Searches in address bar always search via the engine chosen in the search bar
I think this started right after installing Firefox 23.0.1, before which a search in the address bar would always search Google.
Basically entering a string into the address bar will do the same thing as the search bar. If the search bar is set to Wikipedia, a search in the address bar will search Wikipedia. If the search bar is set to Youtube, it will search Youtube, and so on.
When I have about:config open and I change my search bar engine (using the browser's search bar drop-down menu, that is), these two values both change to that new selected search engine: browser.search.selectedEngine, and browser.search.defaultenginename. Their status is "user-set" FWIW.
Note: When installing Firefox 23, I did have two add-ons installed that affected the search bar: Organize Search Engines 1.7, and Add to Search Bar 2.0. Since then I have disabled the two add-ons and it hasn't changed anything.
Chosen solution
Check out this extension to restore the keyword.URL feature:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/keywordurl-hack/
All Replies (7)
The keyword.url string in the about:config is no longer valid in Firefox version 23 and higher.
The search engine used in the search bar will be used as the search provider in the address bar.
Sorry, but there is no way to change this.
Chosen Solution
Check out this extension to restore the keyword.URL feature:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/keywordurl-hack/
Thanks, I just found the answer in another support topic. The extension works great.
If anyone else is reading, install the keyword.URL extension, and then in about:config add a new string item called "keyword.URL". (Or if it already exists that's fine.) Enter the string value of the search engine you want; for google do: https://www.google.com/#safe=active&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=
Modified by stereogrammer
Thanks, I found this just in time. I was so annoyed, whithout this solution I would have removed firefox from my computer. I absolutely cannot understand how a so disruptive change (and it's absolutely air-headed, too: why have two different search fields if they do the same..??????) can be made without a direct remedy in the UI. As I mentioned, without the hack this change is a show stopper for me.
I used the keyword hack URL, added the keyword.URL string, added the google code, http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q= , and when I click on new tab I still get the stupid search.conduit!!!
Can someone please help? I don't understand what the keyword hack does, it does nothing for me? Of course I have 23.0.....
.....
Modified by margretdzn
In Firefox 23 versions and later the keyword.URL pref is no longer supported and it is no longer possible to specify the search engine for the location bar via the keyword.URL pref.
Current Firefox versions use the search engine that is selected in the search bar (click the search engine icon to open the drop down list) on the Navigation Toolbar for searching via the location bar and for the search engine on the about:home page.
If you want to use different search engines then you can install the Keyword Search extension to specify with search engine to use for the location bar and which search engine to use for the about:home page via the Options/Preferences windows of this extension, accessible via the about:addons page (Firefox > Add-ons).
- Keyword Search: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/keyword-search/