Search (Basic and Advanced) — Tutorial

Step-by-step guide to searching X/Twitter with operators, advanced filters, and saved searches using XActions scripts.

Works on: Browser Console | Node.js (Puppeteer)
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Time: 2-10 minutes
Requirements: Logged into x.com in your browser

Prerequisites

• Logged into x.com in your browser
• Browser DevTools console (F12 -> Console tab)
• Navigate to https://x.com/search or https://x.com/explore

Quick Start

1. Open x.com and navigate to Search or Explore
2. Press F12 to open DevTools, then click the Console tab
3. Copy the script from src/saveSearch.js (browser) or use src/discoveryExplore.js (Node.js)
4. Edit the CONFIG section
5. Paste into the console and press Enter

Configuration

Browser Script (src/saveSearch.js)

const CONFIG = {
  action: 'save',
  //   'save'    -- save a search query
  //   'list'    -- list all saved searches
  //   'delete'  -- delete a saved search
  //   'search'  -- run a search and save it

  query: '',                       // The search query
  deleteQuery: '',                 // Query text of saved search to delete

  // Timing
  navigationDelay: 3000,
  actionDelay: 2000,

  // Safety
  dryRun: true,
};

Node.js Library (src/discoveryExplore.js)

import { searchTweets, advancedSearch } from './src/discoveryExplore.js';

X Search Operators Reference

Before diving into the scripts, here is a reference of X search operators you can use in any search query:

Combining Operators

You can combine multiple operators in a single query:

from:nichxbt since:2026-01-01 min_faves:10 -is:retweet lang:en

This finds original tweets (no reposts) by @nichxbt since January 2026 with at least 10 likes, in English.

Step-by-Step Guide

Saving a Search (Browser Script)

Step 1 -- Run a search

const CONFIG = {
  action: 'search',
  query: 'xactions OR "twitter automation" -is:retweet',
  dryRun: false,
};

The script types the query into the search bar, submits it, then saves the search.

Step 2 -- Save the current search

If you have already performed a search manually:

const CONFIG = {
  action: 'save',
  dryRun: false,
};

Listing Saved Searches

const CONFIG = {
  action: 'list',
  dryRun: false,   // Safe -- only reads data
};

Output:

Listing saved searches...
  xactions OR "twitter automation"
  from:nichxbt min_faves:10
  #web3 #defi since:2026-01-01
Found 3 saved searches

Deleting a Saved Search

const CONFIG = {
  action: 'delete',
  deleteQuery: 'xactions OR "twitter automation"',
  dryRun: true,
};

Node.js: Basic Search

Using the discoveryExplore.js module with Puppeteer:

import { searchTweets } from './src/discoveryExplore.js';

const tweets = await searchTweets(page, 'AI agents', {
  limit: 50,
  tab: 'latest',      // 'latest', 'people', or 'media'
  since: '2026-03-01',
  until: '2026-03-30',
});

console.log(`Found ${tweets.length} tweets`);
tweets.forEach(t => {
  console.log(`@${t.author}: ${t.text.substring(0, 80)}... (${t.likes} likes)`);
});

Node.js: Advanced Search with Filters

import { advancedSearch } from './src/discoveryExplore.js';

const results = await advancedSearch(page, {
  allWords: 'AI automation',
  exactPhrase: 'browser script',
  anyWords: 'XActions unfollowx',
  noneOfWords: 'spam scam',
  hashtags: '#buildinpublic',
  from: 'nichxbt',
  since: '2026-01-01',
  until: '2026-03-30',
  minLikes: 10,
  minRetweets: 5,
  hasMedia: false,
  lang: 'en',
  limit: 100,
});

console.log(`Found ${results.length} matching tweets`);

The advancedSearch function builds a query string from the filter object:

Tips & Tricks

• Saved searches are quick access. Click the search bar on X and your saved searches appear in the dropdown.
• Use since: and until: for time ranges. Format: YYYY-MM-DD.
• Combine -is:retweet with from: to see only original tweets from an account.
• min_faves: finds quality content. Use this to filter for popular tweets.
• The latest tab shows chronological results. The default "Top" tab shows algorithmic ranking.
• State is saved. Browser script progress is stored in sessionStorage under xactions_saveSearch.

Troubleshooting

Related Scripts

• src/discoveryExplore.js -- Node.js search, trends, and explore automation
• src/saveSearch.js -- Browser script for saving and managing searches
• src/topicManager.js -- Follow topics related to your searches