Start with the most distinctive part of what you are looking for: an error message, a document title, a filename or a short phrase.
Try an exact phrase
Put a phrase in quotation marks when the wording matters. If there are no useful results, shorten the phrase or try another distinctive term.
Use context
Add the product, project or topic that gives the phrase meaning. A little context can be more useful than a long sentence.
Check the original source
Open the result and confirm its context and date. A search result is a route to a source, not a guarantee that the material is current or correct.
Understand the coverage
Pasty searches public results through its search provider. It does not provide access to private accounts or guarantee that every public page will appear.
Work through a query in three passes
Suppose you are investigating a JavaScript error in public documentation or code discussions. The example below shows how to change one thing at a time.
- Start with the distinctive wording:
"cannot read properties". - Add context:
"cannot read properties" JavaScript. - Use what you learn: add the relevant library or function name from your own problem, or shorten the quoted phrase if the results are too narrow.
A longer query is not automatically more useful. Remove a term when it excludes the material you need, and compare the resulting sources.
A source-checking pass before you reuse a result
- Open the original page and identify its author or project.
- Check whether the document date or software version fits your question.
- Read the surrounding explanation rather than relying on the result snippet.
- For a technical claim, compare with the project’s own documentation when available.
Finding a snippet does not establish that it is correct, current or suitable to run in your environment.