---
name: "esearch"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "ncbi-entrez-direct"
version: "24.0.20250523+dfsg-1+b1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/esearch"
---

# esearch(1)

search an NCBI Entrez database

## NAME

esearch - search an NCBI Entrez database

## SYNOPSIS

**esearch** \[**-help**\] **-db** *name* **-query** *str* \[**-sort** *field*\] \[**-days** *N*\] \[**-datetype** *field*\] \[**-mindate** *date*\] \[**-maxdate** *date*\] \[**-spell**\] \[**-translate**\] \[**-component**\]

## DESCRIPTION

**esearch** searches an NCBI Entrez database for a given query.

## OPTIONS

### Query Specification

- **-db** *name*

  Entrez database name.

- **-query** *str*

  Query string.

### Document Order

- **-sort** *field*

  Sort results by the given field.

### Date Constraint

- **-days** *N*

  Return only results from the past *N* days.

- **-datetype** *field*

  Which date field (in abbreviated form) to consider.

- **-mindate** *date*

  Start of date range.

- **-maxdate** *date*

  End of date range.

### Spell Check

- **-spell**

  Correct misspellings in query.

### Query Translation

- **-translate**

  Show automatic term mapping.

- **-component**

  Individual term mapping items.

### Miscellaneous Arguments

- **-help**

  Print usage information.

## SEE ALSO

[**cit2pmid**(1)](/cit2pmid/1.md), [**combine-uid-lists**(1)](/combine-uid-lists/1.md), [**difference-uid-lists**(1)](/difference-uid-lists/1.md), [**ecollect**(1)](/ecollect/1.md), [**efetch**(1)](/efetch/1.md), [**efilter**(1)](/efilter/1.md), [**elink**(1)](/elink/1.md), [**exclude-uid-lists**(1)](/exclude-uid-lists/1.md), [**intersect-uid-lists**(1)](/intersect-uid-lists/1.md), [**nquire**(1)](/nquire/1.md), [**xfetch**(1)](/xfetch/1.md), [**xfilter**(1)](/xfilter/1.md), [**xlink**(1)](/xlink/1.md), [**xsearch**(1)](/xsearch/1.md).