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  • Last reply by dkrnic

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Can't find the proper forum for this question but perhaps someone can answer this...

I'm using the search feature a lot in the Support Forums. With no "advanced" search, I sure would like to match my queries on exact phrase at least, but quotes don't appear to work. I have tried using the "Advanced Search" under the Contributors tab, but you almost need a search ability to use it. Any tips beyond searching a particular Mozilla product forum?

Thanks...

Can't find the proper forum for this question but perhaps someone can answer this... I'm using the search feature a lot in the Support Forums. With no "advanced" search, I sure would like to match my queries on exact phrase at least, but quotes don't appear to work. I have tried using the "Advanced Search" under the Contributors tab, but you almost need a search ability to use it. Any tips beyond searching a particular Mozilla product forum? Thanks...

Chosen solution

I think you do need to use Advanced Search (https://support.mozilla.org/search/advanced) in order for quotation marks to work correctly.

For a long time, it was planned for this site to be replaced, so the search feature didn't get a lot of improvements. Earlier this year it was decided not to switch immediately, so now there is a backlog of fixes to be made. I certainly can't promise that the regular search box will support phrase searches any time soon.

In Advanced Search, you need to first select a category along the top:

  • Knowledge Base -- articles
  • Support Questions -- this forum
  • Discussion Forums -- where contributors discuss the site

Then you can use:

  • phrase search, e.g., "click to play"
  • alternative phrase search (implicit OR), e.g., "fullscreen" "full screen"
  • all words required (explicit AND), e.g., "click to play" + flash

You also can use your favorite search engine, and add site:support.mozilla.org to your query terms to target articles and solved threads.

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What support forum do you need?

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Chosen Solution

I think you do need to use Advanced Search (https://support.mozilla.org/search/advanced) in order for quotation marks to work correctly.

For a long time, it was planned for this site to be replaced, so the search feature didn't get a lot of improvements. Earlier this year it was decided not to switch immediately, so now there is a backlog of fixes to be made. I certainly can't promise that the regular search box will support phrase searches any time soon.

In Advanced Search, you need to first select a category along the top:

  • Knowledge Base -- articles
  • Support Questions -- this forum
  • Discussion Forums -- where contributors discuss the site

Then you can use:

  • phrase search, e.g., "click to play"
  • alternative phrase search (implicit OR), e.g., "fullscreen" "full screen"
  • all words required (explicit AND), e.g., "click to play" + flash

You also can use your favorite search engine, and add site:support.mozilla.org to your query terms to target articles and solved threads.

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Thanks jscher2000...

Good answer. My apologies going off topic, but you certainly will save me some time (and many others I suspect). I just didn't know where else to go with the question, and *knew* there had to be a reasonable answer. It is, after all, Mozilla and not Windows.  :-)

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Is it so difficult to just warn that words entered will be used as tags for the search? It's one line for god's sake.

Isn't enclosing text in either single or double quotes an easily detectable and sufficiently explicit indication that "phrase search" of Advanced Search is meant? Ever heard of "short-cuts"?

The only reason I wanted to upgrade to v.57 was that the separate search entry field in all of 56 previous versions was finally gone, but instead of removing it decades ago Mozilla changed everything that worked well and was familiar to users. As if a genius of Steve Ballmer's size is now leading the Mozilla team.