Sourcegraph Search Not Finding Results

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

1. 1. Widen the scope

   Copy steps
   1. Add rev: to search another branch, tag or commit
   2. Add fork:yes and archived:yes
   3. Remove repo: and file: filters one at a time
   Did this fix it? Yes No

2. 2. Check the pattern type

   Copy steps
   1. Enable regex (patternType:regexp or the toggle) if you use .* or other regex
   2. Add timeout:60s for broad searches
   Did this fix it? Yes No

3. 3. If a repo is missing entirely

   1. See the repository not cloning guide: it may not be synced yet
   Did this fix it? Yes No

Symptoms

A search you know should match returns nothing or misses a repo.

Why it happens

• Only HEAD of the default branch is searched
• Forks and archived repositories are excluded by default
• Pattern treated literally, not as regex
• Over-strict repo: or file: filters
• Search timeout (default 10 seconds)

This guide also covers

• sourcegraph search not working
• sourcegraph search no results
• sourcegraph not finding code

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