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Add or remove a search engine in Waterfox

Waterfox comes with a number of available search engines by default. Many websites offer search engines that you can add to Waterfox. This allows you to search with that website’s search engine, directly from your Waterfox address bar or Search bar. This article explains how to add or remove the search engines that Waterfox uses.

Add search engines

Waterfox offers an optional Search bar. See Add the Search bar to your Waterfox toolbar to add it to Waterfox.

  1. Visit a website that offers an OpenSearch search engine (we’ll use YouTube as an example).
  2. Click the magnifying glass addsearch 40 icon in the Search bar.
  3. Click on the YouTube AddYouTubeSearchBarIcon icon in the Search bar drop-down. Fx91SearchBar-AddYouTube

The search engine will appear in your available search options.

Add a search engine from the address bar

When you visit a website that offers an OpenSearch search engine, you can add it from the address bar context menu (we’ll use YouTube as an example).

  1. Right-click on the address bar. Fx89AddSearchEngine
  2. Select Add “YouTube” from the context menu.

Mycroft Project search engine plugins

The Mycroft Project website offers search engine plugins. When you click on an available search plugin, you can add it to Waterfox from the Search bar or from the address bar context menu, on the Install plugin page.

Fx97InstallMycroftSearchEngine

Search engine add-ons

Many providers offer search engine add-ons. To find these search engines and add them to Waterfox:

  1. Click the menu button menu button and select Settings.

  2. In the Options tab that opens, click on Search in the left pane.

  3. At the bottom of the Search panel, click on the Find more search engines link. The Waterfox Add-ons website will open.

  4. Select the search engine add-on you want to install and click Add to Waterfox.

Hide search engines

Follow these steps to remove alternative search engines you don’t want to use.

  1. Click the menu button menu button and select Settings.

  2. In the Options tab that opens, click on Search in the left pane.

  3. Under Search Shortcuts, remove the check mark next to each search engine you don’t want to use. Fx83settings-HideSearchEngine

Remove search engines

To remove a search engine, follow these steps:

  1. Click the menu button menu button and select Settings.

  2. In the Options tab that opens, click on Search in the left pane.

  3. Under Search Shortcuts, click on the search engine you want to remove. Fx83settings-RemoveSearchEngine

  4. Click the Remove button to take it off your list.

Adding back a removed search engine

If you remove a search engine that you added yourself and you change your mind, you’ll have to add it back again, either from the Search bar or address bar by visiting the website or by reinstalling the Search engine add-on (see above).

If you remove any of the default search engines that are built into Waterfox, you’ll have to go to your Waterfox Options Search panel and click the Restore Default Search Engines button in the Search Shortcuts section to bring them back.