GitHub CLI: Search Code

Overview

Search for code across GitHub repositories using

gh search code

-w

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when searching code across GitHub:

• Searching for code patterns across multiple repositories
• Finding specific file types or filenames in repos/orgs
• Locating code by language or file size across GitHub
• Searching in specific repositories or organizations
• Need to exclude certain results (requires

  --

  flag)
• Need regex search (use

  -w

  to open in browser)

Syntax

gh search code <query> [flags]

Key Flags Reference

--extension <string>

--extension js

--filename <string>

--filename package.json

--language <string>

--language python

--owner <strings>

--owner microsoft

-R, --repo <strings>

--repo cli/cli

--size <string>

--size ">100"

--match <strings>

--match file

--match path

-L, --limit <int>

--limit 100

-w, --web

-w

--json <fields>

--json path,repository

JSON Output Fields

Available fields:

path

repository

sha

textMatches

url

Exclusion Syntax (Critical!)

When using inline query exclusions (negations with

-

--

✅ Correct:

gh search code -- "search-terms -qualifier:value"

gh search code "search-terms" --flag=-value

gh search code "search-terms" --flag=!value

gh search code "search-terms" --filename="!test"

Examples:

• gh search code -- "function -filename:test"

  (exclude files named "test")

• gh search code -- "import -language:javascript"

  (exclude language)

• gh search code -- "config -path:vendor"

  (exclude vendor directories)

• gh search code -- "TODO -extension:md"

  (exclude extension)

Why the

--

--

-qualifier:value

Understanding

-filename:

vs

-path:

Qualifiers

Critical Distinction: These qualifiers have different matching behaviors:

-filename:

test.js

utils_test.py

-path:

src/test/file.js

lib/testing/util.js

When to Use Each

Use

-filename:

• User says "exclude test files" → means files named with "test"
• Targeting files by their name pattern
• Examples:

  test.js

  ,

  config_test.py

  ,

  utils.test.ts

Use

-path:

• User says "exclude test directories" → means directories containing "test"
• Targeting files in specific directory paths
• Examples:

  tests/

  ,

  __test__/

  ,

  src/test/

  ,

  lib/testing/

Matching Examples

-filename:test

• test.js

  ✅

• utils_test.py

  ✅

• test_helper.rb

  ✅

• src/file.js

  ❌ (doesn't contain "test" in filename)

• tests/utils.js

  ❌ (filename is "utils.js", not "test")

-path:test

• tests/utils.js

  ✅ (path contains "test")

• src/test/file.js

  ✅ (path contains "test")

• lib/testing/helper.py

  ✅ (path contains "test")

• test.js

  ✅ (path includes filename)

• src/utils.js

  ❌ (path doesn't contain "test")

Practical Examples

Exclude files by name:

# User: "Find functions but NOT in test files"
gh search code -- "function -filename:test"
# Excludes: test.js, utils_test.py, config.test.ts
# Includes: tests/utils.js (filename is "utils.js", not "test")

Exclude directories:

# User: "Find config but NOT in test directories"
gh search code -- "config -path:test"
# Excludes: tests/config.js, src/test/config.py, __test__/setup.js
# Includes: config_test.js (not in test directory)

Combine both qualifiers:

# User: "Exclude both test files AND test directories"
gh search code -- "function -filename:test -path:test"
# Excludes: test.js, tests/utils.js, src/test/file.js, utils_test.py

Critical Syntax Rules

When to Use Flag Syntax vs Query Syntax

Decision Tree:

Does your search include:
  - Any exclusions (NOT, minus, without, except)?  → Use Query Syntax with `--`
  - Complex boolean logic (OR, AND)?              → Use Query Syntax with `--`

Otherwise:
  - Simple positive filters only?                  → Use Flag Syntax

Flag Syntax (for positive filters):

gh search code "import" --language python --extension py

Query Syntax with

--

gh search code -- "function -filename:test.js -language:javascript"

⚠️ NEVER mix both syntaxes in a single command!

