Search Strings Cheat Sheet
Every Pokemon GO Search Operator in One Place
Pokemon GO's in-game search bar is incredibly powerful — if you know the right keywords. This is the complete reference for every search operator, boolean trick, and filter combination.
Search Basics
- The search bar is case-insensitive —
Fireandfirework the same. - Partial name matching — typing
charmatches Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard. - Searches filter your Pokemon list in real-time. Only matching Pokemon are shown.
- Parentheses are NOT supported. The search bar ignores
(and).
Boolean Operators
| Operator | Symbol | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| AND | & | Both conditions must match | shiny&3* — shiny Pokemon with 3-star IVs |
| OR | , or ; | Either condition matches | fire,water — Fire-type OR Water-type |
| NOT | ! | Exclude the following term | !legendary — not legendary |
Operator Precedence
& (AND) binds tighter than , (OR). So:
Is interpreted as: (fire AND 3*) OR (water AND 4*)
The ! (NOT) operator applies only to the immediately following term:
Means: (NOT fire) AND water — not "NOT (fire AND water)"
Pokemon Identity Filters
| Filter | Syntax | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | <name> | char | Partial match on species name or nickname |
| Family | +<name> | +bulbasaur | Entire evolutionary family (Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur) |
| Dex Number | <number> | 25 | Exact Pokedex number (25 = Pikachu) |
| Dex Range | <n1>-<n2> | 1-151 | All Kanto Pokemon (dex 1 through 151) |
| Type | <type> | fire | All Fire-type Pokemon (primary or secondary) |
| Region | <region> | kanto | Pokemon from a specific region |
Available regions: kanto, johto, hoenn, sinnoh, unova, kalos, alola, galar, hisui, paldea
IV and Stat Filters
| Filter | Syntax | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Star rating | 0* – 4* | 4* | Appraisal star tier (4* = perfect 15/15/15) |
| Attack IV | <n>attack or <n1>-<n2>attack | 0-1attack | Attack IV on 0–4 scale (0=0, 1=1-5, 2=6-10, 3=11-14, 4=15) |
| Defense IV | <n>defense or <n1>-<n2>defense | 3-4defense | Defense IV on 0–4 scale (0=0, 1=1-5, 2=6-10, 3=11-14, 4=15) |
| HP IV | <n>hp or <n1>-<n2>hp | 3-4hp | Stamina/HP IV on 0–4 scale (0=0, 1=1-5, 2=6-10, 3=11-14, 4=15) |
| CP | cp<n> or cp<n1>-<n2> | cp1500- | Combat Power (trailing - = "or higher") |
cp1500- = CP 1500+. A leading hyphen means "or lower": cp-2500 = CP 2500 or below. Both endpoints = between: cp1500-2500.
Move Filters
| Filter | Syntax | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move by name | @<movename> | @return | Pokemon knowing a specific move |
| Move by type | @<type> | @water | Pokemon with any move of that type |
| Has 2nd move | @3move | @3move | Pokemon with an unlocked 2nd charged move |
| No 2nd move | !@3move | !@3move | Pokemon without a 2nd charged move |
| Legacy/Special | @special | @special | Legacy or event-exclusive moves (Community Day, etc.) |
| Frustration | @frustration | @frustration | Shadow Pokemon that still have Frustration |
| Return | @return | @return | Purified Pokemon with Return |
| Weather-boosted | @weather | @weather | Moves boosted by current in-game weather |
Status and Category Keywords
| Keyword | Description |
|---|---|
shiny | Shiny Pokemon |
lucky | Lucky Pokemon (from lucky trades) |
shadow | Shadow Pokemon (from Team Rocket) |
purified | Purified Pokemon |
legendary | Legendary Pokemon |
mythical | Mythical Pokemon |
ultrabeast | Ultra Beast Pokemon |
costume | Costumed/event Pokemon |
traded | Pokemon received via trade |
hatched | Pokemon hatched from eggs |
defender | Currently defending a gym |
favorite | Marked as favorite (heart icon) |
male / female | Filter by gender |
genderunknown | Genderless Pokemon |
Evolution and Transformation Filters
| Keyword | Description |
|---|---|
evolve | Pokemon you can evolve right now (enough candy + items) |
evolvenew | Pokemon whose evolution = new Pokedex entry |
item | Pokemon that require an evolution item |
tradeevolve | Pokemon eligible for free evolution after being traded |
megaevolve | Pokemon with enough Mega Energy to Mega Evolve now |
dynamax | Dynamax-capable Pokemon |
gigantamax | Gigantamax Pokemon |
fusion | Fused Pokemon (Kyurem/Necrozma fusions) |
Mega Evolution Levels
| Keyword | Description |
|---|---|
mega1 | Mega Level 1 (Base) |
mega2 | Mega Level 2 (High) |
mega3 | Mega Level 3 (Max) |
Tag Filters
| Syntax | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
#<tagname> | Pokemon with a specific tag | #pvp |
# | All tagged Pokemon | # |
!# | All untagged Pokemon | !# |
Other Useful Filters
Buddy Level
| Keyword | Buddy Level | Hearts Needed |
|---|---|---|
buddy0 | Never been a buddy | 0 |
buddy1 | Good Buddy | 1 |
buddy2 | Great Buddy | 70 |
buddy3 | Ultra Buddy | 150 |
buddy4 | Best Buddy | 300 |
Size, Age, and Catch Filters
| Filter | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
xxs, xs, xl, xxl | xxl | Size categories |
age<n> | age0-7 | Days since catch (age0 = today) |
distance<n>- | distance100- | Caught 100+ km away |
<YYYY> | 2024 | Caught in a specific year |
eggsonly | eggsonly | Species only obtainable from eggs |
raid | raid | Caught from a raid |
gbl | gbl | Caught from GO Battle League rewards |
Useful Search Recipes
Combine operators for powerful filters:
| Goal | Search String |
|---|---|
| All hundos (perfect IVs) | 4* |
| Nundos (0/0/0) | 0*&0attack&0defense&0hp |
| PvP IV candidates (Great/Ultra) | 0-1attack&3-4defense&3-4hp |
| Shiny 3-star or better | shiny&3*,shiny&4* |
| Lucky Pokemon worth powering up | lucky&3*,lucky&4* |
| Shadows that still have Frustration | shadow&@frustration |
| Pokemon ready to evolve for new dex | evolve&evolvenew |
| All untagged Pokemon (transfer review) | !# |
| Legendaries with bad IVs | legendary&0*,legendary&1* |
| Trade-evolve candidates | tradeevolve&traded |
| Community Day move Pokemon | @special |
| Everything caught this week | age0-7 |
| Fire attackers with good IVs | fire&3*,fire&4* |
- No parentheses —
&binds tighter than,which gives you implicit grouping. - Partial matching —
charmatches Charmander AND any nickname containing "char". Use+charmanderfor family precision. - Comma = semicolon — both are OR operators with no behavioral difference.
- Dynamic filters —
@weatheranddefenderchange based on game state.
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