Bluesky Search: Operators, Filters and Finding People
Open search (the magnifying glass in the Bluesky app, or Explore in the left menu on bsky.app), type a word, a “phrase in quotes”, a #hashtag or an @handle, then pick a tab: Top, Latest, People or Feeds. To narrow things down, add the operators Bluesky documents, such as from:, mentions:, domain:, lang:, since: and until:.
Bluesky search has changed since Bluesky’s own 2024 guide, most of all because post results now need an account. This guide covers the tabs, every documented operator with an example, six combinations for advanced search and how to find people, checked against Bluesky’s blog and app code on 3 October 2026. If you searched for “skyblue search”, you’re in the right place: the app is spelled Bluesky.
This guide is part of our Twitter is now X hub, which also covers Threads and Bluesky. New to the network? Start with what Bluesky is and how it works.
Table of Contents
- How do you search on Bluesky?
- Search tabs: Top, Latest, People and Feeds
- Can you search Bluesky without an account?
- Bluesky search operators
- Bluesky advanced search: combining operators
- How to find people on Bluesky
- FAQ
How do you search on Bluesky?
In the Bluesky app, tap the magnifying glass in the bottom bar; on bsky.app, click Explore in the left menu, which opens bsky.app/search. Both appear once you’re signed in. Type your search, then move between the result tabs. These labels come from Bluesky’s open-source app code for version 1.133.0, released on 23 September 2026 and checked on 3 October 2026.
To search one account’s posts, open their profile, tap the More options (…) button and choose Search posts. The search box then reads “Search @handle’s posts”, with that account’s handle filled in. The from: operator below does the same job from the main search box.
Search tabs: Top, Latest, People and Feeds
Results come in tabs: Top and Latest for posts, People for accounts and Feeds for custom feeds. Bluesky’s search screen describes itself as a way to “find posts, users, and feeds on Bluesky”. Checked against Bluesky social-app source code (GitHub, main branch): Search screen
- Top: matching posts, in Bluesky’s own ranking.
- Latest: matching posts, newest first.
- People: matching accounts.
- Feeds: custom feeds, made by Bluesky or outside developers, that you can add to your timeline.
Newer versions add a fifth tab. Bluesky’s 1.129.0 release notes (24 July 2026) list a new Starter Packs results tab behind a feature flag, and version 1.133.0 (23 September 2026) removed that flag, so an up-to-date app is likely to show Starter Packs too.
Can you search Bluesky without an account?
Not for posts, any more. Since app version 1.106.0 (7 August 2025), a logged-out post search in Bluesky’s app shows “Search is currently unavailable when logged out” and asks you to sign in or create an account, according to Bluesky’s release notes and app code. People results still show a first page of accounts. Bluesky’s May 2024 search guide said logged-out users could search, so older articles are out of date on this point.
Once you’re logged in, Bluesky can tailor results to you, and people you follow are prioritised when you search for accounts. Checked against Bluesky blog: Tips and Tricks for Bluesky Search Logging in also unlocks the from:me and mentions:me shortcuts below.
Bluesky search operators
Bluesky documents its search operators in a blog post, “Tips and Tricks for Bluesky Search”, dated 31 May 2024, and you type them straight into the search box. These are the ones it lists. Checked against Bluesky blog: Tips and Tricks for Bluesky Search
| Operator | What it finds | Example |
|---|---|---|
"phrase" | Posts with that exact phrase, including in image alt text | "hello world" |
#tag | Posts that contain that hashtag | #science |
@handle | Posts that mention that account | @bsky.app |
to: or mentions: | Posts that mention that account | mentions:npr.org |
from: | Posts from that account | from:bsky.app |
from:me, mentions:me | Your own posts, or posts that mention you (logged in) | from:me |
| A pasted URL | Posts that shared that URL | https://example.com/page |
domain: | Posts that link to any page on a site | domain:npr.org |
lang: | Posts in one language, by two-letter ISO 639-1 code | lang:ja |
since:, until: | Posts within a date range, in UTC | since:2026-09-01 |
Three details from the same guide save a lot of confusion:
- Dates are UTC only. Use YYYY-MM-DD or a full timestamp such as 2026-09-01T09:00:00Z; Bluesky says local dates and times don’t work.
- Quotes change what @ does. “@bsky.app” in quotes matches that text, whether or not the post actually tags the account.
