Searching for messages
It's easy to find the right conversation with Zulip's powerful full-text search.
You can search for messages using keywords and filters via the search bar at the
top of the app. There is a convenient search filters reference
in the Zulip app that you can use whenever you need a reminder of the search
filters below.
Keyword search
Zulip lets you search messages and topics by keyword. For example:
new logo: Search for messages with both new and logo in the message or
its topic."new logo": Search for messages with the phrase "new logo" in the message
or its topic.
Some details to keep in mind:
- Keywords are case-insensitive, so
wave will also match Wave.
- Zulip will find messages containing similar keywords (keywords with the same
stem), so, e.g.,
wave will match waves and waving.
- Zulip search ignores very common words like
a, the, and about 100 others.
- Emoji in messages (but not emoji
reactions) are included in searches, so if you search
for
octopus, your results will include messages with the :octopus: emoji (
).
Search filters
Zulip also offers a wide array of search filters, which can be used on their
own, or in combination with keywords. For example:
stream:design: Navigate to #design.stream:design logo: Search for the keyword logo within #design.stream:design has:image new logo: Search for messages in #design that
include an image and contain the keywords new and logo. The keywords can
appear in the message itself or its topic.
As you start typing into the search box, Zulip will suggest search filters
you can use.
Search by location
Sometimes you know approximately where the message you are looking for was sent.
Zulip offers the following filters based on the location of the message.
stream:design: Search within the stream #design.stream:design topic:new+logo: Search within the topic "new logo" in
#design.is:dm: Search all your direct messages.dm:Bo Lin: Search 1-on-1 direct messages between you and Bo.dm:Bo Lin, Elena García: Search group direct messages
between you, Bo, and Elena.dm-including:Bo Lin: Search all direct message conversations
(1-on-1 and group) that include you and Bo, as well as any other users.streams:public: Search the history of all public
streams in the organization, including
streams you are not subscribed to; see details
below.
Search by sender
sender:Elena García: Search messages sent by Elena.sender:me: Search messages you've sent.
Search for attachments or links
has:link: Search messages that contain URLs.has:attachment: Search messages that contain an uploaded
file.has:image: Search messages that contain uploaded or linked images or videos.
You can also view all the files you
have uploaded or browse all the images and
videos in the current view.
Search your important messages
is:alerted: Search messages that contain your alert
words. Messages are
included in the search results based on the alerts you had configured when you
received the message.is:mentioned: Search messages where you were
mentioned.is:starred: Search your starred messages.
Search by message status
Search by message ID
Each message in Zulip has a unique ID, which is used for linking to a specific
message.
You can use the search bar to navigate to a message by its ID.
near:12345: Show messages around the message with ID 12345.id:12345: Show only message 12345.stream:design near:1 Show the oldest messages in the #design stream.
Exclude filters
All of Zulip's search filters can be negated to exclude messages matching
the specified rule. For example:
stream:design -is:resolved -has:image: Search messages in unresolved
topics in the #design stream that don't contain
images.
Searching shared history
Zulip's stream permissions model allows access to
the full history of public streams and private streams with shared history,
including messages sent before you joined the stream (or organization), or those
sent to public streams you are not subscribed to.
By default, Zulip searches messages in your history, i.e., the
messages you actually received. This avoids cluttering search results
with irrelevant messages from public streams you're not interested in.
If you'd like to instead search the organization's shared history, any query
using the stream: or streams: filters will search all messages that you have
access to in the selected stream(s). For example:
streams:public logo: Search for logo in all public streams in the
organization.streams:public sender:Elena García: Search for all messages sent by
Elena to any public stream.stream:design logo: Search for the word logo in all messages sent to
#design, regardless of whether you were subscribed at the time the message
was sent.
Linking to search results
When you search Zulip, the URL shown in the address bar of the Zulip web app is a
permanent link to your search. You can share this link with others, and they
will see their own search results for your query.
Search filters reference
A summary of the search filters above is available in the Zulip app.
-
Click on the Help menu () icon
in the upper right corner of the app.
-
Select Search filters.
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