How to disable Firefox's Search Terms in the address bar feature
Firefox users who run searches from the browser's address bar may have noticed that the browser displays the entered search term and not the address of the search engine on the search results page anymore.
Mozilla announced the change in the Firefox 113 release notes, but appears to have rolled out the functionality gradually to installations of the browser.
Please note that Firefox does not display the search term in the address bar if a dedicated search field is displayed in the browser's address bar; it can be added by right-clicking on a blank spot on the main toolbar and selecting the "customize toolbar" option from the menu. Drag & drop the search element to the Firefox toolbar to display it there.
The browser displays a notification to users the first time this happens. Mozilla explains that the change makes searching simpler, as it makes it easier to adjust the search term directly in the address bar of the browser.
While some Firefox users may appreciate the change, others may dislike it, as it breaks one of the fundamental principles of web browsing: that the URL of the active page is always visible and accessible in browsers.
Mozilla might argue that the URL is not that important in this specific case, and that users know that they are on Google or another default search engine that they have set in the browser. Clearly, most Internet users who run searches do not need access to the URL of the search engine, as they do not edit it manually or use copy or share operations.
Critics argue that users may also edit the search term on the results page directly, as the default search engine usually displays a search field with the term there as well. Google, which is Firefox's default search engine in most regions, displays the search field at the top of the results page directly.
Disabling the search term in the URL in Firefox
Firefox users may disable the new functionality, so that the address of the search engine is displayed again in the browser's address bar.
Here is how that is done:
- Load about:preferences#search in the browser's address bar.
- Under Search Bar, uncheck the "Show search terms instead of URL on default search engine results pages" to return to the status quo.
The change happens immediately, a restart of the Firefox web browser is not required. To undo the change, check the box again the Firefox preferences.
Closing Words
The display of the search term instead of the URL in Firefox's address bar, when the default search engine is used, is not really all that helpful. The search engine displays the term on its results page usually, which gives users the option to adjust it as needed. Even more problematic is the removal of the URL in the address bar, as it breaks a fundamental principle of browsing on the Internet.
Now You: what is your take on this new feature?
The red highlighted box no longer exists so is not an option – cannot remove the search function from the address box. Very dumb idea by FF. Guess I will have to find a different browser to cut and past URLs so I don’t get stupid search results instead of going to the actual site. What are these people smoking?
Wasting their time with some dumb new idea like this and tryin to fix what ain’t broken, just because they can. That’s the FF way. Changing the spacing on the bookmark menu to make it huge, another brill idea from the FF folks. But as one poster said, thankfully there is usually a way to undo the stupid stuff they do.
Still a highly customisable browser – every single stupid thing they do, can be disabled/hidden/turned off.
I expect any browser to have some stupid stuff in it, which doesn’t cater to my needs, I’m not gonna cry about it, I’m gonna ask “well how can I turn this off?”
With firefox there is always an answer to that question – it’s the reason I left chrome. With chrome, you might ask “how can I remove this, or hide this, or change this?” And a lot of the time you’re SOL.
Would be curious to see what the chromium-enjoyers have to say about this.
“SOL” is American slang, so I’ll explain it for foreigners.
SOL: Shit out of luck
Brave is much better.
Chromium AND Mozilla simply suck.
“it breaks one of the fundamental principles of web browsing: that the URL of the active page is always visible and accessible in browsers.”
That’s another hostile one from Mozilla. The message is the same again: they are only a Google appendix, and their browser is only a Google Search carrier. Half a billion dollars each year from Google goes to Mozilla Corporation, the for-profit that develops the browser. I read that many unfortunately ignorant Mozilla enthusiasts go as far as making donations to them thinking it’s some donation-driven non-profit developing the browser, as is usual in that landscape and as their deceitful marketing practices lead them to believe, while zero of their money ever goes there anyway.
There is also some vice in spreading such changes slowly among users, to reduce immune reaction.
“Disabling the search term in the URL in Firefox”
Puzzled and baffled: Never has Firefox shown a “Show Search Terms” checkbox; and I certainly haven’t changed anything in about:config or preferences.
So, must be a different version from wherever?
Hamburger/Settings/Search
Faster for me . . . .
hi martin.
i have firefox 113 now.
but in firefox preferences search, dont have this option that you mention.
2. Under Search Bar, uncheck the “Show search terms instead of URL on default search engine results pages” to return to the status quo.
is it possible through about:config?
It is likely introduced in Firefox 114. I do not have it in Firefox 113 as well.
Set browser.urlbar.showSearchTerms.featureGate to false.
Sorry, Martin, I have Firefox 114 but the “Show search terms instead of URL on default search engine results in pages” to return to the status quo, possibility in the Englisch version 114 I have iright now this possibility is not present
The check box didn’t appear for me on 114 until I added the above item and set it true, but I still can’t get it to do what’s shown in the 2nd screenshot (and I don’t have a dedicated search field). Maybe they’re slowly rolling this out. Not that I actually want to keep it, but I did want to see it once.
still don’t know?
Firefox sucks.
With Chrome, everything is happy.
> With Chrome, everything is happy.
With Google, everything about advertising marketing works is happy.
The secret obvious is, Google chrome isn’t a tool that provides services to users, it’s a tool that
provides users to advertisers (like a slave trade).
Using Firefox is a pain in the ass.
Brave is hard to use too.
Pale Moon is still the best.
It makes me laugh when I see people sticking with Firefox or Brave, even though their browsers annoy them.
This is hardly a feature from Firefox. It should be Off by default