# Starting with

Learn how to check if a string starts with a specific prefix.

This operator checks if a string begins with another string. The test is case-sensitive, meaning that the strings must match exactly, including capitalization.

> **Multi-condition criteria**
>
> You can [combine conditions](/reference/cql/expressions/events/criteria/overview#multi-condition-criteria) to create more advanced criteria.

## Syntax

The basic syntax for this operator is:

```cql
with /*<name>*/ starting with /*<value>*/
```

The negation of this operation can be expressed as:

```cql
with /*<name>*/ not starting with /*<value>*/
```

## Parameters

These are the supported parameters:

- `name`: `string`

  The name of the [event property](/reference/cql/expressions/events/event-types) to check.

- `value`: `string`

  The string value to compare against.

## Examples

Check if a campaign name starts with a specific term:

```cql
user has viewed campaign with name starting with "Optimize"
```

Or to check the opposite:

```cql
user has viewed campaign with name not starting with "Optimize"
```