Use the Awesome Bar to search tabs, bookmarks, history, and more in Waterfox

The Awesome Bar is the Waterfox address bar. As you type, it instantly searches across your open tabs, bookmarks, browsing history, and offers search suggestions (if enabled). You can also run a search with your default search engine from here.

For a deeper look at autocomplete behavior, see Address bar autocomplete suggestions in Waterfox. For search suggestions configuration, see Search suggestions in Waterfox.

Search from the Awesome Bar

1. Click the address bar and start typing what you’re looking for.
2. Waterfox shows a smart list of matches below the bar. You can:
   • Press Enter to search the typed text with your default search engine.
   • Use the Up/Down arrow keys to select a result, then press Enter to open it.
   • Hold Shift and press Enter to open the selected result in a new window.
   • Hold Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or Command (macOS) and press Enter to open in a new tab.

Tip: Clicking in the address bar without typing shows your top sites and recent activity.

What shows up in results

Depending on your settings, results can include:

• Open Tabs: Results labeled as an existing tab. Select it to switch to that tab instead of opening a duplicate.
• Bookmarks: Pages you’ve bookmarked.
• History: Pages you’ve visited before.
• Shortcuts/Top sites: Frequent and pinned sites from your New Tab page.
• Search suggestions: Live suggestions from your default search engine (when enabled).

You can fine-tune what sources appear in results in Settings (see below).

Use search suggestions

If search suggestions are enabled, Waterfox will show live suggestions from your default search engine as you type. This can help complete queries quickly.

• Enable or disable: Go to Settings > Search and adjust the Search Suggestions options.
• Privacy note: Suggestions are sent to your search provider as you type, subject to that provider’s privacy policy.

Learn more: Search suggestions in Waterfox

Control sources shown in the address bar

You can choose which sources Waterfox uses to build results:

• Windows and Linux:
  1. Click the menu button and select Settings.
  2. Select the Search panel.
  3. In the Address Bar section, check or uncheck sources like Browsing history, Bookmarks, and Open tabs.
• macOS:
  1. From the menu bar, open Waterfox > Settings (or Preferences).
  2. Select the Search panel and adjust Address Bar sources.

Quick navigation actions

• Switch to an open tab: When you see an “Open Tab” result, select it to jump to that tab.
• Go to a URL directly: Type or paste a full web address and press Enter to go there.
• Open results in background tabs: Middle-click (or Command-click on macOS) a result.

Edit or remove suggestions

• Remove a single suggestion: Highlight it with the arrow keys and press Shift+Delete.
• Remove a bookmark suggestion: Delete or edit the bookmark from the Library, then try again.
• Remove a history suggestion: Clear that page from your history. You can also clear recent history from Settings > Privacy & Security.

Choose or change your default search engine

Your default search engine is used when you press Enter in the address bar:

• Windows and Linux: menu button > Settings > Search.
• macOS: Waterfox > Settings (or Preferences) > Search.

From there, pick a default engine and configure suggestion behavior.

Platform notes

• Windows/Linux: Right-click results for additional options such as opening in a new tab or copying the link.
• macOS: Use Control-click on results for the context menu.

---

Copyright and Licensing

Modified from Awesome Bar search in Firefox — search your bookmarks, history and tabs from the address bar. Original by Mozilla Contributors. Licensed under the CC BY-SA 3.0.