Already getting sick of seeing ‘AI’ results at the top of a search when all you want is a link to a site?

I just discovered this article showing a way to not see it (although it doesn’t disable it altogether).

TLDR:

  • In Chrome open settings menu, choose Search engine on left menu and scroll down to site search
  • Click Add button and choose a name (eg Old Google, Google Web or whatever)
  • Add a shortcut word (eg web, og, or whatever)
  • Add this URL string: https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14
  • Save that, and now if you search for something and use the shortcut word you set you’ll just get proper results, no ‘AI’ shown
  • Or, if you don’t want to have to add a shortcut word, you just make that search your default (use the 3 dot menu next to the name you set) and all searches will show that way, no shortcut word needed.

EDIT - meant to add that there are detailed instructions for Edge, Firefox and Safari in the article if you don’t use Chrome

Hope that helps someone - I really don’t like all that extra nonsense when I just want a link to a site that I know exists!

[Obligatory - “or don’t use Chrome/Google…”, I know - but people do, so this might be useful]

  • boredsquirrel@slrpnk.net
    2·
    2 months ago

    No you cant. Engines either need to support the “OpenSearch” standard, which is useless because it only works for a few and only for default configuration.

    Or they need to have an Extension themselves, which is a silly concept.

    Instead, this addon uses a URL (as it is supported in Firefox Mobile, Chrome, Brave, Edge, …) and converts it to an OpenSearch Search engine which you can then add.

    Afterwards you can remove the Addon.

    • Ghoelian@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      4·
      2 months ago

      Yes, you can. You just enter a url, and put the %s somewhere in the query params which firefox will replace with your query.

      I just tested this with my own website, which definitely does not support any OpenSearch standard, and it works exactly like you’d imagine (except the page doesn’t exist of course).

      • boredsquirrel@slrpnk.net
        1·
        2 months ago

        Librewolf supports custom OpenSearch engines? Cool?

        Didnt know that. Firefox should absolutely support this again, needing an Addon is embarrassing