Pokémon GO Search Strings: Complete Search Bar Cheat Sheet

Quick answer: Pokémon GO lets you search your Pokémon Storage with keywords such as shiny⧉, 4*⧉, legendary⧉, traded⧉, costume⧉, background⧉, age0⧉, and distance100-⧉. You can combine search terms with operators such as &⧉ and exclude results with !⧉, making the search bar one of the fastest ways to organize, trade, and clean up a large collection.

This cheat sheet covers the most useful Pokémon GO search strings, what each command does, and practical combinations you can copy into the game.

On This Page

• Quick Cheat Sheet
• Search Operators
• IV and Appraisal
• Rare Pokémon
• CP, HP, Age, Year, and Distance
• Moves and Evolution
• Trading and Storage Cleanup
• Advanced Examples
• Frequently Asked Questions

Pokémon GO Search Strings Quick Cheat Sheet

If you only need the most useful commands, start here:

You can combine these commands to build much more precise searches.

For example:

shiny&traded⧉

shows Shiny Pokémon that you received in trades.

4*&age0⧉

shows your highest-appraisal Pokémon caught within roughly the last 24 hours.

costume&!favorite⧉

shows costume Pokémon that are not currently favorited.

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How to Use the Pokémon GO Search Bar

Open Pokémon GO and:

1. Tap the Poké Ball from the Map.
2. Open Pokémon.
3. Tap the magnifying glass above your Pokémon Storage.
4. Enter a search keyword or combination.

Pokémon GO can also display suggested search terms as you type if suggested searches are enabled in the game's settings.

The real power of the search bar appears when you begin combining commands.

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Pokémon GO Search Operators

Search operators let you combine or exclude different groups of Pokémon.

AND: &⧉

Use &⧉ when a Pokémon must match multiple conditions.

Example:

shiny&legendary⧉

This finds Pokémon that are both Shiny and Legendary.

Another useful example:

traded&lucky⧉

This finds traded Pokémon that became Lucky.

Exclude: !⧉

Put !⧉ before a search condition to exclude those Pokémon.

Example:

!favorite⧉

This displays Pokémon that are not favorited.

Combine it with other searches:

age0&!favorite⧉

This is useful when reviewing recent catches without showing Pokémon you have already protected as favorites.

Multiple alternatives: ,⧉

A comma can be used to include multiple alternatives.

Example:

shiny,lucky⧉

This returns Pokémon matching either of those groups.

Pokémon GO also accepts :⧉ and ;⧉ for multiple-search conditions.

Search ranges: -⧉

Ranges are extremely useful for CP, HP, age, and other numerical searches.

For example:

cp1500-⧉

finds Pokémon with at least 1,500 CP.

cp-1500⧉

finds Pokémon with no more than 1,500 CP.

cp1000-1500⧉

finds Pokémon between 1,000 and 1,500 CP.

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Search Pokémon by IV and Appraisal

For many players, appraisal searches are the most useful Pokémon GO search commands.

Find Perfect Pokémon

Use:

4*⧉

This displays Pokémon in the highest appraisal category.

If you regularly search for hundos, 4*⧉ is the command to remember.

Search Other Appraisal Levels

You can use:

0*⧉ 1*⧉ 2*⧉ 3*⧉ 4*⧉

to filter Pokémon by appraisal category.

For example:

3*,4*⧉

is a convenient way to display Pokémon in either of the two highest appraisal categories.

Search Individual Stats

Pokémon GO can also filter according to the appraisal range of individual base stats.

The supported stat names include:

Attack⧉ Defense⧉ HP⧉

Examples include:

1Attack⧉

2Defense⧉

3HP⧉

These become much more useful when combined.

For example:

0Attack&3Defense&3HP⧉

can help narrow storage when looking for Pokémon with low Attack and stronger defensive appraisal ranges, a pattern some Trainers look for when evaluating PvP candidates.

Remember that a search string only narrows your candidates. It does not replace checking the Pokémon's exact PvP IV ranking.

For trade-related IV planning, you can also use the Pokémon GO Trade IV & Shiny Calculator.

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Search for Shiny, Lucky, Shadow and Rare Pokémon

The following commands make it easy to find important collection categories.

