Search Tips

Default search behavior

  • Search terms separated by spaces will give results that match all the terms in the query.
  • Searches are not case sensitive.
  • Other than those used for advanced searches, punctuation and special characters are ignored.
  • Common words like "the," "a," and "for," are usually ignored.

Basic Search

Enter a keyword, the name of a thing, place, or topic, in the basic search box. Use only the important words rather than a full sentence or question.

Use quotation marks to obtain search results for an exact term or phrase.

"registered savings plan" returns search results containing the phrase registered savings plan.

AND: Default search - no special operators needed. Results contain both keywords. Example:  "air canada"."westjet"

Canada hockey gives search results containing Canada and hockey.

OR: Results contain at least one of the keywords.

federal OR provincial gives search results containing federal, provincial, or both.

NOT: designated by the minus sign (-). Results will not contain this keyword. This operator applies only to the keyword to the right of the minus sign.

-pension gives search results that do not contain pension.

Advanced search

All these words: Enter all of the words that you want to search in the text box.

A search for income tax form will give search results containing all of the words income, tax and form.

Exact word or phrase: Enter a word or exact phrase in the text box (you can also use “quotation marks” in basic search. Results will contain all words in the phrase together, located one after the other, exactly as entered.

income tax form will only give search results containing income tax forms together as a phrase.

Any of these words: Enter keywords in the text box.

A search for income tax form will give search results containing any or all of the words income or tax, or form.

None of these words: Enter any words to be excluded from the search results in the text box.

form will exclude possible results containing the word form from the search.

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