Already getting sick of seeing ‘AI’ results at the top of a search when all you want is a link to a site?

I just discovered this article showing a way to not see it (although it doesn’t disable it altogether).

TLDR:

  • In Chrome open settings menu, choose Search engine on left menu and scroll down to site search
  • Click Add button and choose a name (eg Old Google, Google Web or whatever)
  • Add a shortcut word (eg web, og, or whatever)
  • Add this URL string: https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14
  • Save that, and now if you search for something and use the shortcut word you set you’ll just get proper results, no ‘AI’ shown
  • Or, if you don’t want to have to add a shortcut word, you just make that search your default (use the 3 dot menu next to the name you set) and all searches will show that way, no shortcut word needed.

EDIT - meant to add that there are detailed instructions for Edge, Firefox and Safari in the article if you don’t use Chrome

Hope that helps someone - I really don’t like all that extra nonsense when I just want a link to a site that I know exists!

[Obligatory - “or don’t use Chrome/Google…”, I know - but people do, so this might be useful]

  • cosmicrookie@lemmy.world
    265·
    2 years ago

    This is like those 20 minute videos for a problem that can be fixed in 20 sec

    At the end of the day, if you keep using google, you will keep getting manipulated into what google wants you to. It may be fair, as it is free. Its a choice really. I pay a small amount to Kagi and have clean results with optional Ai if i feel like using it.

    • SanguinePar@lemmy.worldOP
      21·
      2 years ago

      This is like those 20 minute videos for a problem that can be fixed in 20 sec

      Hence my TLDR. It’s a 6-point bullet list (and the last one is optional).

        • SanguinePar@lemmy.worldOP
          23·
          2 years ago

          I never said it fixed anything in the long run. It allows me (and probably others) to do things the way I want to do them. If it doesn’t apply to everyone, that’s ok.

      • XeroxCool@lemmy.world
        2·
        2 years ago

        I’m pretty sure they meant “20 minutes” to mean a lifetime of always fighting google and “20 seconds” to mean switching to a different browser

  • edric@lemm.ee
    5·
    2 years ago

    You can also use startpage which just proxies your search queries and doesn’t return the AI answers.

    • SanguinePar@lemmy.worldOP
      31·
      2 years ago

      That’s fair enough - as long as users have options then all good as far as I’m concerned :-)

    • Ghoelian@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      1·
      2 years ago

      Why would you need an extension for that? You can add other search engines right in the settings of firefox.

      Edit: I was wrong, this is a feature Librewolf adds in their builds.

      • boredsquirrel (he)@slrpnk.net
        3·
        2 years ago

        No you cant. Engines either need to support the “OpenSearch” standard, which is useless because it only works for a few and only for default configuration.

        Or they need to have an Extension themselves, which is a silly concept.

        Instead, this addon uses a URL (as it is supported in Firefox Mobile, Chrome, Brave, Edge, …) and converts it to an OpenSearch Search engine which you can then add.

        Afterwards you can remove the Addon.

        • Ghoelian@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          2·
          2 years ago

          Yes, you can. You just enter a url, and put the %s somewhere in the query params which firefox will replace with your query.

          I just tested this with my own website, which definitely does not support any OpenSearch standard, and it works exactly like you’d imagine (except the page doesn’t exist of course).

          Edit: nevermind, turns out this is a librewolf thing. Sorry about that

          • boredsquirrel (he)@slrpnk.net
            1·
            2 years ago

            Librewolf supports custom OpenSearch engines? Cool?

            Didnt know that. Firefox should absolutely support this again, needing an Addon is embarrassing

    • SanguinePar@lemmy.worldOP
      1·
      2 years ago

      Partly it’s aesthetic - it takes up so much room!

      Partly it’s preferential - I’m not keen on machine generated answers being prioritised over actual sources.

      Mainly though it’s because when I do a search, I usually know what website I expect/want to get to, and just want that available to click immediately.