Useful combinations include:

shiny&legendary⧉

shiny&costume⧉

lucky&legendary⧉

traded&shiny⧉

background&shiny⧉

These are particularly useful for collectors building Pokémon GO trade lists.

If you want to publish what you have available, add those Pokémon to World Storage.

If you are looking for specific Pokémon from other Trainers, add them to World Wishlist.

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Dynamax, Gigantamax and Fusion Search Strings

Pokémon GO also has filters for newer mechanics.

Dynamax Pokémon

Use:

dynamax⧉

Gigantamax Pokémon

Use:

gigantamax⧉

Fusion Pokémon

Use:

fusion⧉

The Fusion search can identify Pokémon that are able to participate in Fusion or have already undergone Fusion.

You can combine these with other properties.

For example:

dynamax&shiny⧉

or:

gigantamax&!favorite⧉

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Search Pokémon by Name, Family or Pokédex Number

You do not always need a special command.

Pokémon Name

Simply type the Pokémon's name:

Pikachu⧉

Evolutionary Family

Add +⧉ before a Pokémon name:

+Pikachu⧉

This searches across that Pokémon's evolutionary family.

It is useful when you want to review an entire family instead of only one species.

Pokédex Number

You can also enter a National Pokédex number.

For example:

25⧉

finds Pikachu.

Nicknames

Searching a nickname that you assigned to a Pokémon can also retrieve Pokémon using that nickname.

This makes custom naming systems surprisingly useful for collection management.

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Search Pokémon by Type and Region

Enter a Pokémon type directly:

fire⧉

water⧉

grass⧉

dragon⧉

For example:

dragon&shiny⧉

finds Shiny Dragon-type Pokémon.

You can also search Pokémon by region.

Supported region searches include:

• Kanto⧉
• Johto⧉
• Hoenn⧉
• Sinnoh⧉
• Unova⧉
• Kalos⧉
• Alola⧉
• Galar⧉
• Hisui⧉
• Paldea⧉

Example:

Kanto&shiny⧉

This finds Shiny Pokémon associated with Kanto.

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Search Pokémon by CP and HP

Exact CP

Use:

cp1500⧉

to find Pokémon with exactly 1,500 CP.

CP Below a Value

Use:

cp-1500⧉

to find Pokémon with CP of 1,500 or lower.

CP Above a Value

Use:

cp1500-⧉

to find Pokémon with CP of 1,500 or higher.

CP Range

Use:

cp1000-1500⧉

to find Pokémon between 1,000 and 1,500 CP.

The same structure works with HP.

Examples:

hp100⧉

hp-100⧉

hp100-⧉

hp100-150⧉

These filters can be useful when quickly reviewing a large storage collection.

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Search Pokémon by Age

Age searches are one of the best tools for daily storage cleanup.

Pokémon Caught Today

Use:

age0⧉

This displays Pokémon caught within approximately the previous 24 hours.

Older Pokémon

You can specify additional age values:

age1⧉

represents Pokémon caught roughly 24 to 48 hours ago.

Age searches can also be combined with other filters.

For example:

age0&0*⧉

shows recent Pokémon in the lowest appraisal category.

Or:

age0&!favorite⧉

shows recent catches that have not been favorited.

This makes age0⧉ particularly useful after Community Days, Spotlight Hours, GO Fest sessions, or long grinding sessions.

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Search Pokémon by Year

To find Pokémon acquired during a specific year, use:

yearYYYY⧉

Examples:

year2016⧉

year2018⧉

year2020⧉

Older Pokémon can be particularly interesting to Traders, so year searches are useful when reviewing an account for potential trades.

Before arranging a trade, you may also want to read the Pokémon GO Lucky Trades Guide.

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Search Pokémon by Distance

Pokémon GO lets you filter Pokémon according to the distance between where they were caught and your current location.

For example:

distance1000⧉

finds Pokémon caught within approximately 1,000 km of your current location.

distance1000-⧉

finds Pokémon caught farther than approximately 1,000 km away.

distance1000-1200⧉

finds Pokémon caught within that distance range.

This can be useful when looking through Pokémon collected while traveling or received from distant locations.

