The basic principle is the same in both web browsers. The first step is to locate the search form on the website. Ghacks has the search form embedded in the sidebar on the right side of the screen. A right-click on that search form opens the context menu.

Firefox will display the entry “Add a keyword for this search” while Opera will display “Create search”. Both have the same effect. They open a small popup window that requires some input to define the keyword for the search; But do not worry, it is not complicated.

Firefox:

Opera:

The important part is the addition of a keyword that can be used in the address bar in conjunction with a search term to search the website. The keyword gh for Ghacks was chosen in this case. A search would then be conducted by using the “gh term” in the address bar of the browser.

gh screenshot would search for all articles that have been indexed with the term screenshot while gh image editor would do the same for image editors. The results are displayed as if a normal site search would have been used. This is working for most sites that offer a site search and can really save some time. Other websites where this might make sense are online shops like eBay or Amazon, hardware portals and even forums or news sites.

I have been using Opera for a very long time but did not know what the so called Nickname feature for Bookmarks was all about. I’ve been ignoring them or filling them with nonsenses until I understood what they are for and how useful they can be. I wouldn’t mention it if I wasn’t concerned there’re still many of you who have never taken advantage of this feature, especially if you are new to using Opera.

A nickname can either be one char or a string of your choice. By choosing unique nicknames wisely you can assign a shortcut to each of your bookmarks or only to the ones you use most often.

Then it’s really easy to access them with few keystrokes. For example, I have assigned the “tv” nickname to a TV guide website and now when I need to know what’s on I press F2 type tv and that’s it. Pressing F2 gives focus to Opera’s “commandline” but you can also use Ctrl+T, F8 or whatever else for it. It’s like using Launchy for URLs.

It is also possible to simple enter the nickname in the address bar and load it that way. The same feature is available in firefox as well only named keyword in there.

Don’t underestimate the power of shortcuts and avoid typing long URLs. It’s also useful for people who want to use keyboard for surfing more than mouse.