search now supports truncation. Such as "Search Warrant!" |
| **Character replace** | If you are not sure of the spelling of a word or want to find similar words use an asterisk * within a word.
For example, to search for both Organisation and Organization enter **Organi*ation** |
| **Phrase search** | To search for an exact phrase, surround search words with double quotes.
For example, to search for Supersonic Transport as a phrase i.e. where the words appear together, enter **"Supersonic Transport"** |
| **Combination search** | Combine Phrase and Boolean searches. For example, to search for the phrase "Supersonic Transport" and for records where the word Concorde appears, enter the search in any of the following formats:
- **"Supersonic Transport" AND Concorde**
- **"Supersonic Transport" Concorde**
- **"Supersonic Transport" & Concorde** |
| **Exact Search** | This operator finds an exact match only, use the equals sign, for example:
- **="insurance law"** |