1NOTMUCH-SEARCH(1) notmuch NOTMUCH-SEARCH(1)
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6 notmuch-search - search for messages matching the given search terms
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9 notmuch search [option ...] <search-term> ...
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12 Search for messages matching the given search terms, and display as re‐
13 sults the threads containing the matched messages.
14 The output consists of one line per thread, giving a thread ID, the
16 date of the newest (or oldest, depending on the sort option) matched
17 message in the thread, the number of matched messages and total mes‐
18 sages in the thread, the names of all participants in the thread, and
19 the subject of the newest (or oldest) message.
20 See notmuch-search-terms for details of the supported syntax for
22 <search-terms>.
23 Supported options for search include
25 --format=(json|sexp|text|text0)
27 Presents the results in either JSON, S-Expressions, newline
28 character separated plain-text (default), or null character sep‐
29 arated plain-text (compatible with xargs(1) -0 option where
30 available).
31 --format-version=N
33 Use the specified structured output format version. This is in‐
34 tended for programs that invoke notmuch internally. If omitted,
35 the latest supported version will be used.
36 --output=(summary|threads|messages|files|tags)
38 summary (default)
40 Output a summary of each thread with any message matching
41 the search terms. The summary includes the thread ID,
42 date, the number of messages in the thread (both the num‐
43 ber matched and the total number), the authors of the
44 thread and the subject. In the case where a thread con‐
45 tains multiple files for some messages, the total number
46 of files is printed in parentheses (see below for an ex‐
47 ample).
48 threads
50 Output the thread IDs of all threads with any message
51 matching the search terms, either one per line (--for‐
52 mat=text), separated by null characters (--format=text0),
53 as a JSON array (--format=json), or an S-Expression list
54 (--format=sexp).
55 messages
57 Output the message IDs of all messages matching the
58 search terms, either one per line (--format=text), sepa‐
59 rated by null characters (--format=text0), as a JSON ar‐
60 ray (--format=json), or as an S-Expression list (--for‐
61 mat=sexp).
62 files Output the filenames of all messages matching the search
64 terms, either one per line (--format=text), separated by
65 null characters (--format=text0), as a JSON array (--for‐
66 mat=json), or as an S-Expression list (--format=sexp).
67 Note that each message may have multiple filenames asso‐
69 ciated with it. All of them are included in the output
70 (unless limited with the --duplicate=N option). This may
71 be particularly confusing for folder: or path: searches
72 in a specified directory, as the messages may have dupli‐
73 cates in other directories that are included in the out‐
74 put, although these files alone would not match the
75 search.
76 tags Output all tags that appear on any message matching the
78 search terms, either one per line (--format=text), sepa‐
79 rated by null characters (--format=text0), as a JSON ar‐
80 ray (--format=json), or as an S-Expression list (--for‐
81 mat=sexp).
82 --sort=(newest-first|oldest-first)
84 This option can be used to present results in either chronologi‐
85 cal order (oldest-first) or reverse chronological order (new‐
86 est-first).
87 Note: The thread order will be distinct between these two op‐
89 tions (beyond being simply reversed). When sorting by old‐
90 est-first the threads will be sorted by the oldest message in
91 each thread, but when sorting by newest-first the threads will
92 be sorted by the newest message in each thread.
93 By default, results will be displayed in reverse chronological
95 order, (that is, the newest results will be displayed first).
96 --offset=[-]N
98 Skip displaying the first N results. With the leading '-', start
99 at the Nth result from the end.
100 --limit=N
102 Limit the number of displayed results to N.
103 --exclude=(true|false|all|flag)
105 A message is called "excluded" if it matches at least one tag in
106 search.exclude_tags that does not appear explicitly in the
107 search terms. This option specifies whether to omit excluded
108 messages in the search process.
109 true (default)
111 Prevent excluded messages from matching the search terms.
112 all Additionally prevent excluded messages from appearing in
114 displayed results, in effect behaving as though the ex‐
115 cluded messages do not exist.
116 false Allow excluded messages to match search terms and appear
118 in displayed results. Excluded messages are still marked
119 in the relevant outputs.
120 flag Only has an effect when --output=summary. The output is
122 almost identical to false, but the "match count" is the
123 number of matching non-excluded messages in the thread,
124 rather than the number of matching messages.
125 --duplicate=N
127 For --output=files, output the Nth filename associated with each
128 message matching the query (N is 1-based). If N is greater than
129 the number of files associated with the message, don't print
130 anything.
131 For --output=messages, only output message IDs of messages
133 matching the search terms that have at least N filenames associ‐
134 ated with them.
135 Note that this option is orthogonal with the folder: search pre‐
137 fix. The prefix matches messages based on filenames. This option
138 filters filenames of the matching messages.
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141 The following shows an example of the summary output format, with one
142 message having multiple filenames.
143 % notmuch search date:today.. and tag:bad-news
145 thread:0000000000063c10 Today [1/1] Some Persun; To the bone (bad-news inbox unread)
146 thread:0000000000063c25 Today [1/1(2)] Ann Other; Bears (bad-news inbox unread)
147 thread:0000000000063c00 Today [1/1] A Thurd; Bites, stings, sad feelings (bad-news unread)
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150 This command supports the following special exit status codes
151 20 The requested format version is too old.
153 21 The requested format version is too new.
155
157 notmuch, notmuch-address notmuch-config, notmuch-count, notmuch-dump,
158 notmuch-hooks, notmuch-insert, notmuch-new, notmuch-reply,
159 notmuch-restore, notmuch-search-terms, notmuch-show, notmuch-tag
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162 Carl Worth and many others
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165 2009-2023, Carl Worth and many others
1660.38 Sep 12, 2023 NOTMUCH-SEARCH(1)