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OSINT Search Query Builder

Prepare focused public-web searches without submitting them.

Enter a phrase without quotation marks.

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Try an example: Prepare focused queries · Phrase only

More about this tool

How it works

Create exact-phrase, PDF and optional domain-restricted search queries from a phrase and optional exclusion.

  • Wrap the phrase in quotation marks and optionally add a quoted exclusion.
  • Produce exact phrase and filetype:pdf variations; add a site: query when a hostname is supplied.

Search engines differ in operator support and indexing. Results may be incomplete or stale; a query is a lead, not verification. Submitting a query to an external service reveals it to that service.

Part of OBSCURIQ

How to use the OSINT Search Query Builder

Prepare focused search queries without sending them to a search engine.

What it is for

Use a phrase to prepare several public-web search queries. The builder produces a quoted phrase query and a PDF variation, with an optional query restricted to a hostname. An optional excluded phrase is included in each query. It prepares text only and does not perform a search.

Worked example

Enter Project Atlas, hostname example.org, and exclusion advertising. The domain query becomes "Project Atlas" -"advertising" site:example.org; the PDF variation ends in filetype:pdf. Copy a query into a search service if you decide to run it.

How to read the result

Each row labels a different query and shows the exact text prepared for it. The subject and exclusion are quoted phrases, and the exclusion is preceded by a minus sign. A domain-restricted row appears only when you provide a hostname. Hostnames are validated as ASCII labels and converted to lowercase.

Tips and common mistakes

  • Search engines can interpret operators differently. Indexes are incomplete and may be stale, so a missing result is not proof of absence.
  • Do not put quotation marks or control characters in phrases; the tool supplies the quotation marks.
  • Enter a hostname such as example.org, not a full URL or path.
  • Consider what a search provider will receive before pasting a sensitive query.

FAQ

Start with a distinctive phrase from a public source, then compare the general query with the domain and PDF variations. Try different spellings and related terms separately. Search syntax is a way to narrow a large index; it does not replace reading the original material. Keep a record of which provider and query produced a result so that the research can be repeated and evaluated later.

Does the tool query the web?

No. It creates text for you to review. If you choose to paste it into a search engine, that separate service receives the query.

Does site restriction prove the source owns the content?

No. It narrows the search according to the provider's behavior. Verify the page, source, date and context independently.

Why might the PDF or domain query return unexpected results?

Providers differ in how they support operators, and some results can reflect outdated indexing. Try alternative wording, inspect results carefully and record the source used.

Guide last updated:

For scripts and AI agents

  • JSON API: POST https://obscuriqsearchquerybuilder.usefulweb.app/api/v1/calculate (same calculation as this page)
  • Interface description: OpenAPI 3.1 · AI guide: llms.txt
  • MCP server (Streamable HTTP): https://obscuriqsearchquerybuilder.usefulweb.app/mcp · tool name obscuriq_search_query_builder
Example request
curl -s -X POST https://obscuriqsearchquerybuilder.usefulweb.app/api/v1/calculate \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{"subject":"example research project","domain":"example.org","exclude":"advertisement"}'
Feedback · ideas & bug reports welcome