More Firefox keyword fun Oct10 '05

Doug’s feedback yesterday alerted me to a feature that I did not know existed.

I always knew you could use keywords, instead of bookmark icons, in Firefox - but I didn’t know you can also apply a keyword directly to a search - any search on any web site. That is, any web site that has a search text box.

This was a little confusing, to me, at first, so I’ll explain it here in detail, for those unaware.

Firefox search utility

Firefox already comes equipped with a search box, in the address bar, which comes pre-installed with various search engines (Google, Yahoo, Amazon, Dictionary.com, eBay), and you can add more.

Screen shot of Firefox search box

This search utility functions the same way that a keyword search would, so what Doug referenced is redundant, for those included search engines.

However, think about how many other sites you perform a search at. Wouldn’t it be easier to save a step, by searching right in the address bar, instead of waiting until the site loads, each time?

Netflix

For example, at Netflix, if I "right click" on the search text box:

Screen shot of Netflix search box

... a sub-menu appears, which allows you to Add a Keyword for this Search.

Once you click on that, you are presented with the 'Add Bookmark' dialog, which allows you to give a custom name for your search, which is what you use in the address bar:

Screen shot of a Netflix dialog box

As you can see, I named this custom Netflix search, 'Netflix Search,' and applied a keyword of 'netflix.'

To conduct this search from the address bar (without visiting Netflix first), you can just type, netflix [searchterm], where [searchterm] is the movie you are looking for:

Screen shot of Firefox address bar

Notice how I applied the keyword first (netflix), followed by a space, and then the search term (fever pitch).

This will take you directly to the search results, which saves a step.

Although it’s just a single step - it still saves time. Add up all those steps, and that results in time lost.

Categories: Browsers , Search , Tutorials

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Great tip. I use the built-in "dict" all the time to search dictionary.com, I'll definitely have to add my own. Now someone needs to come up with ... Read more.

Yeah, great point. I thought of this as well. For example, let's say on a personal site I am developing - I have a bunch of "admin" links, which ar ... Read more.

One more great reason to use Firefox! Thanks. ... Read more.

Actually, I think you can save a step here. In Firefox, if the URL is one word - epicurious, wikipedia, netflix, google, froogle - you don't need ... Read more.

Sue, thanks for your feedback. However, I'm not sure I follow what you mean. Isn't the URL always one word? The wik ... Read more.

very cool! i love firefox and i love netflix. oh the joy of having netflix in my search bar! bliss! ... Read more.

matthom is published and produced by Matt Thommes - an independent publishing enthusiast, mobile blogger, content creator, informative writer, web developer from a suburb of Chicago. Never one to conform, Matt intends to promote the effect the web has on our lives, in an effort to intensify, instruct, and clarify all that is happening around us.