NOTMUCH-SEARCH(1)
NAME
notmuch-search - search for messages matching the given search terms
SYNOPSIS
notmuch search [option ...] <search-term> ...
DESCRIPTION
Search for messages matching the given search terms, and display as re‐
sults the threads containing the matched messages.
The output consists of one line per thread, giving a thread ID, the
date of the newest (or oldest, depending on the sort option) matched
message in the thread, the number of matched messages and total mes‐
sages in the thread, the names of all participants in the thread, and
the subject of the newest (or oldest) message.
See notmuch-search-terms(7) for details of the supported syntax for
<search-terms>.
Supported options for search include
--format=(json|sexp|text|text0)
Presents the results in either JSON, S-Expressions, newline
character separated plain-text (default), or null character sep‐
arated plain-text (compatible with xargs(1) -0 option where
available).
--format-version=N
Use the specified structured output format version. This is in‐
tended for programs that invoke notmuch(1) internally. If omit‐
ted, the latest supported version will be used.
--output=(summary|threads|messages|files|tags)
summary
Output a summary of each thread with any message matching
the search terms. The summary includes the thread ID,
date, the number of messages in the thread (both the num‐
ber matched and the total number), the authors of the
thread and the subject. In the case where a thread con‐
tains multiple files for some messages, the total number
of files is printed in parentheses (see below for an ex‐
ample).
threads
Output the thread IDs of all threads with any message
matching the search terms, either one per line (--for-
mat=text), separated by null characters (--format=text0),
as a JSON array (--format=json), or an S-Expression list
(--format=sexp).
messages
Output the message IDs of all messages matching the
search terms, either one per line (--format=text), sepa‐
rated by null characters (--format=text0), as a JSON ar‐
ray (--format=json), or as an S-Expression list (--for-
mat=sexp).
files Output the filenames of all messages matching the search
terms, either one per line (--format=text), separated by
null characters (--format=text0), as a JSON array (--for-
mat=json), or as an S-Expression list (--format=sexp).
Note that each message may have multiple filenames asso‐
ciated with it. All of them are included in the output
(unless limited with the --duplicate=N option). This may
be particularly confusing for folder: or path: searches
in a specified directory, as the messages may have dupli‐
cates in other directories that are included in the out‐
put, although these files alone would not match the
search.
tags Output all tags that appear on any message matching the
search terms, either one per line (--format=text), sepa‐
rated by null characters (--format=text0), as a JSON ar‐
ray (--format=json), or as an S-Expression list (--for-
mat=sexp).
--sort=(newest-first|oldest-first)
This option can be used to present results in either chronologi‐
cal order (oldest-first) or reverse chronological order (new-
est-first).
Note: The thread order will be distinct between these two op‐
tions (beyond being simply reversed). When sorting by old-
est-first the threads will be sorted by the oldest message in
each thread, but when sorting by newest-first the threads will
be sorted by the newest message in each thread.
By default, results will be displayed in reverse chronological
order, (that is, the newest results will be displayed first).
--offset=[-]N
Skip displaying the first N results. With the leading '-', start
at the Nth result from the end.
--limit=N
Limit the number of displayed results to N.
--exclude=(true|false|all|flag)
A message is called "excluded" if it matches at least one tag in
search.exclude_tags that does not appear explicitly in the
search terms. This option specifies whether to omit excluded
messages in the search process.
true (default)
Prevent excluded messages from matching the search terms.
all Additionally prevent excluded messages from appearing in
displayed results, in effect behaving as though the ex‐
cluded messages do not exist.
false Allow excluded messages to match search terms and appear
in displayed results. Excluded messages are still marked
in the relevant outputs.
flag Only has an effect when --output=summary. The output is
almost identical to false, but the "match count" is the
number of matching non-excluded messages in the thread,
rather than the number of matching messages.
--duplicate=N
For --output=files, output the Nth filename associated with each
message matching the query (N is 1-based). If N is greater than
the number of files associated with the message, don't print
anything.
For --output=messages, only output message IDs of messages
matching the search terms that have at least N filenames associ‐
ated with them.
Note that this option is orthogonal with the folder: search pre‐
fix. The prefix matches messages based on filenames. This option
filters filenames of the matching messages.
EXAMPLE
The following shows an example of the summary output format, with one
message having multiple filenames.
% notmuch search date:today.. and tag:bad-news
thread:0000000000063c10 Today [1/1] Some Persun; To the bone (bad-news inbox unread)
thread:0000000000063c25 Today [1/1(2)] Ann Other; Bears (bad-news inbox unread)
thread:0000000000063c00 Today [1/1] A Thurd; Bites, stings, sad feelings (bad-news unread)
EXIT STATUS
This command supports the following special exit status codes
20 The requested format version is too old.
21 The requested format version is too new.
SEE ALSO
notmuch(1), notmuch-address(1) notmuch-config(1), notmuch-count(1),
notmuch-dump(1), notmuch-hooks(5), notmuch-insert(1), notmuch-new(1),
notmuch-reply(1), notmuch-restore(1), notmuch-search-terms(7), not‐
much-show(1), notmuch-tag(1)
AUTHOR
Carl Worth and many others
COPYRIGHT
2009-2022, Carl Worth and many others
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