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How do you edit/remove your own search keys?

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  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by cor-el

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I have set a ton of my own searches (my own search keys, ie. I to search IMDb, and so on). So I was trying to set up another search for an already set key, but I can't find where to edit it. I am at [b]about:preferences#search/b, but that just sets up a really limited list of what was already provided in Firefox.

In this instance, I want to be able to search DuckDuckGo by typing 'd <whatever>' in the address bar, but I can't since I already set something else for d.

Any help appreciated :)

I have set a ton of my own searches (my own search keys, ie. I to search IMDb, and so on). So I was trying to set up another search for an already set key, but I can't find where to edit it. I am at [b]about:preferences#search[/b], but that just sets up a really limited list of what was already provided in Firefox. In this instance, I want to be able to search DuckDuckGo by typing 'd <whatever>' in the address bar, but I can't since I already set something else for d. Any help appreciated :)

All Replies (5)

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In about:preferences#search double-click each Search engine below the Keyword field to 'activate' the "editing" capabilities for that feature.

As far as where that "keyword" data is now stored - inside a file named search.jsonmozlz4, I believe. The entire add-on Search Plugins storage system was re-jiggered for Firefox 45.0; Mozilla took a simple /searchplugins/ folder in the Profile folder, where all the add-on Search plugins were stored and overcomplicated it. And the default search plugins were moved out of the /searchlugins/ folder back in Firefox 34.0,5, as I recall.

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If you had previously set this keyword to a bookmarked link then you probably have to use the SQLite Manager to edit the moz_keywords table in the places.sqlite file.

There is a problem with keywords if you edit the location field and best is to first remove the keyword if you need to change/update the location (URL) of a bookmark to avoid ending up with an orphaned keyword that can't be reused.

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the-edmeister: Thanks, but the search in question don't appear there. Some other ones do, though.

cor-el: As far as I know, I haven't set this keyword to a bookmark. As for the rest of your post, I'm afraid it flew over my head, sorry.

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Can you determine what is currently set to handle d or is the problem that it doesn't do anything because that search plugin is gone now AND Firefox won't free it up?

In case it is associated with a "removed" searchplugin, have you tried the "Restore Default Search Engines" button below the box on the Search Options panel? (If the button is grayed, you haven't "removed" any search plugins.)

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If there is a bookmark that has used the 'd' keyword, but that bookmark was updated then it is possible that this has left you with an orphaned (broken) 'd' keyword that can no longer be used unless you would delete the places.sqlite database file (not sure if a bookmarks JSON back would store orphaned keywords) or edit the moz_keyword table. Bookmark keywords are a bit fragile in current Firefox releases and the link between a bookmark and the keyword can easily get broken.

You can consider to use 'dd' for now if you can't use a sing;e 'd'.