Be careful not to confuse this with the physical distance allowed between two Trainers for a trade. This search filter refers to the Pokémon's catch-location distance relative to your current location.

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Search by Pokémon Size

Pokémon can be filtered by size category using:

xxs⧉

xs⧉

xl⧉

xxl⧉

Example:

xxl&shiny⧉

finds Shiny Pokémon in the XXL size category.

These searches are useful when saving showcase candidates or collecting unusual Pokémon sizes.

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Search Pokémon by Moves

Move searches are especially powerful.

Search a Specific Move

Add @⧉ before the move name.

Example:

@scratch⧉

This finds Pokémon that know Scratch.

Search by Move Type

Use @⧉ followed by a type.

Example:

@grass⧉

This finds Pokémon that know at least one Grass-type attack.

Search Attack Slots

Pokémon GO also supports attack-slot searches using:

@1⧉

for the Fast Attack,

@2⧉

for the first Charged Attack,

and:

@3⧉

for the second Charged Attack.

Combine the slot number with a type.

Example:

@3ghost⧉

finds Pokémon whose second Charged Attack is Ghost-type.

Special Moves

Use:

@special⧉

to find Pokémon with special attacks that cannot normally be learned with a TM.

This is particularly useful before transferring older Pokémon because some may have moves worth keeping.

Weather-Boosted Moves

Use:

@weather⧉

to find Pokémon with attacks currently boosted by the weather.

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Evolution Search Strings

Pokémon GO has several useful Evolution filters.

A useful combination is:

evolve&evolvenew⧉

This narrows the list to Pokémon that can currently evolve and would create a new Pokédex entry.

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Mega Evolution Search Strings

Use:

megaevolve⧉

to find Pokémon that currently meet the requirements to Mega Evolve or undergo Primal Reversion.

Mega Level can also be searched.

Use:

mega1⧉

mega2⧉

mega3⧉

or a range such as:

mega1-3⧉

to filter Pokémon according to Mega Level.

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Buddy Search Strings

Buddy history can be searched using levels from:

buddy0⧉

through:

buddy5⧉

These cover Pokémon with no Buddy history through the highest Buddy level.

Buddy searches are useful for finding Pokémon you previously walked or invested time into.

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Other Useful Pokémon GO Search Commands

Favorites

favorite⧉

shows favorited Pokémon.

To exclude favorites:

!favorite⧉

This is extremely useful during storage cleanup.

Gym Defenders

defender⧉

finds Pokémon currently defending Gyms.

Hyper Training

hypertraining⧉

finds Pokémon currently undergoing Hyper Training.

Tags

Put #⧉ before a tag name.

For example, if you have a tag named Trade⧉, use:

#Trade⧉

If you maintain tags such as:

• Trade
• Keep
• PvP
• Background
• Costume
• Regional

you can retrieve each collection instantly.

Tags and search strings work particularly well together for Traders with large collections.

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Best Pokémon GO Search Strings for Trading

PogoTrades users can get more value from the search bar by using it specifically for trade preparation.

Tap to enlarge

Here are several useful starting points.

Find Pokémon You Received Through Trades

traded⧉

Find Shiny Pokémon Received Through Trades

traded&shiny⧉

Find Lucky Pokémon

lucky⧉

Find Lucky Legendaries

lucky&legendary⧉

Find Costume Pokémon

costume⧉

Find Shiny Costume Pokémon

costume&shiny⧉

Find Background Pokémon

background⧉

Find Shiny Background Pokémon

background&shiny⧉

Find Pokémon Eligible for Trade Evolution Benefits

tradeevolve⧉

Find Pokémon from an Older Year

Example:

year2018⧉

Once you identify Pokémon you are willing to trade, you can put them on World Storage or make a shareable image using the Pokémon GO Trade List Generator.

For Pokémon you still need, use World Wishlist.

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Best Search Strings for Storage Cleanup

Search strings can make clearing storage much faster, but always review Pokémon before transferring them.

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Review Today's Catches

age0⧉

Recent Pokémon That Are Not Favorited

age0&!favorite⧉

Low-Appraisal Recent Pokémon

age0&0*,1*,2*⧉

Review the results carefully before transferring anything.

Review Duplicate Species

Search the Pokémon name or evolutionary family.

