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
results 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
separated plain-text (compatible with xargs(1) -0 option
where available).
--format-version=N
Use the specified structured output format version. This is
intended for programs that invoke notmuch(1) internally. If
omitted, 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.
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
array (--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
array (--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 chrono‐
logical order (oldest-first) or reverse chronological order
(newest-first).
Note: The thread order will be distinct between these two
options (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 chronologi‐
cal 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.tag_exclude that does not appear explicitly in the
search terms. This option specifies whether to omit excluded
messages in the search process.
The default value, true, prevents excluded messages from
matching the search terms.
all additionally prevents excluded messages from appearing in
displayed results, in effect behaving as though the excluded
messages do not exist.
false allows 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 num‐
ber of matching non-excluded messages in the thread, rather
than the number of matching messages.
--duplicate=N
Effective with --output=files, output the Nth filename asso‐
ciated 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.
Note that this option is orthogonal with the folder: search
prefix. The prefix matches messages based on filenames. This
option filters filenames of the matching messages.
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-config(1), notmuch-count(1), notmuch-dump(1), not‐
much-hooks(5), notmuch-insert(1), notmuch-new(1), notmuch-reply(1),
notmuch-restore(1), notmuch-search-terms(7), notmuch-show(1), not‐
much-tag(1)
AUTHOR
Carl Worth and many others
COPYRIGHT
2014, Carl Worth and many others
0.18.1