A relatively unknown feature in Firefox (from what it seems) is the keyword feature, which I find immensely useful. The keyword feature basically lets you map a particular URL to a particular keyword. For example, the keyword go might point to the URL http://www.google.com/.
This lets us go to sites without having to type in the entire URL, or, even worse, having to use that cursed thing called a mouse.
Creating a keyword is simply a matter of bookmarking a page, editing the bookmark properties and type in a word into the Keyword entry.
Keywords also support arguments. For instance, you can make go trips to the bahamas go directly to a google search for “trips to the bahamas”. Or imdb kate beckinsale lead to a search on the IMDB for “kate beckinsale”. We’re going to set the go keyword up here. Since I’ve had to explain how to do it to a number of people, I figured I might as well blog about it and point them at the entry.
1. Google.
Skip over to http://www.google.com/
2. Search for “lalala”.
Or replace “lalala” with some easy to spot single word without odd characters in it.
If you look at the URL in the image above, you see that it’s a construct of arguments that Google uses to “remember” what you’re looking for. It doesn’t take a master’s degree to spot…
… the “q=lalala” part. Whatever we set q to in the above q=VALUE expression is what Google will return search results for to us. What we do here is replace lalala with %s. %s (percentage-sign s) is a special feature in keywords in Firefox, which means “the string arguments”.
Hitting enter, you will get some irrelevant search results for “%s”. Now you’ll want to bookmark the page you get which includes “q=%s”.
Give it some appropriate name, e.g. “google quick search” and then Add it. Next, you want to change its properties a little, so go into Bookmarks → Manage Bookmarks, then scroll down to the bottom, right click the new “google quick search” bookmark and edit its properties.
The Keyword field is blank by default. You’ll want to add “go” (or some appropriate, short word) like I have done above. After this, you’re done.
Typing “go testing google search” into the location bar should render the following:
Wednesday, 15. February 2006
Very nice tutorial. I am a bit stunned that I’ve been using FF for this long and never even noticed the option to add keywords to my bookmarks. However… for the google search, another option would be to use the integrated search box. Of course, that only works if you keep it on the google search. If you -do- keep it on google, then it would be a matter of a ctrl+T + Tab + [keyword search] + enter. I like your solution though, because it makes it possible to do without relying on that integrated search box that works off multiple engines, and by using the shortcut you gave, you could easily keep the integrated search on something else like… say Wikipedia, and quick search that as well.
Wednesday, 15. February 2006
Yeah, I was thinking of including that thing, but thought some people, like myself, prefer to simply rip it out and use the keyword method described above. I have 6-7 different keywords set up, imdb being one of them.
Wednesday, 15. February 2006
That’s actually a more simple solution, now that you mention removing the integrated search and doing it that way. Plus it avoids the mouse entirely
Targeting your searches based on a starting keyword like (I’m assuming): go [search word] (for google) wiki [search word] (for wikipedia) dict [word] (for dictionary.com), etc.. Makes sense.
Tuesday, 4. April 2006
Tnx man!
Friday, 21. April 2006
It’s been awhile since I used the keyword feature. Another really quick way to create a keyword is to:
1. Open the page that has the search facility you want ot use, for example Google.com.
2. Right-click on the search box.
3. Select the Add a keyword for this Search … menu option.
4. Type in the description and keyword, then decide where to save the bookmark, I tend to save them in the Quick Searches folder.
Works great for any page that has a search box, even this blog, :-). Regards.
Friday, 21. April 2006
Wow. I had no idea that functionality existed. Thanks!
-Kalle.