diff --git a/rhodecode/controllers/search.py b/rhodecode/controllers/search.py
--- a/rhodecode/controllers/search.py
+++ b/rhodecode/controllers/search.py
@@ -107,5 +107,6 @@ class SearchController(BaseRepoControlle
         c.runtime = execution_time
         c.cur_query = search_query
         c.search_type = search_type
+        c.searcher = searcher
         # Return a rendered template
         return render('/search/search.mako')
diff --git a/rhodecode/lib/helpers.py b/rhodecode/lib/helpers.py
--- a/rhodecode/lib/helpers.py
+++ b/rhodecode/lib/helpers.py
@@ -1842,6 +1842,24 @@ def journal_filter_help():
     )
 
 
+def search_filter_help(searcher):
+
+    terms = ''
+    return _(
+        'Example filter terms for `{searcher}` search:\n' +
+        '{terms}\n' +
+        'Generate wildcards using \'*\' character:\n' +
+        '     "repo_name:vcs*" - search everything starting with \'vcs\'\n' +
+        '     "repo_name:*vcs*" - search for repository containing \'vcs\'\n' +
+        '\n' +
+        'Optional AND / OR operators in queries\n' +
+        '     "repo_name:vcs OR repo_name:test"\n' +
+        '     "owner:test AND repo_name:test*"\n' +
+        'More: {search_doc}'
+    ).format(searcher=searcher.name,
+             terms=terms, search_doc=searcher.query_lang_doc)
+
+
 def not_mapped_error(repo_name):
     flash(_('%s repository is not mapped to db perhaps'
             ' it was created or renamed from the filesystem'
diff --git a/rhodecode/lib/index/__init__.py b/rhodecode/lib/index/__init__.py
--- a/rhodecode/lib/index/__init__.py
+++ b/rhodecode/lib/index/__init__.py
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ default_location = '%(here)s/data/index'
 
 
 class BaseSearch(object):
+    query_lang_doc = ''
+
     def __init__(self):
         pass
 
diff --git a/rhodecode/lib/index/whoosh.py b/rhodecode/lib/index/whoosh.py
--- a/rhodecode/lib/index/whoosh.py
+++ b/rhodecode/lib/index/whoosh.py
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 class Search(BaseSearch):
-
+    # this also shows in UI
+    query_lang_doc = 'http://whoosh.readthedocs.io/en/latest/querylang.html'
     name = 'whoosh'
 
     def __init__(self, config):
diff --git a/rhodecode/templates/search/search.mako b/rhodecode/templates/search/search.mako
--- a/rhodecode/templates/search/search.mako
+++ b/rhodecode/templates/search/search.mako
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
             ${h.select('type',c.search_type,[('content',_('File contents')), ('commit',_('Commit messages')), ('path',_('File names')),],id='id_search_type')}
             <input type="submit" value="${_('Search')}" class="btn"/>
             <br/>
+
             <div class="search-feedback-items">
             % for error in c.errors:
               <span class="error-message">
@@ -71,10 +72,16 @@
                   % endfor
               </span>
             % endfor
+            <div class="field">
+                <p class="filterexample" style="position: inherit" onclick="$('#search-help').toggle()">${_('Example Queries')}</p>
+                <pre id="search-help" style="display: none">${h.tooltip(h.search_filter_help(c.searcher))}</pre>
+            </div>
+
             <div class="field">${c.runtime}</div>
             </div>
         </div>
     </div>
+
     ${h.end_form()}
     <div class="search">
     % if c.search_type == 'content':