1. Exclusions and Negations

CRITICAL: When excluding results, you MUST use query syntax with the

--

Exclusion Syntax Rules:

1. Use the

   --

   separator before your query
2. Use

   -qualifier:value

   format (dash prefix for negation)
3. Quote the entire query string

Examples:

Single exclusion:

# Exclude files named "test.js"
gh search code -- "function -filename:test.js"

# Exclude specific language
gh search code -- "import -language:javascript"

# Exclude vendor directories
gh search code -- "config -path:vendor"

Multiple exclusions:

# Exclude multiple filenames
gh search code -- "function -filename:test.js -filename:spec.js"

# Exclude language and test directories
gh search code -- "TODO -language:go -path:test"

# Exclude multiple languages
gh search code -- "class -language:java -language:kotlin"

Combine with positive filters using flags:

# Wrong - mixing syntaxes:
gh search code "function" --language python -filename:test  # ❌

# Correct - use query syntax for everything when excluding:
gh search code -- "function language:python -filename:test"  # ✅

PowerShell exclusions:

# Use --% to prevent PowerShell parsing
gh --% search code -- "function -filename:test.js"

Common Exclusion Patterns:

gh search code -- "function -filename:test"

-filename:

gh search code -- "function -path:test"

-path:

gh search code -- "import -language:javascript"

-language:

gh search code -- "config -path:vendor -path:node_modules"

-path:

gh search code -- "function -filename:test -filename:spec"

-filename:

gh search code -- "class -size:>500"

-size:

gh search code -- "TODO -extension:md -extension:txt"

-extension:

gh search code -- "api -path:examples -path:docs"

-path:

2. Quoting Rules

Multi-word search:

gh search code "error handling"

Complex queries with qualifiers:

gh search code "TODO in:file" --language javascript

3. Size Comparisons

Use quotes for comparison operators:

gh search code "import" --size ">50" --language python

Common Use Cases

Search for function patterns:

gh search code "async function" --language typescript

Find configuration files:

gh search code "database" --filename config.json --owner myorg

Search in specific repo:

gh search code "TODO" --repo owner/repo --language go

Exclude files named with "test":

gh search code -- "function -filename:test"

Exclude test directories:

gh search code -- "function -path:test"

Search by file size:

gh search code "import" --size "100..500" --language python

Use regex (via web):

# Open in browser for regex support
gh search code "function.*test" --language javascript -w
# Web UI allows: /function.*test/ or /class\s+\w+/

Build complex query, refine in web:

# Start with CLI filters, finish with regex in browser
gh search code --owner microsoft --language typescript -w

Common Mistakes

--extension="NOT js"

--language=-python

-- "-extension:js"

-- "-language:python"

gh search code import -language:js

-language

--

gh search code -- "import -language:js"

"function NOT language:js"

NOT

-

-- "function -language:js"

--language python "code -filename:test"

-- "code language:python -filename:test"

"error handling"

>

--size ">100"

-filename

--

--

-- "code -filename:test"

-w

gh search code "pattern" -w

--%

gh --%

Installation Check

If

gh

# Check if gh is installed
which gh

# If not installed, see: https://cli.github.com/manual/installation

If not authenticated:

# Authenticate with GitHub
gh auth login

Web Browser Flag (

-w/--web

)

Important workaround for advanced features:

The

-w/--web

Regex Search (Web Only)

# This opens in browser where you can use regex
gh search code "function.*test" --language javascript -w

# In the web UI, you can then modify to use regex syntax:
# /function.*test/ language:javascript

When to Use

-w

Use the web flag when you need:

• Regex patterns -

  /pattern/

  syntax for complex matching
• Advanced filters - Newer GitHub search features
• Visual browsing - Easier to explore results visually
• Better results - Web uses newer search engine

Combining CLI + Web

# Build query with CLI, open in web for regex
gh search code --language python --repo myorg/myrepo -w
# Then add regex pattern in web UI

Limitations (CLI API)

• Powered by legacy GitHub search engine
• Results may differ from github.com
• Regex search not available via CLI (use

  -w

  flag instead)
• Some advanced features may not work
• Workaround: Use

  -w/--web

  to access full GitHub search features

Related

• GitHub search syntax: https://docs.github.com/search-github/searching-on-github/searching-code
• For searching other resources:

  gh-search-issues

  ,

  gh-search-prs

  ,

  gh-search-repos

  ,

  gh-search-commits