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Original poster

Is there a way to search for a specific word only, and not similar words?

37 replies

LightJuly · 21/07/2024 11:59

I’m searching for comments about the pram brand Cosatto.

Advanced search is showing me results for Cosatto, Charlotte, Cosette, Costco and so on.

How do I search for a specific word?

OP posts:
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5
Original poster
LightJuly · 22/07/2024 09:24

OpizpuHeuvHiyo · 22/07/2024 09:13

Google
"Cosatto" -Charlotte -Cosette -Costco site:mumsnet.com

"" means the page must include these words
The minus sign means exclude pages that have these words
The site: means restrict results to pages within the mumsnet domain (no space either side of the colon)
(Edit - the .com is vital and I think may have been autocorrected out!)

Edited

Thing is - MN has a search function, we shouldn’t have to use Google. And it’s all very well Googling without those terms in that specific instance, but if I searched for another key word, I don’t know at that initial stage what similar words I need to exclude.

This should be a simple fix for MN, to set the parameters to ‘exact word only.’

OP posts:
MissMoneyFairy · 22/07/2024 09:22

I've just googled again, cosatto pram mumsnet, loads of threads have come up about it including 2024

MissMoneyFairy · 22/07/2024 09:19

If you go on Google and type in cossato travel system mumnet the thread from 2019 comes straight up and you can read it

commonground · 22/07/2024 09:15

Interesting. I have had this also.

So I sometimes like to look at the Wordle threads for eg (to check how useless I am compared to others) but they don't come up in my active.

If I have the advance search set to 'relevance' it is pretty accurate. But it doesn't bring up the latest thread (it starts from 2022 for eg). If I change the search to 'newest' it is all over the place and throws up others words - like your search.

OpizpuHeuvHiyo · 22/07/2024 09:13

Google
"Cosatto" -Charlotte -Cosette -Costco site:mumsnet.com

"" means the page must include these words
The minus sign means exclude pages that have these words
The site: means restrict results to pages within the mumsnet domain (no space either side of the colon)
(Edit - the .com is vital and I think may have been autocorrected out!)

Original poster
LightJuly · 22/07/2024 09:09

iPhone safari browser. All iOS up to date.

I’ve just repeated the search. The search returns say half a dozen Cosatto threads, then the attached.

As I say, it isn’t only Cosatto. It‘s happened plenty of times with other searches I’ve made, this is just the first time I’ve posted about it! 😁

Is there a way to search for a specific word only, and not similar words?
Is there a way to search for a specific word only, and not similar words?
Is there a way to search for a specific word only, and not similar words?
Is there a way to search for a specific word only, and not similar words?
OP posts:
MNHQ
HebeMumsnet · 22/07/2024 09:03

Hi there @LightJuly . We've just tried it in Advanced Search too and it's working for us. Can we check - you're definitely on the main site (not the app) on your mobile phone? Can you also tell us what type of device you are using and which browser, too? We'll see if we can work out what's going wrong here.

Original poster
LightJuly · 22/07/2024 00:53

I’m on my phone browser too. If you narrow the search’s date range you can see more easily how similar words are included.

For example, advanced search for Cosatto for threads from 1st June onwards brings up Costco and all the other words.

It’s not just this key word. It happens frequently with other words, usernames and so on. This is just the first time I’ve been annoyed enough to post about it.

Yes, one can search Google etc but I just want MN to return their own search to the way it used to be!

OP posts:
Lougle · 21/07/2024 22:26

LightJuly · 21/07/2024 22:11

This is exactly how I do it - but it never just searches for that word only.

Advanced search used to bring up that word only, but when they updated search, it changed.

Edited
Show quote history

I've just searched using advanced search on the website (on my phone) and it brings up only cosatto in the results. Are you using the app?

The other way, as @Elephantsarenottheonlyfruit says is to Google. If you type "site://www.mumsnet.com/talk cosatto" it will return all threads with that word.

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Original poster
LightJuly · 21/07/2024 22:11

BIWI · 21/07/2024 17:54

If you're using the desktop site, at the top right of the screen, above the Follow Topic Start Thread buttons, is a link called Advance Search. You can search for single words that way

This is exactly how I do it - but it never just searches for that word only.

Advanced search used to bring up that word only, but when they updated search, it changed.

OP posts:
Elephantsarenottheonlyfruit · 21/07/2024 18:25

Google : mumsnet “cosatto”

BIWI · 21/07/2024 17:54

If you're using the desktop site, at the top right of the screen, above the Follow Topic Start Thread buttons, is a link called Advance Search. You can search for single words that way