Windows Search query builder

File Explorer's search box understands a hidden query language — datemodified:today, *.pptx, size:large — but nobody remembers the exact spelling. Pick what you're looking for below and copy a query that works, along with the same search for Everything and PowerShell.

Ready-made queries

The searches people run most, ready to paste into File Explorer's search box. The Everything column is the same search in Everything, which answers instantly across every drive.

By file type and day

Any file, by date

Need something the tables don't cover? Use the builder above — every combination of date, type, size and text is supported.

What each operator does

• datemodified: — when the file's contents were last saved. The one you want nine times out of ten. modified: works too.
• datecreated: — when this copy of the file arrived on this disk. Downloads and copied files show today's date here even if they were written years ago.
• dateaccessed: — when the file was last opened. Unreliable: Windows often skips updating it to save disk writes.
• *.pptx — a filename wildcard: any name ending in .pptx. ext:.pptx does the same job.
• kind: — a family of formats: kind:document, kind:picture, kind:video, kind:music. Handy when you don't know the exact extension.
• size: — either a named bucket (empty 0 KB, tiny up to 16 KB, small 16 KB–1 MB, medium 1–128 MB, large 128 MB–1 GB, huge 1–4 GB, gigantic over 4 GB) or a comparison like size:>10MB.
• content: — words inside the file. Put phrases in quotes: content:"quarterly budget". Fast in indexed folders, slow everywhere else.
• >=, < and .. — comparisons and ranges for dates and sizes: datemodified:>=8/30/2026, datemodified:8/1/2026..8/31/2026.

Separate operators with a space and Windows joins them with an implicit AND; order doesn't matter. For OR, NOT and the rest of the language, see our Windows Search syntax cheat sheet.

Why doesn't my query work?

• A space after the colon. datemodified: today is read as an empty filter plus the word "today". Write datemodified:today with no gap. (The space inside this week is fine — it belongs to the value.)
• The date is in the wrong order. Explorer reads typed dates using your Windows region setting. 8/30/2026 works on a US PC; on a UK or European PC you need 30/8/2026, and 8/30/2026 either fails or matches nothing. The builder's Your date order option switches between the two.
• You're searching somewhere that isn't indexed. Outside indexed locations (by default your user folders), Explorer opens every file one by one, so a search of This PC or a network drive can crawl. Search the folder you actually saved into, add the location to the index, or use Everything — our slow search fixes cover the details.
• Windows isn't in English. On some non-English installations the operator names are localised, so the English keywords may not be recognised. If a query is ignored, build it with the Search options menu in Explorer once, then look at what Windows types into the box for you — that's the spelling your system expects.
• yesterday means the calendar day. It's not "the last 24 hours". A file saved before and after midnight only matches today. When in doubt, use this week and sort by date.

FAQ