gh-search

Search for code containing specific keywords

$ gh search code [keyword1 keyword2 ...]

$ gh search issues "[search_phrase]"

$ gh search commits --author [username]

$ gh search prs --assignee @me --state open

$ gh search repos --owner [org_name] --topic [topic_name]

$ gh search issues -- "[search_query] -label:[label_name]"

$ gh --% search issues -- "[search_query] -label:[label_name]"

$ gh search [subcommand] [[-w|--web]] [query]

gh search <type> [flags]
where <type> is code, issues, repos, or users.

--author string
    Author of the code, issue, PR, or commit

--assignee string
    Assignee of the issue or PR

--base string
    Base branch of the PR

--current-repo
    Only search in the current repository

--filename string
    Filename for code search

--head string
    Head branch of the PR

--include-forks
    Include forks in repository search

--jq string
    Filter JSON output using a jq expression

--json strings
    Output JSON with the specified fields

--label strings
    Label of the issue or PR

--language string
    Language of the repository or code

--limit int
    Maximum number of items to fetch (default 30)

--match TITLE|DESCRIPTION|TEXT
    Fields to match in (repeatable, default TITLE,DESCRIPTION)

--milestone int
    Milestone number of the issue or PR

--order string
    Order of results: asc, desc (default desc)

--org stringArray
    Organizations to narrow the search

--owner string
    Owner of the repo or author of the code

--path string
    Path for code search

--repo string
    Repository to search within

--size string
    Size of the repository

--sort string
    Sort field: bestmatch, stars, forks, help-wanted-issues, updated (default bestmatch)

--state string
    State of issue/PR: open, closed, all (default open)

--stars string
    Number of stars of the repository

--template string
    Format JSON output using a Go template

--topic stringArray
    Topics of the repository

--updated string
    Updated time of the repository or code

The gh search command is part of the GitHub CLI toolset, enabling powerful searches across GitHub's vast ecosystem directly from the terminal. It supports querying for code, repositories, issues (including pull requests), and users using GitHub's advanced search syntax combined with dedicated flags.

This tool leverages GitHub's Search API, allowing users to filter results by owner, language, labels, stars, updated dates, and more. For instance, developers can find specific code snippets, open issues with certain labels, popular repos by topic, or users by name. Results can be output in human-readable format, JSON for scripting, or custom templates.

Authentication via gh auth login is required for full access. It's ideal for CI/CD pipelines, quick lookups, or integrating into shell scripts. Unlike web searches, it provides structured, paginated output with precise control over sorting and limits, making it efficient for power users.

Requires GitHub authentication (gh auth login). Subject to GitHub API rate limits (30 results default). Search syntax must follow GitHub conventions; complex queries may need URL-encoding in scripts.

code: Search code snippets.
issues: Issues and PRs.
repos: Repositories.
users: GitHub users.

gh search code --owner cli/cli hello
gh search issues --repo owner/repo label:bug
gh search repos topic:rust --limit 10 --json url,name

Introduced in GitHub CLI v0.6.0 (April 2020) as part of initial release features. Expanded in later versions (e.g., v2.0+) to include users type and enhanced flags. Actively maintained alongside CLI updates for new API capabilities.

gh(1), gh issue(1), gh repo(1), git grep(1)