/awesome-custom-search-engines

🏃💨 List of custom search engines & shortcuts to improve your daily workflow

Awesome Custom Search Engines

As inspired by Dan's custom-search-engines to document the shortcuts that I use.

By default, Chrome adds custom search engines into your browser automatically but the default keywords they use tend to be too long that you might never trigger these goodies in your daily workflow.

For example, the default keyword to trigger the Wikipedia custom search engine, you have to type wikipedia.org star wars. However, by using short, memorable keywords, you can reduce the keystrokes significantly. Using the configuration below, I would just type w star wars or wiki star wars and I would land on the right pages without having to go through google and click on the first result.

I have specified certain entries that you might find useful.

  • mygit searches github for my own repo. (change it to your username in the URL to work)
  • gmail, gd, gk search for entries in your gmail, google drive, google keep accordingly.
  • whris helps film junkies to find filming locations
  • whois, whohost might come in handy when doing a lookup

Ultimately, practice makes perfect! Practice those handy keystrokes regularly. Adding duplicate entries with different keyword length helps if you always forget to trigger those one letter keyword entries.

The Search Engines

Google Sheets

Name Keyword Url Notes
9gag 9gag https://9gag.com/search?query=%s
Airbnb airbnb https://www.airbnb.com/search?location=%s
Airbnb bnb https://www.airbnb.com/search?location=%s
Aliexpress Shopping ali http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=%s&opensearch=true
allintitle:documentation doc https://www.google.com.sg/search?ei=\_JJAWsTPD8P9vgTy-YegDg&q=allintitle%3Adocumentation+%s&oq=allintitle%3Adocumentation+%s&gs\_l=psy-ab.3...14992.16188.0.16434.6.6.0.0.0.0.59.311.6.6.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.XZNhqGn6AfA Quickly search for documentation for prog lang, libraries etc.
Alternativeto alternativeto https://alternativeto.net/software/%s/ Search for software alternatives
Alternativeto ato https://alternativeto.net/software/%s/ Search for software alternatives
Amazon az http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb\_sb\_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=%s
Amazon amazon http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb\_sb\_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=%s
ASOS asos http://www.asos.com/search/%s?q=%s
Audible.com audible https://www.audible.com/search?keywords=%s
Bloomberg bloom https://www.bloomberg.com/search?query=%s
Bloomberg bb https://www.bloomberg.com/search?query=%s
CDNjs cdn https://www.google.com.sg/search?ei=TOg\_Wq3gOcnsvATCk7QY&q=site%3Acdnjs.com+%s&oq=site%3Acdnjs.com+%s&gs\_l=psy-ab.3...19620.19932.0.20121.3.3.0.0.0.0.44.132.3.3.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.2I3CH58U0rc Search for CDN links
channelnewsasia cna http://www.channelnewsasia.com/action/news/8396414/search?query=%s
Chrome Webstore chrome https://chrome.google.com/webstore/search/%s
codepen.io cp https://codepen.io/search/pens?q=%s&limit=all&type=type-pens
Color color.adobe.com https://color.adobe.com/%s-art-colors
Course Hero coursehero https://www.coursehero.com/search/results/?stx=%s
dafont.com df http://www.dafont.com/search.php?psize=m&q=%s
deviantart.com da http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&q=%s
Dictionary d http://www.dictionary.com/browse/%s?s=t
Dictionary dict http://www.dictionary.com/browse/ontology?s=t
Docker Hub docker https://hub.docker.com/search?q=%s
ebay.com ebay https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?\_from=R40&\_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xfunko.TRS0&\_nkw=%s&\_sacat=0
ebay.com.sg ebaysg http://www.ebay.com.sg/sch/i.html?\_from=R40&\_trksid=m570.l1313&\_nkw=%s&\_sacat=0
emojipedia.org emoji https://emojipedia.org/search/?q=%s
Etsy etsy https://www.etsy.com/search?ref=tab_search&q=%s
Facebook fb http://www.facebook.com/search/?src=os&q=%s
Facebook facebook http://www.facebook.com/search/?src=os&q=%s
Figma figma https://www.figma.com/files/search?&q=%s Search through your figma files
Filming Locations whris https://www.google.com.sg/search?q=filming+locations+%s&oq=filming+locations+%s&aqs=chrome..69i57j0.4372j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Find filming locations; ideal for film junkies. (eg. "whris mr robot")
Flickr flickr http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=%s
Flipboard flipboard https://flipboard.com/search/%s
Flipboard flip https://flipboard.com/search/%s
Gist gist https://gist.github.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=%s
Github gh https://github.com/search?q=%s&ref=opensearch
Github git https://github.com/search?q=%s&ref=opensearch
Gmail gm https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/%s Search through your gmail from omnibar directly!
Goodreads gr https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=%s
Google Drive gd https://drive.google.com/drive/search?q=%s Search through your google drive for docs, sheets etc
Google Images gi https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=%s
Google Keep gk https://keep.google.com/u/0/#search/text%3D%s Search through your keep notes
Google Maps m https://www.google.com/maps/search/%s?hl=en&source=opensearch
Google Photos gp https://photos.google.com/search/%s Search through your google photos
Google Photos photo https://photos.google.com/search/%s Search through your google photos
Google Play play https://play.google.com/store/search?q=%s&c=apps