- Old handles linger. Searching a handle can also return posts that mention the account’s previous handle.
Bluesky advanced search: combining operators
Bluesky’s advanced search is the operators above, combined in one query; Bluesky has not documented a separate advanced-search form. Its guide calls the operators “advanced features” and shows how to combine them: to: plus from:me finds your own posts that mention an account. The app’s release notes show search filters being added in 2026, such as “Add From: Me to advanced search filters” in version 1.129.0, but no Bluesky blog post or help article covers them yet.
Checked against Bluesky social-app source code (GitHub, main branch): searchParams (advanced search filters)Not documented by Bluesky
Six combinations to copy, swapping in your own handles and words:
- An old post of yours:
from:me "conference"(logged in) - What one account said about a topic:
from:bsky.app video - Who links to your website:
domain:example.com - Mentions of you in Spanish:
mentions:me lang:es - A hashtag during one week:
#photography since:2026-09-01 until:2026-09-08 - Your posts that mention someone:
to:bsky.app from:me
Bluesky’s guide doesn’t say whether until: includes the date you give, so widen the range by a day if the edges matter. For other networks, see our guides to X advanced search and Threads search.
Why can’t I find a post?
- You’re logged out. Post search needs an account in the current app.
- Your dates are in local time. since: and until: only take UTC dates or timestamps.
- You put the handle in quotes. Drop the quotes to find posts that actually tag the account.
- The post was deleted. Bluesky’s Data Privacy article says a deleted post is removed from the app immediately. Checked against Bluesky Help Center (Zendesk): Data Privacy
How to find people on Bluesky
Type their name or handle and open the People tab; when you’re logged in, people you follow are prioritised. Handles end in .bsky.social unless the account uses a domain it owns, as NPR does with @npr.org and Bluesky with @bsky.app, and Bluesky calls a domain handle one form of verification. Checked against Bluesky blog: How to verify your Bluesky account (domain handle tutorial)
Three more ways in:
- Starter packs: lists of up to 150 people and up to 3 custom feeds, as of Bluesky’s June 2024 FAQ (the app now sets the limit remotely), shared as a link or QR code. In 2024 they didn’t show up in search; the Starter Packs tab added in 2026 changes that on up-to-date apps. Checked against Bluesky blog: Introducing Bluesky Starter Packs
- Feeds: the Feeds tab finds custom feeds on a topic, and a topic feed shows who is posting about it. Checked against Bluesky Help Center (Zendesk): Moderation and Custom Feeds
- Hashtags: search a #tag to see who is using it.
Watch out for look-alike accounts: blue badges and Trusted Verifiers are explained in how verification works on Bluesky. When you’re ready to post yourself, our guide to scheduling Bluesky posts covers app passwords and tools.
Start planning your Bluesky posts in Outfeed AI
FAQ
Does Bluesky have advanced search?
Not as a documented form. Bluesky’s advanced search is a set of operators you type into the search box, such as from:, mentions:, domain:, lang:, since: and until:, and you can combine them in one query. Its app has been adding search filters in 2026, but Bluesky has not documented them in a blog or help article.
How do I search someone’s posts on Bluesky?
Type from: followed by their handle, for example from:bsky.app, then add the words you’re looking for. To find posts that mention them instead, use to: or mentions: with their handle. For your own posts, use from:me while you’re logged in.
How do I search Bluesky by date?
Add since: and/or until: with a date in YYYY-MM-DD format, such as since:2026-09-01 until:2026-09-15, or a full UTC timestamp like 2026-09-01T09:00:00Z. Bluesky says these operators work with UTC dates only, so local dates and times won’t work. You can use either one on its own.
Does Bluesky search include hashtags?
Yes. Any term with the # prefix, such as #science, returns posts that contain that hashtag. Bluesky added hashtags in 2024. You can also combine a hashtag with other operators, for example #science lang:en for English posts with that tag.
How do I find people on Bluesky?
Search their name or handle and open the People tab; when you’re logged in, people you follow are prioritised. Handles end in .bsky.social unless the account uses a domain it owns, such as an organisation’s website. Starter packs, shareable lists of up to 150 people and up to 3 feeds (as of Bluesky’s June 2024 FAQ; the app now sets the limit remotely), are another way in, and Bluesky’s app added a Starter Packs tab to search results in 2026.