Firefox comes with a set of default search engines, and you can add more from websites, add-ons, or partner pages. Some users want to add fully custom search engines, but Firefox only supports this in limited cases without an add-on.

This article explains what you can and can’t do, and shows the easiest ways to manage your search engines.

What Firefox supports (and what it doesn’t)

• Built-in default search engines (like Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo).
• Adding search engines from websites that support it.
• Adding search engine add-ons from addons.mozilla.org.
• Limited support for custom engines: Starting in Firefox version 140, you are able to add custom unsupported search engines in Firefox Settings. In earlier versions, Firefox does not allow you to create custom engines from scratch in Settings. You would need an extension such as Add custom search engine.

Add search engines

From the Search bar

Firefox offers an optional Search bar. If you’ve added it to your toolbar, you can also add search engines. If you haven’t yet, see Add the Search bar to your Firefox toolbar to add it to Firefox.

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

   

The search engine will appear in your available search options.

From the address bar

Visit a website that has a built-in search field (for example, YouTube).

1. Right-clickHold down the Control key while you click inside the search field.
2. Select Add “YouTube” from the context menu.

   

Mycroft Project search engine plugins

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

Search engine add-ons

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

1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and select Settings (select Preferences on older macOS versions).Click the menu button and select Settings.
2. Select Search in the left panel.
3. At the bottom, click the Find more search engines link. The Firefox Add-ons website will open.
4. Select the search engine add-on you want to install and click Add to Firefox.

Tip: If you added the optional Search bar, another way to open the Search panel is to click the magnifying glass on the Search bar and then click the Change search settings icon.

Hide search engines

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

1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and select Settings (select Preferences on older macOS versions).Click the menu button and select Settings.
2. In the Settings tab that opens, click Search in the left pane.
3. Under Search Shortcuts, remove the check mark next to each search engine you don't want to use.

   

Remove search engines

To remove a search engine, follow these steps:

1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and select Settings (select Preferences on older macOS versions).Click the menu button and select Settings.
2. Go to Search in the left panel.
3. Under Search Shortcuts, click the search engine you want to remove.
4. Click the Remove button to take it off your list.

   

Restore default search engines

If you removed one of Firefox’s built-in search engines (like Google or Bing):

1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and select Settings (select Preferences on older macOS versions).Click the menu button and select Settings.
2. Go to Search in the left panel.
3. In the Search shortcuts section, click Restore Default Search Engines.

Related articles

• Manage Firefox search settings
• Assign shortcuts to search engines
• Add the Search bar to your Firefox toolbar
• Disable or remove Add-ons