Pokémon GO search string builder
By Matt, MattSimplified
Updated
Pick a preset or tap filters to find Pokémon or leave them out, and your search string builds as you go. Copy it, paste it into the search bar on your Pokémon list, then save it: tap the search bar again, tap See more and long-press the search.
Build your search
Start with a preset, then tweak it. Tap a filter once to find it, twice to leave it out, and a third time to clear it.
Swipe for more presets
How to save a search in Pokémon GO
The game remembers your last four searches, and you can pin the ones you use all the time. Do this once and your clear-out search is two taps away.
Search once
Open your Pokémon list, tap the magnifying glass, paste your string and hit search.
Open your recent searches
Tap the search bar again. Your latest searches drop down. Tap See more to show all four.
Long-press to save
Press and hold the search you want to keep. It moves up into your saved searches and stays there.
Give it a name
Long-press a saved search to rename it, like "Clear-out" or "Shadow hundos". You can delete it the same way.
Swipe for the next step
Illustrations are simplified. The real screens look a little different, but the taps are the same.
Typing a saved search's name won't find it. Tap it in the list under the search bar. For searches you use everywhere, your phone's text replacement works too: set a short shortcut like "clr" that types the whole string for you.
The three symbols that do everything
shadow&4* finds Pokémon that are Shadow and a hundo.
shiny,lucky finds anything shiny or lucky.
!shiny leaves out every shiny. Put it straight before the word, no space.
Commas are worked out first, then the ands, so 0*,1*&!shiny means "0 or 1 star, and not shiny". The full list of terms lives in the storage and items guide.
Search smarter, transfer safer
One tag for everything you want to keep, then leave out tagged Pokémon in every clear-out search. Nothing important slips through.
A search can't know which Pokémon you're saving to evolve, so give the list a quick look before you hit Transfer.
For battling, IVs barely change your damage. Level is what matters, so a 2 star Pokémon you've powered up beats a hundo sitting at level 20.
Pokémon caught years ago have much better odds of turning Lucky in a trade. Leave out 2016 and 2017 catches and save them for friends.
Search string FAQ
How do you save a search in Pokémon GO?
Run the search once, tap the search bar again, tap See more, then long-press the search to save it. Long-press a saved search to rename or delete it.
What do &, comma and ! mean?
& means and, a comma means or, and ! means not. So shadow&4* finds Shadow hundos, and shiny,lucky finds anything shiny or lucky.
What's the best search to clear out storage?
Matt uses 0*,1*,2*&!shiny&!lucky&!legendary&!mythical&!costume&!#&!favorite&!traded&!shadow&!dynamax&!background, then scrolls the results before transferring. It's the "Matt's clear-out" preset above.
How do you find hundos?
Type 4* into the search bar on your Pokémon list.
Can you search by the name of a saved search?
No. Saved searches sit in the list under the search bar, so tap them there.
Why does my search show nothing?
Usually two filters can't both be true, like a hundo that's also 0 star. Clear a filter or two and try again. Spelling matters too, and the game uses "favorite" and "defense" spellings, though "favourite" works as well.
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