Searching GitHub
File → Search GitHub… (Ctrl+Shift+F)
searches all of GitHub, not just one repository. Choose what to search
for, Issues and pull requests or
Repositories, and type in the Search
box.
The query is GitHub’s own search language, exactly as on github.com, so every qualifier works:
is:open is:issue label:bug repo:nvaccess/nvdaauthor:@me,review-requested:@me,mentions:@me,involves:@meupdated:>2026-01-01,created:2026-09-01..2026-09-30org:nvaccess braille in:title- for repositories:
screen reader language:python stars:>50,topic:accessibility archived:false
Search qualifiers
GitHub calls the parts such as is:open,
label:bug and author:@me
qualifiers. You don’t have to remember them. In the
search dialog, press Alt+Q or choose Insert
Qualifier… for a table of them, each with what it means and an
example. The table matches what you are searching for: issues and pull
requests (reviews, checks, draft, branches, merged), or repositories
(stars, language, topics, license). Type in Filter to
narrow it, for example “review” or “date”.
Enter, or Insert into Search, puts the
selected qualifier into the Search box where the cursor
was. One that needs a value, such as label:, is left for
you to type it; one that is complete, such as is:open, gets
a space after it. Open GitHub Search Documentation
opens GitHub’s full reference in your browser.
F1 in the search dialog opens this part of the
guide.
The results replace the list, best match first. Issue and pull request results read type, number, state, title, repository and when last updated; repository results read the same as Starred and Watched Repositories. The status bar says how many match: “Search — 512 issues and pull requests match repo:nvaccess/nvda braille is:open, showing 100.”
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
Enter |
Open the issue, pull request or repository here in GHManage;
Backspace comes back to the results |
G or Ctrl+Shift+G |
Open the result’s repository here |
Ctrl+O |
Open it on GitHub |
F |
Add it to favorites, or remove it |
Ctrl++ |
Load the next 100, added to these |
Ctrl+S |
Save this search |
Ctrl+Shift+F |
A new search, starting from this one |
GitHub returns at most the first 1,000 results of any search, and allows about 30 searches a minute. A search that matches more than 1,000 says so; narrow it to reach the rest.
Results stay in GitHub’s order, best match first; View → Sort
Order doesn’t apply here. To sort, say so in the query:
sort:updated-desc, sort:created-asc,
sort:comments-desc, or for repositories
sort:stars-desc.
An issue or pull request in a fork opens on GitHub rather than here: GHManage shows a fork’s issues from its upstream, where the same number is something else.
Saved searches
Actions → Save Search… (Ctrl+S,
Cmd+S on a Mac) asks for a name and adds the search to the
repository list, after My Work, marked with 🔍. Enter there
runs it again, for fresh results. Saving under a name you have used
replaces that search. File → Remove from List
(Delete) with a saved search selected removes it.
Saved searches are kept on this computer, beside your favorites.