Firefox comes with a set of default search engines, and you can add more from websites, add-ons, or partner pages. Some users want to add fully custom search engines, but Firefox only supports this in limited cases without an add-on.

This article explains what you can and can’t do, and shows the easiest ways to manage your search engines.

What Firefox supports (and what it doesn’t)

• Built-in default search engines (like Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo).
• Adding search engines from websites that support it.
• Adding search engine add-ons from addons.mozilla.org.
• Limited support for custom engines: Starting in Firefox version 140, you are able to add custom unsupported search engines in Firefox Settings. In earlier versions, Firefox does not allow you to create custom engines from scratch in Settings. You would need an extension such as Add custom search engine.

Add search engines

From the Search bar

Firefox offers an optional Search bar. If you’ve added it to your toolbar, you can also add search engines. If you haven’t yet, see Add the Search bar to your Firefox toolbar to add it to Firefox.

1. Visit a website that offers an OpenSearch search engine (we'll use YouTube as an example).
2. Click the magnifying glass 👁 addsearch 40
   icon in the Search bar.
3. Click the YouTube 👁 AddYouTubeSearchBarIcon
   icon in the Search bar drop-down.

   👁 Add engine from search bar
   

The search engine will appear in your available search options.

From the address bar

Visit a website that has a built-in search field (for example, YouTube).

1. Right-clickRight-click (or hold down the Control key while you click) inside the search field.
2. Select 👁 AddYouTubeSearchBarIcon
   Add “YouTube” from the context menu.

   👁 Add engine from address bar
   

Mycroft Project search engine plugins

The Mycroft Project website offers search engine plugins. When you click an available search plugin, you can add it to Firefox from the Search bar or from the address bar context menu, on the Install plugin page.

👁 Fx115Mycroft-InstallPlugin

Search engine add-ons

Hide search engines

Follow these steps to remove alternative search engines you don't want to use.

1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and select Settings (or Preferences, in some cases).Click the menu button 👁 Fx89menuButton
   and select Settings.
2. In the Settings tab that opens, click Search in the left-hand navigation.
3. Under Search ShortcutsAdditional search engines, remove the check markturn off the toggle next to each search engine you don't want to use.

   👁 Search shortcuts - Hide engine
   👁 fx152customsearchengines
   

Remove search engines

To remove a search engine, follow these steps:

1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and select Settings (or Preferences, in some cases).Click the menu button 👁 Fx89menuButton
   and select Settings.
2. Go to Search in the left panel.
3. Under Search Shortcuts, click the search engine you want to removeUnder Additional search engines, click the Edit search shortcut button..
4. Click the Remove button to take it off your list.

   👁 Search shortcuts - Remove engine
   👁 fx152additionalsearchengines
   

Restore default search engines

If you removed one of Firefox’s built-in search engines (like Google or Bing):

1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and select Settings (or Preferences, in some cases).Click the menu button 👁 Fx89menuButton
   and select Settings.
2. Go to Search in the left panel.
3. In the Search shortcutsFirefox Suggest section, click Restore Default Search Engines.

Related articles

• Manage Firefox search settings
• Assign shortcuts to search engines
• Add the Search bar to your Firefox toolbar
• Disable or remove Add-ons