How to Enable Custom Search Engines in Browsers
Custom search engines can enhance your browsing experience by allowing you to perform specific searches tailored to your needs. Enabling custom search engines in popular browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge is relatively straightforward. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to enable and manage custom search engines in these browsers.
Enabling Custom Search Engines in Google Chrome
To enable custom search engines in Google Chrome, follow these steps:
- Open Google Chrome and click on the three vertical dots located in the upper-right corner.
- Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
- Scroll down and click on Privacy and security, then select Site settings.
- Go to Search engine and click on Manage search engines and site search.
- Under the Site search section, click Add to create a new custom search engine.
Fill in the required fields:
- Search engine: Name your custom search engine.
- Shortcut: Assign a keyword to quickly access your search engine.
- URL with %s in place of query: Enter the search URL from the website you want to create a custom search for, replacing the search term with %s.
Click Add once you've completed these fields. Your custom search engine is now ready to use!
Enabling Custom Search Engines in Firefox
For Mozilla Firefox users, enabling custom search engines is easy and quick:
- Open Firefox and click on the three horizontal lines in the upper-right corner to access the menu.
- Select Settings (or Options in older versions).
- In the menu, click on Search.
- Scroll down to the One-Click Search Engines section.
- Click on the Add button to create a custom search engine.
Complete the boxes with the following information:
- Name: Enter the name of the search engine.
- Keyword: This is the shortcut keyword to invoke the search engine.
- URL: Provide the search URL with %s, replacing the search term.
Once you are done with filling in these details, click OK. Your custom search engine will now appear in the list of available search options.
Enabling Custom Search Engines in Microsoft Edge
If you're using Microsoft Edge, you can enable custom search engines with the following steps:
- Launch Microsoft Edge and click on the three dots in the upper-right corner.
- Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
- On the left sidebar, navigate to Privacy, search, and services.
- Scroll down to the Address bar and search section and click on Manage search engines.
- Here, you can add a new search engine by clicking on Add.
You’ll need to enter the following:
- Search engine: Choose a name for your search engine.
- Keyword: Set a shortcut to access the search engine quickly.
- URL with %s in place of query: Insert the search URL accordingly.
After filling in the required fields, click Add. Your custom search engine is now configured and ready for use!
Using Your Custom Search Engines
After you have enabled custom search engines in your browser, they can be accessed directly from the address bar by typing the assigned shortcut followed by your search term. For example, if you created a custom search engine for a specific site, simply enter the shortcut and your query, and you’ll be directed to the search results instantly.
Custom search