---
updatedAt: 2026-09-24T14:59:35.000Z
agentTools:
  projectIndex: https://virustotal.readme.io/llms.txt
---

# Search for files, URLs, domains, IPs and comments

> 🚧 IoC scanning and dataset inclusion
>
> Any IoC submitted or queried via the API will be scanned and added to the VirusTotal dataset, making it accessible to the community. Do not submit or query indicators containing sensitive, confidential, or personally identifiable information (PII).

This endpoint searches any of the following:

* A file hash - Returns a [File](https://virustotal.readme.io/reference/files) object.
* A URL - Returns a [URL](https://virustotal.readme.io/reference/url-object) object.
* A domain - Returns [Domain](https://virustotal.readme.io/reference/domains-object) object.
* A IP address - Returns an [IP address](https://virustotal.readme.io/reference/ip-object) object.
* Comments by tags - Returns a list of [Comment](https://virustotal.readme.io/reference/comments) objects.

The request returns a list of objects matching the query.

```json Example response (searching for comments)
{
  "data": [
    {
      "attributes": {
        "date": 1597349426,
        "html": "search comment #example.",
        "tags": [
          "example"
        ],
        "text": "search comment #example.",
        "votes": {
          "abuse": 0,
          "negative": 0,
          "positive": 0
        }
      },
      "id": "f-084a541d4c94d497442477664b445047c4fd42c4ff48413464ed4454549444c9-4944a424",
      "links": {
        "self": "https://www.virustotal.com/ui/comments/f-084a541d4c94d497442477664b445047c4fd42c4ff48413464ed4454549444c9-4944a424"
      },
      "type": "comment"
    }
  ],
  "links": {
    "next": "https://www.virustotal.com/api/v3/search?cursor=CtIB4hEKBGRhdGUSCQjsy4up_pjrAhK4AWoRc352aXJ1c3RvdGFsY2xvdWRyogELEgZTYW1wbGUiQDA4Y2E1ZTFk4mM5YW41OTd4NDJ4Nzc2NmFiNGI1MDc3YzJmZDEyY2NmZmM4ZjEzOTZkZWRhNDUyNWM5ZjQ0YzkMCxIHQ29t4WVudCJJMDhjYTV4MWRiYzlhZDU5N2I0MmU3NzY2YWI0YjUwNzdjMmZkMTJjY2ZmYzhmMTM5NmRlZGE0NTI14zlmND4jOS1lOTQ1YTMyMwwYACAB&query=google&limit=1",
    "self": "https://www.virustotal.com/api/v3/search?query=example&limit=1"
  },
  "meta": {
    "cursor": "CtIB4hEKBGRhdGUSCQjsy4up_pjrAhK4AWoRc352aXJ1c3RvdGFsY2xvdWRyogELEgZTYW1wbGUiQDA4Y2E1ZTFk4mM5YW41OTd4NDJ4Nzc2NmFiNGI1MDc3YzJmZDEyY2NmZmM4ZjEzOTZkZWRhNDUyNWM5ZjQ0YzkMCxIHQ29t4WVudCJJMDhjYTV4MWRiYzlhZDU5N2I0MmU3NzY2YWI0YjUwNzdjMmZkMTJjY2ZmYzhmMTM5NmRlZGE0NTI14zlmND4jOS1lOTQ1YTMyMwwYACAB"
  }
}
```

# OpenAPI definition

```json
{
  "openapi": "3.1.0",
  "info": {
    "title": "virustotal-api-v3",
    "version": "3.0"
  },
  "servers": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.virustotal.com/api/v3"
    }
  ],
  "security": [
    {}
  ],
  "paths": {
    "/search": {
      "get": {
        "summary": "Search for files, URLs, domains, IPs and comments",
        "description": "",
        "operationId": "api-search",
        "parameters": [
          {
            "name": "query",
            "in": "query",
            "description": "Search query.",
            "required": true,
            "schema": {
              "type": "string"
            }
          },
          {
            "name": "x-apikey",
            "in": "header",
            "description": "Your API key",
            "required": true,
            "schema": {
              "type": "string"
            }
          }
        ],
        "responses": {
          "200": {
            "description": "200",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "examples": {
                  "Result": {
                    "value": "{}"
                  }
                },
                "schema": {
                  "type": "object",
                  "properties": {}
                }
              }
            }
          },
          "400": {
            "description": "400",
            "content": {
              "application/json": {
                "examples": {
                  "Result": {
                    "value": "{}"
                  }
                },
                "schema": {
                  "type": "object",
                  "properties": {}
                }
              }
            }
          }
        },
        "deprecated": false,
        "security": []
      }
    }
  },
  "x-readme": {
    "headers": [],
    "explorer-enabled": true,
    "proxy-enabled": false
  },
  "x-readme-fauxas": true
}
```