Example:

+Pikachu⧉

This can make it easier to compare duplicates across the same family.

Check Special Pokémon Before Transferring

Before a major cleanup, it is worth separately checking searches such as:

shiny⧉

costume⧉

background⧉

locationbackground⧉

lucky⧉

legendary⧉

mythical⧉

ultrabeast⧉

4*⧉

@special⧉

xxl⧉

xxs⧉

This lowers the chance of accidentally transferring something difficult to replace.

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Useful Advanced Search String Examples

Here are some combinations worth saving.

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Can You Use Search Strings in the Pokédex?

Yes, Pokémon GO's Pokédex supports keyword searching and preset filters, but it does not behave exactly like Pokémon Storage search.

Use the Pokédex when you want to narrow collection progress by a single keyword or filter. For complex Storage searches, return to your Pokémon list: the Pokédex does not support combining terms with &⧉, ,⧉, or !⧉, and number searches are exact rather than ranged.

This distinction matters when checking collection categories such as Shiny, Shadow, Mega, and other Pokédex views.

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Pokémon GO Search String Tips

Save the Searches You Use Most

You do not need to memorize every command.

Most Trainers repeatedly use only a small group, such as:

4*⧉

shiny⧉

age0⧉

!favorite⧉

costume⧉

background⧉

traded⧉

and:

@special⧉

Learn the ones relevant to how you play.

Combine Commands Instead of Scrolling

If you have thousands of Pokémon, manually scrolling through Storage is inefficient.

Instead of searching all Shiny Pokémon and then manually finding Legendaries, use:

shiny&legendary⧉

Protect Important Pokémon

Search filters are powerful, but they should not be treated as an automatic transfer list.

Always review results before transferring Pokémon.

Favoriting valuable Pokémon and creating useful tags adds another layer of protection.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Pokémon GO search string for a hundo?

Use:

4*⧉

This displays Pokémon in the highest appraisal category.

What is the search string for Shiny Pokémon?

Use:

shiny⧉

How do I search for Pokémon caught today?

Use:

age0⧉

How do I exclude favorited Pokémon?

Use:

!favorite⧉

How do I find traded Pokémon?

Use:

traded⧉

How do I find Pokémon from a specific year?

Use year⧉ followed by the year.

For example:

year2016⧉

How do I search for costume Pokémon?

Use:

costume⧉

How do I search for Pokémon with backgrounds?

Use:

background⧉

For location backgrounds specifically, use:

locationbackground⧉

How do I search for Lucky Pokémon?

Use:

lucky⧉

How do I combine Pokémon GO search strings?

Use &⧉ when the result should match multiple conditions.

For example:

shiny&legendary⧉

Use !⧉ before a condition when you want to exclude it.

For example:

shiny&!favorite⧉

Can Pokémon GO search strings be used in the Pokédex?

Yes. Pokémon GO's Pokédex supports keyword searching and preset filters, and inventory search queries can also be used to narrow Pokédex results.

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Turn Your Search Results Into a Trade List

Search strings are especially useful when you are preparing Pokémon for trades.

For example, you might search:

shiny⧉

costume⧉

background⧉

legendary⧉

or:

year2018⧉

to identify Pokémon you are willing to offer.

Once you know what you have, PogoTrades can help with the next step:

• Put available Pokémon on World Storage.
• Add Pokémon you need to World Wishlist.
• Make a shareable image with the Trade List Generator.
• Check potential trade IVs and other trade information with the Trade Calculator.
• Read the Special Trades Guide before arranging rare trades.
• Check the Stardust Trade Cost Guide before committing to an expensive trade.

The Pokémon GO search bar is ultimately more than a storage shortcut. Used properly, it can help you find valuable Pokémon, identify trade candidates, clean up thousands of catches, and manage your collection without endlessly scrolling through Storage.

Keep this page bookmarked as a Pokémon GO search strings cheat sheet and return whenever you need a command you cannot remember.

Sources and Review

Last reviewed: September 19, 2026. Pokémon GO search behavior can change as the game is updated, so check the official Pokémon GO Help Center search and filter guide for the latest supported commands.

For additional search behavior notes and Pokédex-specific limitations, see Pokémon GO Hub's search strings reference.