How to search for Homebrew packages

Homebrew installs packages by token, and similar names can point to different formulae, casks, or versioned variants. Searching before an install keeps the next command aimed at the intended package instead of the closest-looking match.

Formulae usually provide command-line tools and libraries, while casks manage applications, fonts, plugins, and other packaged artifacts. brew search checks formula names and cask tokens by default, and --formula or --cask narrows the result when the package type is already known.

Description searches help when the package purpose is clearer than its token. Exact regular-expression searches are useful after a broad match returns related names, because Homebrew treats text flanked by slashes as a pattern and returns an error when no formula or cask matches.

1. Search package names across formulae and casks.

   $ brew search wget
   wget
   wget2
   wgetpaste

   brew search performs a substring search. Similar tokens can appear together, so do not assume the first result is the package to install.

2. Limit the search to formulae.

   $ brew search --formula wget
   wget
   wget2
   wgetpaste

   Use --formula when searching for command-line tools, libraries, services, or dependencies managed as Homebrew formulae.
   Related: How to install a Homebrew formula

3. Limit the search to casks.

   $ brew search --cask visual-studio-code
   visual-studio
   visual-studio-code
   visual-studio-code@insiders

   Use --cask when searching for applications, fonts, plugins, or other app-style packages.
   Related: How to install a Homebrew cask

4. Search formula descriptions when the token is unknown.

   $ brew search --formula --desc "file retriever"
   ==> Formulae
   wget: Internet file retriever

   For formulae, --desc searches package descriptions. For casks, it searches names and descriptions. Keep --formula or --cask in the command when the result should stay within one package type.

5. Search for an exact token with a regular expression.

   $ brew search '/^wget$/'
   wget

   Slashes make the search text a regular expression. The ^ and $ anchors match the complete token, which avoids related results such as wget2 or wgetpaste.

6. Confirm the selected package before using it in an install or upgrade command.

   $ brew info --formula wget
   ==> wget: stable 1.25.0 (bottled), HEAD
   Internet file retriever
   https://www.gnu.org/software/wget/
   Installed (on request)
   From: https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-core/blob/HEAD/Formula/w/wget.rb
   License: GPL-3.0-or-later
   ==> Installed Kegs and Versions
   wget 1.25.0 (92 files, 4.7MB) [Linked]
   ==> Dependencies
   Required (5): libidn2, libpsl, openssl@3, gettext, libunistring
   ##### snipped #####

   Check the package type, description, source tap, install state, and dependencies before installing or changing the package.
   Related: How to check Homebrew package information