TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users. While the For You page shows you videos based on TikTok’s recommendation algorithm, the search feature allows you to look for specific content.
TikTok’s search is quite basic by default, only allowing you to search by keywords or hashtags. However, there are some tips and tricks you can use to perform more advanced searches to find exactly the types of videos you want.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about advanced searching on TikTok, including:
- Using keywords and hashtags for basic search
- Advanced search operators and syntax
- Finding videos by specificity like duration, upload date, number of views, etc.
- Searching by content creators and verified accounts
- Looking up songs used in TikTok videos
- Finding videos in specific languages or regions
- Using third-party sites and tools for even more advanced search
Learning these tips will make you a TikTok search expert, allowing you to easily find the types of videos you want to watch and creators you want to follow.
Using Keywords and Hashtags for Basic TikTok Search
The most basic way to search on TikTok is by entering keywords or hashtags into the search bar at the top of the app. This works similarly to searching on other social platforms like Instagram or Twitter.
Keyword searching will look for videos with those words in the captions, descriptions or sounds. So for example, searching for “dance tutorial” will show you videos using that phrase in their text or captions.
Searching by hashtags will display videos using that hashtag, ranked by engagement and relevance. Using hashtags is a great way to find videos about specific topics, challenges or themes. Some popular hashtags include:
- #dance
- #fyp (For You Page)
- #food
- #comedy
- #lip sync
You can also combine keywords and hashtags in the same search to find more specific content. For example, “dance tutorial #fyp” or “baking recipe #food”.
When entering search terms, keep these tips in mind:
- Use natural language – speak conversationally as you would when talking to a friend.
- Try different wording and phrasing if you don’t get the results you want.
- Spell words correctly to get the most accurate results.
- Use relevant hashtags related to your search keywords.
While basic keyword and hashtag search works well, you can use more advanced operators and filters to really fine-tune your searches, which we’ll cover next.
Advanced Search Operators and Syntax
TikTok has several symbols and operators you can add to keywords or hashtags to perform more advanced searches and narrow down your results.
Here are some of the most useful advanced search techniques:
Quotes for Exact Match
Putting words or phrases in quotes will search for that exact term or match that sequence of words. For example:
- “dance tutorial” – Matches only videos with that exact phrase.
- “life hacks” – Shows the hashtag #lifehacks rather than videos about life hacks.
Minus Sign to Exclude Words
Adding a minus sign (-) before a word will exclude videos with that keyword. Useful for filtering out irrelevant results. For example:
- dance -competition – Excludes videos about dance competitions.
- baking -asmr – Filters out baking ASMR videos.
Parentheses for Grouping
Use parentheses to group words or clauses together, so they are searched together instead of individually. For example:
- (dance tutorial) – Shows videos matching the phrase “dance tutorial”.
- (peanut OR almond) butter – Searches for either peanut or almond butter.
OR for Multiple Options
The OR operator allows you to search for videos matching one keyword or another. For example:
- dance OR tutorial – Returns videos with either “dance” or “tutorial”.
- baking OR cooking – Searches for baking and cooking videos.
By combining advanced operators like quotes, minus, OR, parentheses, and brackets, you can create very customized searches to get your ideal results.
Finding Videos by Specificity
Beyond keywords and hashtags, TikTok lets you search for videos based on specificity like length, number of views, date uploaded, verified status, language, and more.
Here are some of the useful filters you can use:
Search by Video Length
Look for videos of a certain length by adding :length at the end of your search. The available options are:
- :5 – 5 second videos
- :15 – 15 second videos
- :30 – 30 second videos
- :60 – 1 minute videos
- :3min – 3 minute videos
For example: “dance tutorial :30” shows 30 second dance tutorials.
Search by Number of Views
See the most popular videos on a topic by searching :views#. Replace # with a minimum number of video views like:
- :views100 – 100+ views
- :views1K – 1000+ views
- :views10K – 10,000+ views
- :views100K – 100,000+ views
- :views1M – 1,000,000+ views
For example: “cooking recipes :views10K” shows cooking videos with 10,000+ views.
Search by Verified Accounts
See only videos from verified accounts by adding :verified after your keywords. For example:
- dance :verified – Dance videos posted by verified accounts.
Search by Date
Look for recently posted videos by searching :day# where # is the number of days. For example:
- :day1 – Posted in last 24 hours
- :day7 – Posted in last week
- :day30 – Posted in last month
“yoga flow :day7” shows yoga videos posted in the last week.
Search by Language
See videos in a specific language by adding :lang after a keyword. For example:
- comedy :langen – Comedy videos in English.
- tutorial :langes – Spanish language tutorials.
You can also combine filters like “workout :langfr :day30” to find French workout videos posted within the last month.
Finding Videos of Specific Songs
Many TikTok videos feature music and songs that users lip sync or dance to. You can easily find videos using a certain soundtrack by searching the song details:
- Song title and artist – “WAP Cardi B”
- Lyrics – “I got it beauty and a beat”
- Song hashtag – “#SweetCaroline”
TikTok’s algorithm is very good at identifying the exact song from lyrics, even if you only search a short phrase. You’ll then see which sounds are most used with that song.
You can also click on the song name under any video to see other TikToks using that same sound.
Searching by Geographic Location
If you want to find only videos from a specific country or city, you can add a geographic filter to your search:
- Country code – dance :countryUS
- City name – comedy :cityLondon
This allows you to see region-specific trends and challenges. You can find the two letter country codes online to search for any location.
However, this filter seems to only work for trending topics in major countries and cities. It likely won’t show results for lesser known areas.
Using Third-Party Sites for Advanced Search
While TikTok’s built-in search works well, there are also some third-party sites and tools that offer more advanced search capabilities:
TikTok Search Engine Sites
Sites like TikTok Search and Search4TikTok allow you to search by keywords, hashtags, sounds, users, and more. They index TikTok content from public accounts.
You can enter multiple keywords, exclude words, filter by category, language, location, date, and more. These sites provide additional options beyond TikTok’s own search.
Google Search Operators
Look for TikTok videos on Google using operators like:
- site:tiktok.com – Finds TikTok videos indexed by Google.
- “tiktok.com/@” – Searches specific TikTok user accounts.
- “tiktok.com/tag/” – Looks for hashtag pages.
Google has indexed many public TikTok videos, allowing deep searches. However, its index may be a few days behind the latest content.
Chrome Extensions
Browser extensions like TikTok Search for Chrome give quick access to search TikTok videos from your browser toolbar. The interface provides advanced filters beyond the mobile app.
However, some extensions only work on content indexed on third-party sites rather than TikTok directly.
Tips for Effective Advanced Searching
Here are some final tips to use advanced search effectively:
- Refine broad searches by adding filters to narrow your results.
- Chain together multiple operators like quotes, parentheses, minus signs, etc.
- Always use relevant hashtags for the topics you want to find.
- Sort search results by relevance, newest, most popular, or suggestions.
- Scroll down to load more results beyond the first page.
- Click video captions to search for that exact phrase.
With so many videos being uploaded daily, mastering advanced search is the best way to cut through the noise and find relevant, high-quality content and creators. TikTok’s default algorithmic For You feed can only show you so much.
Hopefully this guide has provided you with all the tools you need to take your TikTok searching skills to the next level. So next time you open up the app, try using some of these advanced techniques to find great videos that match your interests.
