GitHub Search
Quick Commands
| Goal | Command |
|---|---|
| Search repos | gh search repos "<query>" --limit 30 |
| Search code | gh search code "<query>" --limit 30 |
| Search issues | gh search issues "<query>" --limit 30 |
| Search PRs | gh search prs "<query>" --limit 30 |
Patterns
Finding Repositories
When you see: User wants to find projects/repos by criteria
Use: gh search repos
bash1# Basic search with stars 2gh search repos "stars:>500 language:rust" --sort=stars --limit=50 3 4# Multiple languages (OR logic) 5gh search repos "language:rust language:go language:typescript" 6 7# Exclude topics 8gh search repos "stars:>1000 -topic:cryptocurrency -topic:blockchain" 9 10# By topic 11gh search repos "topic:cli topic:terminal stars:>100" 12 13# Recently updated 14gh search repos "language:python pushed:>2024-01-01"
Output formats:
bash1--json name,url,description,stargazersCount # JSON output 2--web # Open in browser
Finding Code Examples
When you see: User wants to know how to use a library
Use: gh search code
bash1# Find usage patterns 2gh search code "from zod import" --limit=20 3gh search code "import { z } from 'zod'" --limit=20 4 5# In specific file types 6gh search code "useQuery" extension:tsx --limit=30 7 8# In specific paths 9gh search code "tanstack/query" path:src/ extension:ts 10 11# Exact phrase 12gh search code '"createTRPCRouter"' extension:ts
Pro tip: Combine with repo filter for focused results:
bash1gh search code "pattern" repo:owner/repo
Finding Issues/Discussions
When you see: User looking for bug reports, feature requests, or discussions
Use: gh search issues or gh search prs
bash1# Open issues with label 2gh search issues "is:open label:bug repo:facebook/react" 3 4# PRs by author 5gh search prs "author:username is:merged" 6 7# Issues mentioning error 8gh search issues '"connection refused" language:go'
Query Qualifiers Reference
Repo Search
| Qualifier | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
stars: | stars:>1000, stars:100..500 | Star count |
forks: | forks:>100 | Fork count |
language: | language:rust | Primary language |
topic: | topic:cli | Repository topic |
-topic: | -topic:blockchain | Exclude topic |
pushed: | pushed:>2024-01-01 | Last push date |
created: | created:>2023-01-01 | Creation date |
license: | license:mit | License type |
archived: | archived:false | Archive status |
is: | is:public, is:private | Visibility |
Code Search
| Qualifier | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
extension: | extension:ts | File extension |
path: | path:src/ | File path |
repo: | repo:owner/name | Specific repo |
language: | language:javascript | Code language |
filename: | filename:package.json | File name |
Common Flags
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--limit N | Number of results (max 1000) |
--sort X | Sort by: stars, forks, updated, best-match |
--order X | asc or desc |
--json FIELDS | JSON output with specific fields |
--web | Open results in browser |
Common Use Cases
"Find popular X repos"
bash1gh search repos "language:X stars:>500" --sort=stars --limit=50
"How do people use library Y"
bash1gh search code "import Y" extension:ts --limit=30 2gh search code "from Y import" extension:py --limit=30
"Find repos like Z but exclude crypto"
bash1gh search repos "topic:Z -topic:cryptocurrency -topic:blockchain -topic:web3"
"Find recent active projects"
bash1gh search repos "language:go pushed:>2024-06-01 stars:>100" --sort=updated
Tips
- Quote the query when it contains special chars:
gh search repos "stars:>500" - Multiple languages = OR:
language:rust language:gomatches either - Use
--jsonfor scripting:--json name,url,stargazersCount - Date ranges:
pushed:2024-01-01..2024-06-01 - Numeric ranges:
stars:100..500
