support multiple arguments for a filter type

[gdinlightit]

is:pr is:open -author:author1 -author:author2 -author:author3

only excludes the last author

[gdinlightit]

nvm seems like this is on gh's side

sources:

• https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/53454
• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/36433230/in-github-is-there-a-way-to-search-for-pull-requests-created-by-any-author-from
• https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/159913
• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/71027849/cant-exclude-multiple-authors-in-github-search
• https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/152102

summary:

Root cause confirmed: Multiple -author exclusions in repository-level PR filters only apply the first one — the rest are silently
discarded. This is a known bug, not intended behavior, and remains unresolved as of mid-2025.

Key distinction your sources highlight — PR tab vs. global search:

Interface	Multiple -author:X exclusions
Repo PR tab (/pulls)	Broken — only first exclusion applied
Global search (/ bar)	Works correctly
Issues tab search	Works with uppercase OR operator

Best workarounds:

1. Global search — use repo:{REPO} is:open is:pr -author:author1-author:author2 -author:author3 from
   GitHub's top-level search bar (/) instead of the PR tab. All exclusions apply there.
2. Include instead of exclude — list only the authors you want: author:author1 author:author2 author:...
3. review-requested:@me — if you're on review for the PRs you care about, that's a cleaner filter altogether.

The global search route is probably your lowest-friction fix since it preserves your exact current intent.