============== notmuch-search ============== 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 messages 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 . 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|sender|recipients)`` **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 number 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 (--format=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), separated by null characters (--format=text0), as a JSON array (--format=json), or as an S-Expression list (--format=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 (--format=json), or as an S-Expression list (--format=sexp). Note that each message may have multiple filenames associated 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 duplicates in other directories that are included in the output, 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), separated by null characters (--format=text0), as a JSON array (--format=json), or as an S-Expression list (--format=sexp). **sender** Output all addresses from the *From* header that appear on any message matching the search terms, either one per line (--format=text), separated by null characters (--format=text0), as a JSON array (--format=json), or as an S-Expression list (--format=sexp). Note: Searching for **sender** should be much faster than searching for **recipients**, because sender addresses are cached directly in the database whereas other addresses need to be fetched from message files. **recipients** Like **sender** but for addresses from *To*, *Cc* and *Bcc* headers. This option can be given multiple times to combine different outputs. Currently, this is only supported for **sender** and **recipients** outputs. ``--sort=``\ (**newest-first**\ \|\ **oldest-first**) This option can be used to present results in either chronological 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 **oldest-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.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 number 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 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. 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)**, **notmuch-hooks(5)**, **notmuch-insert(1)**, **notmuch-new(1)**, **notmuch-reply(1)**, **notmuch-restore(1)**, **notmuch-search-terms(7)**, **notmuch-show(1)**, **notmuch-tag(1)**