Firefox has been my Web browser of choice for a couple of years now. As an open source project, it allows for all sorts of plugins and extensions to add functionality and fun. But my favorite feature of Firefox is one that’s built in to browser itself: Smart Keywords.
Essentially, Smart Keywords allow you to run searches from Firefox’s address bar. Here’s how it works:
- Download and install
- Surf over to a site you use a lot for searching, such as Yahoo!, and right click (ctrl + click for Mac users) in the search box. Click on the option “Add a Keyword for this Search.”
- In the field marked “Keyword,” type an abbreviation for the site you’re using (example: for Yahoo!, my Smart Keyword is “y”).
- In the “Name” field, type the name of the site and the keyword you give it (mine looks like “Yahoo [y]”). It’s important to include your Keyword in the Name field because if you forget the Keyword, you’ll be able to access it from your Bookmarks menu. Otherwise, you’d have to go to Bookmarks => Organize Bookmarks and access the properties for each saved Keyword. Trust me, it’ll save you time down the road.
- Once you’ve saved your Keyword, type “y firefox” in your address bar, and you’ll automatically execute a Yahoo! search for “firefox.” The results page will be displayed in your browser.
The obvious advantage of using Smart Keywords is you get to cut out the middle man. You don’t have to visit the Yahoo! homepage to perform a search. I can’t tell you how often during the day I use Smart Keywords. And you don’t have to limit your Keywords to sites that do global searches. I have Keywords for Wikipedia, IMDB, Amazon.com, and allmusic to name a few.
Props to Tug for turning me on to Smart Keywords.
