How do I edit the search engine name in the Search bar?
I just added the Oxford Dictionary to my list of search engines in the search bar. Only problem is that it doesn't say Oxford Dictionary. It says ONO.
How can I edit this list of search engines so I can change the name to something more descriptive?
Is there not an XML file or such somewhere that contains these entries?
Chosen solution
Firefox collates information on the search plugins from two sources -- the default searchplugins folder that is shared by all Firefox profiles (C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins), and the searchplugins folder in your currently active profile. These are combined into a data file named search.json.
I've read a few threads on the net about how to edit these search plugins and it seems to require a little trial and error. Let's assume the ONO plugin is in your profile.
Under Help > Troubleshooting Information, you can click the button Open Containing Folder (pre-Fx12) or Show Folder (Fx12) to open your currently active profile folder. Click into searchplugins. Here are the XML files you can tweak in your favorite text editor. If you break one, you probably can just download it again, but if you are a cautious type, go ahead and make a backup.
After changing the ShortName and saving and closing the file, your change probably will not be reflected immediately in Firefox because some triggering event may be needed to update search.json. If restarting Firefox is not enough, you could try renaming search.json before restarting, but this may cause you to lose keywords you have assigned through the Manage Search Engines dialog.
Anyway, this is all seat-of-the-pants haven't-tried-it-myself, so I suggest doing some further research.
(If there is a handy add-on to do this, I didn't find it.)
Read this answer in context 👍 2All Replies (5)
Click on the icon, then on the popup menu scroll down to Manage Search Engines. Select it and click Edit Keyword.
Chosen Solution
Firefox collates information on the search plugins from two sources -- the default searchplugins folder that is shared by all Firefox profiles (C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins), and the searchplugins folder in your currently active profile. These are combined into a data file named search.json.
I've read a few threads on the net about how to edit these search plugins and it seems to require a little trial and error. Let's assume the ONO plugin is in your profile.
Under Help > Troubleshooting Information, you can click the button Open Containing Folder (pre-Fx12) or Show Folder (Fx12) to open your currently active profile folder. Click into searchplugins. Here are the XML files you can tweak in your favorite text editor. If you break one, you probably can just download it again, but if you are a cautious type, go ahead and make a backup.
After changing the ShortName and saving and closing the file, your change probably will not be reflected immediately in Firefox because some triggering event may be needed to update search.json. If restarting Firefox is not enough, you could try renaming search.json before restarting, but this may cause you to lose keywords you have assigned through the Manage Search Engines dialog.
Anyway, this is all seat-of-the-pants haven't-tried-it-myself, so I suggest doing some further research.
(If there is a handy add-on to do this, I didn't find it.)
JScherr2000, A little more detail than necessary but it essentially boils down to the answer I discovered after I had posted the question. I found the XML file in my profile and made the necessary edit. Upon restarting Firefox. The list of search engines now shows a more meaningful name.
I'm surprised that Mozilla doesn't have this functionality (actually, I think they did when Firefox first added the search bar).
Modified by jdbuss
Tannn3r, I don't know what adding a keyword does, but it doesn't change the name that shows up in the list of search engines.
the following extension might be usefull for this purpose: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fire.../organize-search-engines/