Search Tips

Related Pages

CDC search uses a robust engine to power its searches. CDC’s search will find web pages, documents (word, pdfs, PowerPoint and excel documents) within CDC. Below are some tips on how to search. We are working to enhance the search to provide more powerful features and this page will be updated as more features are added.

Getting Started With Search

How to search?

      1. Enter in a few descriptive words into the search box
      2. Click on the search icon.
      3. Your results will be displayed on the screen.
      4. Click on the URL or document you wish to view.
      5. For example, type in “Flu Guidelines” and click on the icon.

Expanding or refining your search

Using the tips below will help to improve your search results.

Case sensitivity Searches are not case sensitive. Use either upper or lower case.
Refining your search Refine or narrow your search by adding more words to the search terms you have already entered. For example “flu in children” could be modified to “flu in adults and children”
Phrase search Phrase searches are helpful when you are searching on specific terms. To use phrase search add parentheses around the term. For example, “childhood vaccines schedule”
Word exclusion If your search term has more than one meaning, you can focus your search by adding a minus sign (“-“) in front of words related to the meaning you want to avoid. For example you can enter in “Flu –children” to view search results for flu but does not include children. Make sure that you have a space between the term and the term with the minus sign.
Stemming Stemming your search will search for not only your requested term but terms that are similar to that term. To use stemming add and “*” to the end of your search term.
Page last reviewed: March 25, 2019
Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention