Firefox 140 lets you add custom search engines in a few different ways: from supported websites, in your Firefox settings, or by entering a custom URL using %s as a placeholder.

With this capability, Firefox gives you the freedom to customize your searching experience with the tools that work best for you. For example, you can build a specific search engine with a website you frequently visit (think YouTube or IMDB).

In this article, you'll learn how to create a custom search engine in Firefox to make the searching experience faster and easier.

Add a custom search engine from a supported website

A supported website is any website that Firefox recognizes as a searchable source. Such websites must include either an OpenSearch description file or a tag in their code that points to a search engine.

1. Right-click the search field.
2. Select Add Search Engine.

   

3. Add the custom engine in the Search engine name, add a keyword (it’s optional), and click on Add Engine.

   

Add a custom search engine in Settings

You can add custom search engines from websites in Firefox, even if they’re not supported.

1. Go to the main menu , and click on Settings.
2. Go to Search.
3. Scroll down to Search Shortcuts.
4. Click on Add.

   

5. Fill in the Search engine name with a name for your custom search engine.
6. In the URL box, copy & paste the URL of the custom search engine.
   • For example: https://example.com/
7. Replace the URL’s search tag with %'s.
   • For example: https://example.com/search?q=%s
8. Add a keyword (this is optional).
9. Click on Add Engine to save.

   

FAQ

Q: Why does the URL need to contain %s?

A:%s is a placeholder that Firefox replaces with your search query. For example, if you type firefox settings, the browser will go to https://developer.mozilla.com/search?q=firefox+settings.

Q: What’s the purpose of the keyword?

A:A keyword is a shortcut you type in the address bar to trigger that custom search engine. For example: google privacy tools → searches Google instead of your default engine. The keyword is optional, and it is not required for the custom search engine to work.

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