You can add new search engines in Firefox to give you the freedom to customize your search 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).

Starting in Firefox version 140, you can add custom search engines from the search field of supported websites, or in Firefox settings by entering a custom URL. This article explains how to do this.

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 and select Add Search Engine.

   

2. Add a custom Search engine name and add a Keyword (it’s optional).

   

3. Click 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. Click the main menu button, click Settings and select Search from the left panel.

   

2. Go down to the Search Shortcuts section and click the Add button.
   • The Add Search Engine box will open.
3. Under Search engine name, add a name for your custom search engine.

   

4. In the URL with %s in place of the search term field, copy & paste the URL of the custom search engine.
   • For example: https://example.com/
5. Add the search query code for the website (commonly search?q= but may vary) to the end of the URL, with %s as the search term.
   • For example: https://example.com/search?q=%s or (for IMDB) https://example.com/find/?q=%s
6. Add a Keyword (this is optional).
7. Click Add Engine to save.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the URL need to contain %s?

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

What’s the purpose of the keyword?

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.

Related articles

• How to search IMDB, Wikipedia and more from the address bar
• Add or remove a search engine in Firefox
• Manage Firefox search settings
• My default search engine changed after updating Firefox
• Search with the Firefox address bar