---
title: Using Search Operators
description: "The `operators` attribute allows you to define **how each search value is compared** to its corresponding field. It should be a **comma-separated list**, with each operator matching its position to the combined search sequence: `search` field IDs first, then `search_label`…"
url: "https://brightleafdigital.io/docs/using-search-operators/"
updated: "2026-10-11"
category: GravityOps Search
---

# Using Search Operators

The `operators` attribute allows you to define **how each search value is compared** to its corresponding field. It should be a **comma-separated list**, with each operator matching its position to the combined search sequence: `search` field IDs first, then `search_label` entries, then `search_type` entries.

## Supported Operators

| Operator | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| `=` or `is` | Equals |
| `!=`, `isnot`, `is not` | Not equal to |
| `contains` | Partial match |
| `like` | SQL-style `LIKE` with custom wildcards |
| `in` | Value is in array |
| `notin`, `not in` | Value is NOT in array |
| `gt` | Greater than |
| `lt` | Less than |
| `gt=` | Greater than or equal to |
| `lt=` | Less than or equal to |

> \*To compare against multiple values using *`in`* or *`not in`*, pass a PHP-style array in the shortcode content, like:
>
>
>
> ```
> array('item one', 'item two', 'item three')
> ```

## Operator Matching Behavior

Each operator in `operators` matches by position across the full combined search sequence: `search` field IDs first, then `search_label` entries (in order), then `search_type` entries (in order).

- If you pass **fewer operators** than the total number of search positions, the remaining positions default to `=` (exact match).
- If you pass **more operators** than positions, extra operators are ignored.
- If `operators` is omitted entirely, all search positions use `=` by default.

## Examples

Basic match with mixed operators

```
[gravops_search target="1" search="3,5,8" operators="contains,=,gt"]
Smith|john@example.com|50
[/gravops_search]
```

- Field 3 must *contain* "Smith"
- Field 5 must *equal* "[john@example.com](mailto:john@example.com)"
- Field 8 must be *greater than* 50

Using array for `in`

```
[gravops_search search="5" operators="in"]
array('yes','maybe')
[/gravops_search]
```

- Field 5 must match one of the given values

Mixing defaults and explicit operators

```
[gravops_search search="3,5,8" operators="contains"]
Smith|john@example.com|50
[/gravops_search]
```

- Field 3 uses `contains`
- Field 5 and 8 default to `=`

## Tips & Gotchas

- **Array format:** Use `array('one','two')` exactly—do not just write comma-separated values.
- **Order matters:** Ensure your `operators` match the order of `search` fields.
- If a field is repeated in `search`, you can still assign distinct operators per instance.