Proximity Searching refers to the ability to specify how close within a record multiple terms should be to each other. The most commonly used proximity search option in Internet finding aids is a phrase search that requires terms to be in the exact order specified within the phrase markings. The default standard for identifying phrases is to use double quotes (" ") to surround the phrase.

Phrase Searching Example: "phrase searching is fun"

Beyond phrase searching, other proximity operators can specify how close terms should be to each other. Some will also specify the order of the search terms. Each search engine can define them differently and use various operator names such as NEAR, ADJ, W, or AFTER.