Intro: The Surface Isn't Enough

Google Dorking isn't just about typing "admin login" into a search bar — it's about weaponizing Google's massive index against misconfigured infrastructure. Most people stop at inurl and filetype. We're going deeper.

Let's move beyond basic queries and into tactical enumeration, target profiling, and data exposure hunting using advanced operators, query stacking, and intel chaining.

Complete List of Useful Google Search Operators

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🛠️Advanced Recon for Bug Bounty

Subdomain Discovery (Passive Recon)

Use Google Dorking to passively enumerate subdomains.

🔍 Dorks:

site:*.target.com -www
site:*.target.com
site:*.*.target.com

🔥 Goal:

Find non-obvious subdomains like:

  • admin.target.com
  • dev.target.com
  • staging.target.com
  • assets.target.com

These are entry points — many are misconfigured or forgotten.

Open Directories / Indexes

Crawl for Apache/Nginx open listings with potentially sensitive files.

🔍 Dorks:

intitle:"index of" site:target.com
intitle:"index of /" + target

🔥 Look for:

  • /config
  • /logs
  • /backup
  • /uploads
  • /db

If you see files like config.php, wp-config.php, .env, or .sql, you're likely in juicy territory.

Hunt for Configs, Credentials, Secrets

This is prime information disclosure material — credentials, tokens, DB strings, and internal API keys.

🔍 Dorks:

filetype:env site:target.com
filetype:log site:target.com
filetype:txt site:target.com intext:"password"
filetype:xml site:target.com intext:"apikey"

🔥 Look for:

  • .env, .ini, .log, .conf, .json, .yml
  • Keywords: password, secret, DB_PASSWORD, AWS_SECRET, token

Find Login Panels or Admin Interfaces

Many apps forget to remove staging/admin panels.

🔍 Dorks:

inurl:admin site:target.com
inurl:login site:target.com
intitle:"login" site:target.com
inurl:/dashboard/ site:target.com

🔥 Look for:

  • /admin, /dashboard, /manager, /cpanel, /wp-admin
  • Login portals with weak or default creds (next steps: bruteforce or credential stuffing, depending on scope)

Backups, Dumps, and Old Files

This often leads to database leaks, old versions, or full app dumps.

🔍 Dorks:

filetype:sql site:target.com
filetype:bak site:target.com
filetype:old site:target.com
filetype:tar.gz | filetype:zip | filetype:7z site:target.com

🔥 Targets:

  • db.sql
  • website-backup.zip
  • 2023_old.tar.gz
  • .bak or .old versions of critical configs

Find Exposed Test/Dev Environments

Test and staging environments are usually less secure — old code, verbose errors, debug info.

🔍 Dorks:

inurl:/test/ site:target.com
inurl:/staging/ site:target.com
inurl:/dev/ site:target.com
site:target.com inurl:staging OR inurl:test OR inurl:dev

🔥 Look for:

  • Developer notes
  • Debugging output
  • Test credentials
  • Verbose error pages

Recon on Pastebin + Pastesites (Exposed Data)

Pastebin is notorious for credential dumps, API keys, and source code.

🔍 Dorks for Pastebin:

site:pastebin.com "target.com"
site:pastebin.com intext:"@target.com"
site:pastebin.com intext:"API_KEY" | intext:"password" "target.com"

Also search:

site:ghostbin.co "target.com"
site:controlc.com "target.com"
site:dpaste.org "target.com"

GitHub & Git Recon (Dev Mistakes Galore)

Developers constantly push secrets to GitHub. Use this for OSINT-level repo crawling and key hunting.

🔍 Dorks for GitHub (via Google):

site:github.com "target.com" intext:"password"
site:github.com "target" filetype:env
site:github.com "target" intext:"api_key"

⚙️ Advanced Google Dorking Operators & Stack Combos

Wildcards (*) and Regex-like Tricks

Google allows wildcarding a single word with *. Example:

site:target.com intitle:"index of" "backup" *.sql

Why it works: You're targeting classic exposed backup directories with potential DB dumps.

Operator Stacking for Stealthy Enumeration

Stacking multiple operators lets you zero in on juicy stuff. Try combos like:

site:*.gov filetype:xls intext:"password" OR intext:"username"

Targets exposed Excel files on .gov domains with possible credentials.

Querying for Information Disclosure

Here's how you can find accidental leaks and debug output:

Exposed env files (Node, Laravel, etc.)

site:target.com inurl:.env DB_PASSWORD filetype:env
site:target.com inurl:.env | filetype:env
site:target.com inurl:.env OR filetype:env

PHPInfo (server fingerprinting goldmine)

site:target.com intitle:"phpinfo()" "PHP Version"
site:target.com inurl:test.php intitle:"phpinfo()" 
site:target.com inurl:info.php "PHP Version"
site:target.com inurl:phpinfo

Apache status/info pages

site:target.com intitle:"Apache Status" OR intitle:"Apache Server Status"

🛠 Tools to Amplify Google Dorking

  • GHDB — Exploit-DB Google Hacking Database
  • DorkSearch CLI Tool — Automates mass-dorking
  • FOCA — Extracts metadata and uses Google/Bing to find leaks
  • Recon-ng, theHarvester — Can use dorks during recon phases
  • DorkSearch.py — Light and quick CLI
  • [Google Custom Search Engine (CSE)] — Build your own filtered search tool

Final Word

Google Dorking is still one of the most underutilized recon and enumeration tools — especially for finding accidental data exposures and poor opsec habits. When used right, it reveals low-hanging fruit that automated scanners often miss.

You don't need exploits — you need eyes and the right search terms.

📬 If you found this helpful, follow me here Shah KAIF and drop a comment.

Taught by Hacker4Help — Respect to the Mentor (Rey Patel)

This Google Dorking mindset, precision, and recon depth? All shaped under the guidance of Hacker4Help — a place where curiosity meets strategy, and search engines become weapons in the right hands.

From blind dorks to targeted intel gathering, everything I learned here started with one thing: asking the right questions.

Salute to the one who teaches you to see what others overlook.

Shah kaif | Hacker4help | Amish Patel | Rey Patel