Google Translate gt http://translate.google.com/?source=osdd#auto|auto|%s Auto translate. change "auto" for specfic translation combi eg. es -> en / en -> es
gsmarena gsm http://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?sQuickSearch=yes&sName=%s Find phone specs
Icon Archive icon https://iconarchive.com/search?q=%s
IFTTT ifttt https://ifttt.com/search/query/%s
IMDb imdb http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=%s
IMDb i http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=%s
Instagram insta https://www.google.com.sg/search?ei=u\_I\_WtuoKcbcvgSvnqLwDw&q=site%3Ainstagram.com+%s&oq=site%3Ainstagram.com+%s&gs_l=psy-ab.3...9000.11964.0.12130.16.16.0.0.0.0.65.834.16.16.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.S-23w4gbdWE
kickstarter ks https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/advanced?term=%s&sort=magic&seed=2523569&page=1
Kickstarter kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/advanced?term=%s&sort=magic&seed=2523569&page=1
Linkedin linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/people/?keywords=%s&origin=GLOBAL\_SEARCH\_HEADER
Linkedin linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/people/?keywords=%s&origin=GLOBAL\_SEARCH\_HEADER
localhost localhost http://localhost:62330/get?key=%s
Medium medium https://medium.com/search?q=%s&ref=opensearch
My Github mygit https://github.com/davzoku?utf8=%E2%9C%93&tab=repositories&q=%s&type=&language= search through your github repo
Netflix nf https://www.netflix.com/search?q=%s
Netflix netflix https://www.netflix.com/search?q=%s
NLB nlb https://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/WPAC/BIBENQ?optionsDrop=Full+Catalogue&ENTRY=%s&ENTRY\_NAME=BS&ENTRY\_TYPE=K&SORTS=SQL\_REL\_BIB&GQ=%sISGLB=0&NRECS=20&QRY=&QRYTEXT= National Library Board Singapore
npm npm https://www.npmjs.com/search?q=%s
Pinterest pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=%s
Prime Video pv https://www.primevideo.com/search/?phrase=%s
qoo10.sg qoo10 https://www.qoo10.sg/s/%s?keyword=shirt&keyword\_auto\_change=
Quora quora http://www.quora.com/opensearch/query?q=%s
Quora q http://www.quora.com/opensearch/query?q=%s
readthedocs.org readthedocs.org https://readthedocs.org/search/?q=%s
reddit reddit https://www.reddit.com/search?q=%s&utm_source=opensearch
reddit r https://www.reddit.com/search?q=%s&utm_source=opensearch
scholar.google.com scholar http://scholar.google.com.sg/scholar?hl=en&q=%s&btnG=&as\_sdt=1%2C5&as\_sdtp=
Shopee SG shopee https://shopee.sg/search?keyword=%s
Skillshare skills https://www.skillshare.com/search?query=%s
society6.com s6 http://society6.com/search?product=prints&q=%s
StackShare ss https://stackshare.io/search/q=%s
Stackoverflow so https://stackoverflow.com/search?q=%s
Synonyms syn http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/%s?s=t
Synonyms synonym http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/%s?s=t
Taobao tb https://s.taobao.com/search?q=%s&imgfile=&js=1&stats\_click=&initiative\_id=&ie=utf8
Taobao taobao https://s.taobao.com/search?q=%s&imgfile=&js=1&stats\_click=&initiative\_id=&ie=utf8
ted.com ted https://www.ted.com/search?q=%s
Tenor tenor https://tenor.com/search/?q=%s
Tenor gif https://tenor.com/search/?q=%s
TradingView Ideas trade https://www.tradingview.com/ideas/search/%s/
Trello trello https://trello.com/search?q=%s
Tumblr tumblr https://www.tumblr.com/search/%s
Twitter twitter http://twitter.com/search?q=%s
Twitter t http://twitter.com/search?q=%s
Udemy u https://www.udemy.com/courses/search/?q=%s&src=ukw
Udemy udemy https://www.udemy.com/courses/search/?q=%s&src=ukw
Unsplash unsplash https://unsplash.com/s/photos/%s
Urban Dictionary ud http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=%s
userstyles.org userstyles https://userstyles.org/styles/browse\_r?search\_terms=%s
w3schools w3 https://www.google.com.sg/search?ei=leU\_WtaBCYnSvgSHh6fICw&q=site%3Aw3schools.com+css&oq=site%3Aw3schools.com+%s&gs\_l=psy-ab.3...11443.12418.0.12683.6.6.0.0.0.0.60.240.5.5.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..1.0.0....0.PV55ZRkWHPc
Whois whois https://www.whois.com/whois/%s
whoishostingthis whohost https://www.whoishostingthis.com/?q=%s
Wikipedia w http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=%s
Wikipedia wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=%s
Wiktionary (en) en.wiktionary.org https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Search&search=%s
YouTube Video Search y http://www.youtube.com/results?search\_query=%s&page={startPage?}&utm\_source=opensearch

Bonus: Chrome Settings Shortcuts

Chrome settings can also be shortened. In fact, any website can be accessed with this method since the %s query string is not mandatory.

Example:

Name Keyword Url Notes
Chrome Extensions e chrome://extensions/
Chrome Settings s chrome://settings/

For full list of chrome urls, navigate to chrome://chrome-urls/

How to Apply Them

Sadly, Google Chrome doesn't provide a straightforward to import and export all custom search engines like bookmarks.

You might want to consider these extensions:

Otherwise to use the native search engines manager in chrome:

  1. Go to chrome://settings/searchEngines
  2. Scroll through to see if the search you want to add is already in there—you might just need to change the keyword
  3. If it's not there, click "add" and input accordingly

How to Use Them

  1. Go to your address bar by either

    a) clicking it

    b) control-L on a PC

    c) command-L on a Mac

  2. Type the keyword (e.g. w for Wikipedia)

  3. Don't press enter!

  4. Press space

  5. Type in your search query

  6. Now press enter

Other Usages

  • This list is also applicable for Alfred Web Search functionality. Just replace %s with {query}. For More Info