Search Engine Bookmarklets
Last updated Apr. 29, 2010.
This bookmarklets collection helps searchers quickly switch between search engines, select
text to send to a search engine, and otherwise expedite the search process. To use these, in Internet Explorer, right click the link and choose "Add to Favorites." In Firefox, just click and drag the link to your bookmarks or personal toolbar.
To fit more on a toolbar, rename to shorter names like @Yahoo! to @y or Google Site Search to gs.
When adding these in Internet Explorer, a message may pop-up warning that it may not be safe to use these. While these have worked for me with no negative consequences, there is no warranty that these will be completely safe or work for all other users and in all browsers. [Show me 1.1MB 2:32 Flash video]
Transfer Search Bookmarklets
After running a search 
in one search engine, these Transfer
Search bookmarklets make it easy to send the same query to another search
engine. For example, after searching at Google, just click the @Yahoo bookmarklet to
see the results at Yahoo!.
Select Text/Send to Search Engine Bookmarklets
Use these when there is text on the current page you are viewing, and you would like to search that text. Select the text and then click the appropriate bookmarklet. If no text is selected, most of these will pop up a box for the search input.
- Ask
- Bing
- Exalead
- Gigablast
- Google Site Search (will search for selected text with a site limit of the site of the current page)
- Yahoo!
- Yahoo! Site Search (will search for selected text with a site limit of the site of the current page)
Other Useful Bookmarklets
- #G (Number Google Results - no longer works - looking for a replacement)
- #B (Number Bing Search Results)
- #Y (Number Yahoo! Search Results - no longer works - looking for a replacement)
- Gf=0 (Turn Google site clustering filter off and change number of results to 100)
- Yf=0 (Turn Yahoo! site clustering filter off and change number of results to 100)
- Zap plugins (Removes Java, flash, background music, and third-party iframes)
- Zap (Removes plugins, colors, cheap effects, event handlers, and timers to improve readability of page.
- Zapics (Removes images on page, replacing them with their alternative text)
Search Boxes
Not Bookmarklets! Use these links to find the code to put an engine's search box on a Web page or blog. See Custom Search Engines for more (and expanded) examples.
- Google: Create one with an AdSense account or a Google Custom Search Box
- Bing Box
- Yahoo! Search Box
- Ask Search Box
- Exalead Search Box
- Wolfram|Alpha Search Box
More Information
For general information about bookmarklets, see Bookmarklets.com. For lots more bookmarklets, see Jesse Ruderman's bookmarklets site. And for more details of their use, see my column: Bookmarklets, Favelets, and Keymarks: Shortcuts Galore Online 27(4): 38-40, July-Aug. 2003. Most of these bookmarklets are based on those of others, especially the fine collection from Jesse Ruderman.