The address bar makes it easier for you to find what you’re looking for. Enter search terms or a specific web address to get search suggestions,your top sites, bookmarks, history and search engines — all within the same field.
You can also update Firefox or fix performance issues right from the search results. On occasion, you may see a tip from Firefox on how you can save time while searching.
Keep reading to learn more about the address bar’s powerful features.
Table of Contents
Searching with the default search engine
When you search using the address bar, this will use your default search engine. Simply type your search term in the address bar and press EnterReturn.
To change your default search engine, see Change your default search settings in Firefox.
Access your top sites from the address bar
Your top sites are those you visit the most (a combination of your most recently and frequently visited sites), as well as the sites you’ve pinned. You can access your top sites from the drop-down list that appears when you click the address bar. If you’ve installed Firefox for the first time, it suggests top-ranked sites by default.
Top sites appear in the same order as the shortcut tiles in your New Tab page (you can customize them on your New Tab page).
Search shortcuts
When you click in the address bar, clicking on a search engine in the drop-down list (like Google or Amazon) will autofill the address bar with a search engine shortcut (example: @amazon) so you can perform a search without having to load the search page. Just enter your search term after the search shortcut to perform your search (example: @amazon adventure books). When you type @ into the address bar, a list of all search engine shortcuts that begin with @ is shown. You can select one by pressing ↓ or by clicking it.
You can also use shortcuts to search Firefox Add-ons, Bookmarks(*), Tabs(%) and History(^).
Tip: If you don't want to use the mouse or a search shortcut does not appear in the list, you can type in the shortcut or just the first part (example: @a or @amazon) then press EnterReturn or → and type in your search term.
Use a different search
When you start typing a search term in the address bar, you'll see icons to search instead with: other search engines, Bookmarks, Tabs, or History.
You can also choose a search type by pressing Alt + ↓ or Alt + ↑option + ↓ or option + ↑ repeatedly.
For more information on using alternative search engines, see Change your default search settings in Firefox.
Search suggestions
Firefox suggests relevant search terms and even solutions related to the answer or task you may be looking for. Here are some examples of search suggestions.
Keyword suggestions
When you start typing in the address bar, Firefox suggests relevant popular searches as provided by search engines like Google, Bing, etc. When search suggestions are enabled, the text you type is sent to the default search engine, which analyzes the words and displays a list of related searches.
Write a ? before your input (for example: ?mozilla support)
- if you want to see only search suggestions
- or if you want to see search suggestions although the setting "Show search suggestions in address bar results" is disabled (but the setting "Provide search suggestions" has to be enabled).
When you are using a search shortcut, the keyword suggestions come from the chosen search engine.
Smart keywords do not make keyword suggestions.
Site suggestions
As you type into the address bar, Firefox may offer relevant site suggestions, such as websites from your browsing history, bookmarks and open tabs, to help you quickly and easily navigate the web. To learn more, see Address bar autocomplete suggestions in Firefox.
URL autocomplete
As you type a web address or search term in the address bar, the URL autocomplete feature automatically finishes what you’re typing based on matching websites in your bookmarks, history, or popular websites. This lets you visit websites in just a few keystrokes (no mouse needed). Just press EnterReturn when Firefox finds a match.
Prevent URL autocomplete when searching
If your search term autocompletes to a web address that you don't want to visit, press Del, Backspacedelete or Space before pressing EnterReturn.
You can also begin your search with a ? to prevent autocomplete (for example: "?mozilla.org"). This will also prevent your search from autocompleting with bookmarks, smart keywords and search shortcuts.
Firefox Solution buttons
Firefox lets you get solutions to popular tasks, like downloading, updating, or fixing Firefox. When you start typing a task, Firefox will suggest a solution so you can fix the problem and get back to the things that are important to you.
Example: Entering “Download Firefox” when you already have Firefox installed.
