---
name: "gh-search"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "github-cli"
version: "2.102.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/gh-search"
---

# gh-search(1)

Search for repositories, issues, and pull requests

## NAME

gh-search - Search for repositories, issues, and pull requests

## SYNOPSIS

**gh search \<command\> \[flags\]**

## DESCRIPTION

Search across all of GitHub.

Excluding search results that match a qualifier

In a browser, the GitHub search syntax supports excluding results that match a search qualifier by prefixing the qualifier with a hyphen. For example, to search for issues that do not have the label "bug", you would use **-label:bug** as a search qualifier.

**gh** supports this syntax in **gh search** as well, but it requires extra command line arguments to avoid the hyphen being interpreted as a command line flag because it begins with a hyphen.

On Unix-like systems, you can use the **--** argument to indicate that the arguments that follow are not a flag, but rather a query string. For example:

$ gh search issues -- "my-search-query -label:bug"

On PowerShell, you must use both the **--%** argument and the **--** argument to produce the same effect. For example:

$ gh --% search issues -- "my search query -label:bug"

See the following for more information: - GitHub search syntax:  ⟨https://docs.github.com/en/search-github/getting-started-with-searching-on-github/understanding-the-search-syntax#exclude-results-that-match-a-qualifier⟩ - The PowerShell stop parse flag **--%**:  ⟨https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about\_parsing?view=powershell-7.5#the-stop-parsing-token⟩ - The Unix-like **--** argument:  ⟨https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/bash.html#Shell-Builtin-Commands-1⟩

## AVAILABLE COMMANDS

- **[gh-search-code(1)](/gh-search-code/1.md)**

  Search within code

- **[gh-search-commits(1)](/gh-search-commits/1.md)**

  Search for commits

- **[gh-search-issues(1)](/gh-search-issues/1.md)**

  Search for issues

- **[gh-search-prs(1)](/gh-search-prs/1.md)**

  Search for pull requests

- **[gh-search-repos(1)](/gh-search-repos/1.md)**

  Search for repositories

## EXIT CODES

0: Successful execution

1: Error

2: Command canceled

4: Authentication required

NOTE: Specific commands may have additional exit codes. Refer to the command's help for more information.

## SEE ALSO

**[gh(1)](/gh/1.md)**