Search tips
Improve your searches to find what you are looking for more easily.
How to search
Type a few descriptive words into the search box and press the enter key or click the search button. Your search results will appear underneath the search box.
Spelling mistakes
If you have made a spelling mistake, the search engine will automatically try to correct the spelling and display results. For example, if you searched for “planing”, results will be displayed for “planning”.
See your search terms in the results
Underneath each search result is a piece of text that shows how your search terms appear on that page. Your search terms are displayed in bold text so that you can quickly decide if you want to visit that page.
Categories
Categories relating to your search will appear above your search results, such as Business, Planning and Forms etc. Clicking on these categories will narrow your search results and help you to find exactly what you're looking for.
For example, if you search for "council tax" and then click on the category, Advice, Benefits & Tax, you will be shown all the pages with the term “council tax” in the Advice, Benefits & Tax section.
Common questions
How can I get more search results?
If you want to expand your search and get more search results, try removing words from the search terms you have already entered.
How can I get less search results?
If you want to narrow your search and get less search results, try adding more words to the search terms you have already entered.
Do I need to use the word "and"?
The search engine only finds pages that include all of your search terms. There is no need to include "and" in between terms.
Does it matter if I use capital letters?
No - searches are not case sensitive. All letters, no matter how you enter them, are understood as lower case. For example, searches for "donald graham", "Donald Graham", and "donald Graham" all return the same results.
Advanced search tips
"OR" searches
To find pages that include either word A or word B, use an uppercase "OR" between terms or use our Advanced search page.
For example, to search for a sports pitch in Jarrow or Hebburn, enter: sports pitch jarrow OR hebburn
Searching for phrases
You can search for phrases by adding quotation marks or by using our Advanced search page. Words enclosed in double quotes ("like this") will find pages where these words appear together. This can be useful when searching for famous sayings or specific names, for example "Chief Executive".