What's the point of Google search with asterisks? We explain

There are many ways to refine Google search on your own. Among the well-known search operators are asterisks (*). Our guide explains what role the character plays and what it is used for.

Now obsolete: The asterisk still works, but it's not really necessary anymore.

Search operators like the asterisk are suitable for very specific purposes in search.

How to use Google search with asterisks

The asterisk stands for a variable in programming. Related to a Google search, this means:

• By including an asterisk (*) in the search query, you leave room for any content.
• The asterisk thus belongs to the auto-completion. However, since this is automatically active and works better and better, the asterisk is now somewhat obsolete.

Of all the search operators, the asterisk is thus the least important - its core function has long been incorporated into the normal mechanism of Google.