Social media platforms have transformed from spaces for sharing memes and memories into powerful information hubs that can make or break your marketing efforts.
X now functions as a full-fledged search engine, equipped with advanced search tools that let you filter results by specific keywords, categories, and engagement metrics. For entrepreneurs and marketers, this means untapped opportunities to understand your audience, track competitors, and discover partnership opportunities—all hiding in plain sight.
Curious about ways to use advanced search commands on X to run more complex searches, find relevant tweets, and better support your digital marketing efforts? Here’s how you can take advantage of the X advanced search tool.
What is X advanced search?
X’s advanced search tool lets you access advanced search parameters to run queries around specific words, phrases, and hashtags. You can then filter search results by specific time period, specific accounts, and engagement metrics.
The advanced X search tool elevates X’s basic search bar into a sophisticated research engine, helping you assess campaign performance, track hashtags, conduct competitor analyses, and identify brand ambassadors. All of these features streamline your social media marketing efforts and deliver more targeted results.
How to find advanced search
To perform advanced searches from your desktop or mobile browser, click “Explore” on the left side of the page (next to the magnifying glass icon). This takes you to X’s search page, where you can begin your advanced search.
Enter your initial keywords in the search bar at the top of the page, then click search.
You’ll see basic search results, as well as options on the right side of the page to further filter results using search filters.
Look for the “Advanced search” option at the bottom—click this to open the advanced X search pop-up. Here, you can filter your results using various X search operators and choose the parameters that best optimize your search results page.
Components of X advanced search
X’s advanced search functionality includes several options for running targeted searches to find tweets or find accounts. Here are the key components:
Words and phrases
The advanced search tool lets you search by specific keywords and phrases, including exact phrases of two or more words. You can also exclude tweets by entering unwanted terms in the “None of these words” box.
Hashtags
Under the Words section, you can target specific hashtags—a crucial feature for brand marketers. For example, if you own an ecommerce running apparel company and want to identify influencers for a campaign, you might search for hashtags like #running or #runner, or use more specific terms like #marathon or #marathontraining to find accounts.
Languages
You can refine your search by specific language, letting you expand your research globally. This is especially useful for brand marketers analyzing social media campaigns across multiple countries where users speak different languages.
Accounts and mentions
You can also set parameters to show only specific tweets from certain accounts, replies to particular accounts, or tweets that mention specific accounts. For your running company, you might monitor mentions of your brand by entering your company account into the “Mentioning these accounts” search bar.
You can also track a specific user and assess their engagement metrics (how often they interact with other users) by inputting the accounts in “From these accounts” and “To these accounts” fields.
Replies and links
Advanced search lets you choose between showing both replies and original tweets, or filtering to only show replies. You can also select whether to see all results or only tweets posted with links.
Engagement
To further narrow results, you can set minimum thresholds for replies, likes, or reposts. For topics with a high volume of search results, this helps quickly identify popular tweets with the highest engagement. You can then further filter tweets based on these initial parameters.
Dates
To track posts within aspecific date frame, enter the exact month, day, and year. This is particularly helpful when tracking hashtag performance or measuring brand campaign success within specific date ranges.
How to use X’s advanced search function for your brand
- Find top posts
- Track industry trends
- Conduct competitor analyses
- Locate brand mentions
- Collect feedback
- Identify influencers and brand ambassadors
- Analyze campaign performance
X’s advanced search tool offers multiple ways to support your marketing strategy. Here are a few of the most common:
Find top posts
Advanced search lets you identify historically popular tweets by setting minimum engagement thresholds for likes, replies, and reposts in the search bar. If you’re developing a new digital strategy for your online running apparel brand, you might discover that old tweets featuring explainer videos—like technical fabric breakdowns or product demonstrations—consistently generate high engagement. This insight could guide you to prioritize similar content in future social posts, boosting performance and audience interest.
Track industry trends
X advanced search keeps you current with trending topics relevant to your industry. For your running brand, you might track popular hashtags that runners use on X, or monitor search terms related to major running events. These insights help you tailor your social posts to join conversations and drive more engagement.
Conduct competitor analyses
Advanced search features for accounts, mentions, and time periods help you monitor and analyze competitor performance. You can create a list of competing apparel brands and gather valuable insights about their own social media performance, helping you identify opportunities to carve out a competitive advantage.
Locate brand mentions
X’s search features can track brand mentions over specific time periods. Search tweets mentioning your company directly to understand what conversations users are having about your brand, then use these insights to inform your social strategy.
Collect feedback
Using the search tool for customer feedback helps you identify problems and take corrective action. For example, if users post that a particular sports bra fabric irritates their skin, you can investigate changing the material and offering customer refunds.
Identify influencers and brand ambassadors
X’s advanced search helps you find accounts with high engagement within your target community or those already posting about your brand. For example, filtering by keywords like “running” and “technical apparel,” along with brand mentions, helps you find the right people to represent your brand.
Analyze campaign performance
Once you’ve got your new social strategy, use X’s advanced search to monitor progress and success by tracking top-performing posts, likes, reposts, and replies. Use these content strategy insights to refine your overall strategy and inform future campaigns.
X advanced search FAQ
Can you access X advanced search on mobile devices?
X’s advanced search does not work on the platform’s mobile app (formerly known as the Twitter app). However, you can access the tool through your mobile browser and perform advanced X searches the same way you would on desktop.
Can you use X advanced search without a login?
No, you cannot use X’s advanced search without a login. You must have an account to access advanced search functions.
Can you filter X advanced search by date?
Yes, you can filter search results within specific time windows by entering date ranges by month, day, or year in the advanced search tool.
