This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Bookmarklets not searchable from Firefox address bar

  • 6 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by UbuRex

more options

The address bar can be set to search bookmarks. I use that feature all the time: I probably have more than 1000 bookmarks, and I wouldn't want to bother to pull down the bookmark menu, navigate to find my bookmark of interest.

However...I also use bookmarklets frequently (i.e., bookmarks containing JavaScript). For whatever reason, although the address bar automatically searches all my *other* bookmarks and shows them in search results, it never shows any bookmarklets. Which means I'm stuck pulling down the bookmark menu to navigate to my bookmarklets. That seems unnecessary, and there's nothing intuitive about the fact that bookmarks would be searchable but bookmarklets (which are stored the same way) would not be.

Any thoughts about why my bookmarklets aren't available in address bar results?

The address bar can be set to search bookmarks. I use that feature all the time: I probably have more than 1000 bookmarks, and I wouldn't want to bother to pull down the bookmark menu, navigate to find my bookmark of interest. However...I also use bookmarklets frequently (i.e., bookmarks containing JavaScript). For whatever reason, although the address bar automatically searches all my *other* bookmarks and shows them in search results, it never shows any bookmarklets. Which means I'm stuck pulling down the bookmark menu to navigate to my bookmarklets. That seems unnecessary, and there's nothing intuitive about the fact that bookmarks would be searchable but bookmarklets (which are stored the same way) would not be. Any thoughts about why my bookmarklets aren't available in address bar results?

All Replies (6)

more options

Please update your Flash as the version you are running is old and a security risk Flash 22.0 r0 Use this please : https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-mac-os.html

Then update to : Flash Player Version: 27.0.0.183 https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/ Step 1: Select Operating System Step 2: Select A Version (Firefox, Win IE . . . .) Note: Other software is offered in the download. <Windows Only>

you can do this in Address Bar/Awesome Bar But not sure if searches bookmarks or just history.

So ... can do this put * (space) then what ever subject like news. I only see a couple of Extensions. https://www.accessfirefox.org/Firefox_Keyboard_and_Mouse_Shortcuts.html

Note : Firefox 56.0.2 is current release https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/ Full Version Installer Note : Firefox 57 Quantum release date Nov 14th https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/quantum/ Note : Legacy Extensions will be disabled and or removed.

Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

more options

Thanks for trying, doesn't work!

I can see that other people have tried to remedy the relative inaccessibility of bookmarklets from within Firefox. This add-on, for example, puts them in a context menu

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/bookmarklets-context-menu/

Again, though, I think they should be available the same way that all the other bookmarks are available. If you have a bookmark with the title "News" and you type News in the address bar, you'll get your bookmark. Likewise, you could have a bookmarklet called "News"...but there'd be *no* way to get to it unless you pulled down the bookmark menu.

You might have an easier time testing the issue (and understanding the issue) if you had a bookmarklet saved in your Firefox. There are some tips on where to find bookmarklets at

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/bookmarklets-perform-common-web-page-tasks#w_how-do-i-use-a-bookmarklet

Anyhow, thanks for continuing to investigate.

more options

You can toggle this pref to false on the about:config page.

  • browser.urlbar.filter.javascript = false

You can open the about:config page via the location/address bar. You can accept the warning and click "I accept the risk!" to continue.

more options

Not sure talking about the same thing....

From the Firefox Toolbar Menu/Menu Bar Click Bookmarks then Show All Bookmarks There is a search bar right there for searching your bookmarks.


Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

more options

Both these last two solutions are *getting there*...although it still seems as though it should be easier (i.e., it's not clear why bookmarklets -- which are stored in the same way as bookmarks -- should need to be searched for in a totally different way than bookmarks).

cor-el's suggestion is exactly what I suspected might be in the config somewhere, but didn't know where. This solution does make it possible to search bookmarklets from the address bar -- but bookmarklets are still less searchable than bookmarks. If you type the name of a bookmark, by name (not just by URL), in the address bar, it will show up among searches. Per my earlier example, if there is a bookmark called "News," it will pop up when you type News.

Even after I make cor-el's change, however, bookmarklets are not similarly searchable, though. If I type "News," it will *not* find a bookmarklet called News. The address bar will only find a bookmarklet called News if you start typing the *actual bookmarklet*, e.g., "Javascript:void..." and so on). Which is...not bad...but doesn't it seem that the same behavior should apply to bookmarklets that applies to bookmarks -- i.e., you should be able to type the name of the bookmarklet (not just the actual script) and it should be able to find it among one's bookmarks...?

I appreciate Pkshadow's attempt as well. It *is* possible to search bookmarklets by showing the bookmarks first. But that seems even more absurd, somehow: if you can search bookmarks+bookmarklets by *name* when you hit shift-Cmd-B (i.e., within the bookmark menu), shouldn't you be able to expect the same behavior when you hit Cmd-L (i.e., within the location bar)?

Thanks again for your thoughts!

more options

Way to go! Fixed in Firefox 57.0.

New behavior: when you type Cmd-L (to get to the location bar), then start typing the name of a saved bookmarklet (by *name*, not by the actual code), it will show the saved bookmarklet. So per my previous example, if you've called a saved bookmarklet "News," and you type News in the location bar -- that saved bookmarklet will be among results.

Problem fixed. Thanks all.