Perform Web Searches Directly From Your Browser
For many people, search engines such as Google and Yahoo! are the most commonly used tools for finding information online. Search engines allow Internet users to search through millions of web sites for specific topics in a fraction of a second. Without these tools, Internet users would have to remember or try to guess web page addresses for the sites they wanted to visit.
Because search engines are such important tools for Internet users, many web browsers such as Internet Explorer and Netscape have included search engine features. In this week’s letter, we want to show you a trick that you can use with your web browser that will make online searching a little bit easier.
When most people search online, they go to the web site for their search engine of choice such as www.google.com and then type in the topic that they are searching for. It is possible, however, to perform a search using your engine of choice without first browsing to the search engine page. The newest versions of the most common browser programs have a search feature built in that allows you to perform a search from the browser itself, regardless of the page you are currently visiting. For example, Internet Explorer lets you search using the engine of your choice simply by typing the search term directly into the address bar at the top of the window.
Depending on the browser you are using and the search engine you prefer, you may need to change some settings in your browser in order to best use the search capabilities. Below we have included information about and instructions for configuring the most popular web browser programs.
Internet Explorer: Users can perform searches using their choice of search engine by typing search terms directly into the address bar. To change the search engine that is used, open the search pane by going to View->Explorer Bar->Search. Click Customize in the Search pane and then click the Autosearch settings button. Here you will be able to select from a list of search providers.
FireFox/Netscape 8: Users can perform searches using the FireFox search bar next to the address bar. To change which search engine is used, click on the search engine logo in the search bar and select from the resulting list.
Netscape 6 & 7: Users can perform searches using their choice of search engine by typing search terms directly into the location bar and then clicking the Search button. To change the search engine that is used, go to Edit->Preferences->Navigator->Internet Search and select a default search engine.
Safari: Users can perform searches using the Google search bar next to the address bar. At this time, Safari does not allow users to change which search engine is used.
Opera 8: Users can perform a Google search directly in the address field by typing the letter g followed by a space and then the search term.
