---
title: "Facebook search syntax"
url: "https://pitchghost.com/docs/search-syntax/facebook"
description: "Facebook post finder queries are plain keywords with no operators, so you cover each wording with its own query."
---

A search query decides which posts your Facebook post finder Ghost reads. Your [goal](/docs/ghosts/goals) decides which of them become Finds. Facebook queries are plain keywords, and every word must appear in the post.

Queries are plain keywords of up to 150 characters, and a Ghost takes up to 10 of them. Facebook search has no operators.

## Operators

| Operator | What it matches | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| word word | Every word must appear, in any order. This is the only operator. | watching now |

## Rules

-   A query can be up to 150 characters long.
-   A Ghost can have up to 10 queries.
-   No double quotes or apostrophes, so no exact phrases: write dont, not don't.
-   None of these characters: : \` + \* ( ) = - ?
-   No OR, AND or NOT in capitals anywhere, even inside an all-caps word such as ORACLE. Write keywords in lowercase.

## Examples

| Query | What it finds |
| --- | --- |
| CRM recommendations | Posts with both CRM and recommendations. |
| happy cats | Posts with both happy and cats. |

## Write queries that find enough

Every word must appear, so each extra word narrows the results. Keep a query to two to four lowercase words and let the goal do the judging.

-   Write one query per wording. Where another platform takes `payroll (late OR missed)`, write `payroll late` and `missed payroll` as two queries.
-   You can’t exclude words. To drop job posts, say in the goal that job posts don’t count.

## Mistakes that get a query rejected

| Rejected | Write instead |
| --- | --- |
| "payroll provider" | payroll provider |
| self-employed payroll | self employed payroll |
| can't run payroll | cannot run payroll |
| which payroll app? | which payroll app |
| HORROR stories payroll | horror stories payroll |