How to Search for an Exact Phrase on Bing (Quick Guide)

Searching for an exact phrase on Bing helps you filter results and get precise answers. Here are the best methods to use.

How to search for an exact phrase on Bing?

1. Use Quotation Marks

Quotation marks are the simplest way to find an exact phrase.

1. Open Bing in your browser.
2. Type your phrase inside quotes. Example: “climate change report 2024“.
   
3. Press Enter to see results that contain the full phrase in the same order.

If your SafeSearch settings prevent some results from showing, you can learn how to turn off SafeSearch on Bing in a few steps.

You can also apply this method when looking for products by checking How to Shop on Bing for practical tips.

For even more control over your browsing, you can turn off AI in Bing to keep results focused on traditional search output.

2. Combine Multiple Exact Phrases

You can search for two or more phrases at the same time.

1. Type both phrases inside quotation marks.
2. Separate them with a space. Example: “artificial intelligence” “healthcare industry“.
   
3. Bing will return results containing both phrases, even if they appear in different places on the page.

3. Search Within a Specific Website

To narrow your search to one site, combine exact phrases with the site filter.

1. Type your phrase inside quotes.
2. Add site: followed by the domain you want.
3. Example: “annual revenue report” site:apple.com.
   
4. Bing will only show results from that website.

4. Use Wildcards in Exact Phrases

An asterisk (*) acts as a placeholder for unknown words in a phrase.

1. Place an asterisk inside your quoted phrase.
2. Example: “best * in New York”.
   
3. Bing will return results with different variations that fit the structure.

If searches look outdated or incomplete, you may want to clear your Bing cache before trying again.

5. Narrow Searches With File Types

You can find documents by combining phrases with file filters.

1. Put your phrase inside quotes.
2. Add filetype: followed by the format you want.
3. Example: “business strategy 2025” filetype:pdf.
4. Results will only show files of that type containing the phrase.

To refine results even further, check out our guide on how to exclude terms in Bing.

FAQs

Conclusion

Using exact phrase searches in Bing makes it easier to find the information you want. Quotation marks, wildcards, and filters like site or file type give you full control over your results. If you use Bing on multiple devices, you might also want to check how to sync Bing across platforms to keep your search preferences consistent.