How to search for function definitions across multiple repositories?

[Fortotest]

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Hi everyone,

I'm trying to understand a large codebase that is split across multiple repositories.

I want to find the exact definition of a specific function (e.g., processPayment()), but I'm not sure which repository it lives in. Using the normal search bar on github.com gives me too many results, including function calls, not just the definition.

What is the best way to use GitHub's Code Search to find only the definition of a function, and search for it across all repositories at once?

Thanks!

[magnus-lower]

Hi! You can use GitHub’s new code search (available at cs.github.com) to look for function definitions across multiple repositories.

To narrow down your search to only definitions, try using filters like:

function processPayment definition:true

or use language-specific patterns, for example:

def processPayment

or

function processPayment

You can also add filters such as:

org:

to search across all repositories in your organization.

This should help you find where the function is actually defined rather than where it’s being called.

[zanilzanzan]

Hey @Fortotest,

You can use GitHub’s new code search syntax to make this a lot easier. If your organization has code search enabled, you can search across all repositories you have access to with filters like repo: and language:.

To find only the definition of a function such as processPayment, try something like this:

processPayment definition: true

This tells GitHub to look specifically for where the function is defined, not where it’s used. You can also narrow it down by language, for example:

processPayment definition: true language:javascript

If you want to search across all repos in your org, you can include:

org:your-org-name processPayment definition:true

This should help you jump straight to the function’s definition without wading through every reference or call.

[IsmaFerror]

Hi 👋
Great question — GitHub’s new Code Search (beta) is perfect for this use case, since it supports regex, qualifiers, and cross-repository searches.

Here’s how you can find only function definitions (not calls) across all your repositories:

🧩 1️⃣ Use regex patterns to match function definitions

If you’re searching for processPayment, try using the pattern keyword and a regex query:

pattern:/(function|def)\s+processPayment\b/

This tells GitHub Code Search to look for lines where processPayment appears right after function (JavaScript, TypeScript) or def (Python), instead of any random usage.

🧭 2️⃣ Search across all your repositories

To include every repo you have access to, use the user: or org: qualifiers:

user:your-username pattern:/(function|def)\s+processPayment\b/

or, if your projects belong to an organization:

org:your-org pattern:/(function|def)\s+processPayment\b/

You can also mix in language filters to narrow results:

org:your-org language:python pattern:/def\s+processPayment\b/
org:your-org language:typescript pattern:/function\s+processPayment\b/

⚙️ 3️⃣ Optional – search from the command palette

If you’re using GitHub’s code search UI, open it directly with the keyboard shortcut:

/ on any repo page

Then paste your query into the search bar.

You’ll see exact matches of where the function is defined, with code previews.

💡 4️⃣ Bonus tip

If you often search across many repos, try “search sets” in the new Code Search interface — they let you group multiple repositories (e.g., all your microservices) and search them together efficiently.

Hope this helps you zero in on the real function definitions quickly 🔍
(If this answered your question, please mark it as the accepted answer so others can find it easily!)

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[thiagomoslavacz]

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idk.