WKB Browser Search Engine

The WKB can now be searched right from your browser!

Every browser has a built-in search capability that is often set to Google by default. For example, have a look at the screenshot. This is an image from Firefox where the WKB will be searched with the term “pov.” Regardless of which page you are currently on the search will be against the WKB. Pretty cool, huh?

Browsers handle this differently but all of them can be made to search the WKB. You’ll find instructions for each of the common browsers below.

Firefox

1. Navigate to the WKB (this is only needed the first time)
2. Click the down arrow button (it's next to the "W" in the screenshot).
3. Click on "Add Writer's Knowledge Base."

Internet Explorer

1. Navigate to the WKB (this is only needed the first time)
2. Click the down arrow button on the search engine dropdown (similar to the screenshot)
3. Select “Add Search Providers” and the click “Writer’s Knowledge Base”
4. Click “Add” on the popup

Safari

Sadly, Safari does not natively support adding search engines like the other browsers. Fortunately, there is a plugin which adds the functionality but you’ll need Safari 5.1 or better which also requires the Snow Leopard operating system.

1. Navigate to http://www.opensearchforsafari.com
2. Click “Download now” and install the plugin
3. Navigate to the WKB (this is only needed the first time)
4. The magnifying glass button should display “1” in a little red circle
5. Click the magnifying glass and add the WKB entry

(Please note: I don’t have Snow Leopard or Safari 5.1 but these steps are my best guess. Please let me know if they don’t work.)

Chrome

1. Navigate to the WKB (this is only needed the first time)
2. Right-click in the location bar (where it says “http://hiveword.com/wkb/search”)
3. Click “Edit Search Engines...”
4. A new “Search Engines” page is displayed
5. Under “Other search engines” click move your cursor over the WKB entry and select “Make default.” (You can change the default later.)
6. You can close the “Search Engines” page

Note: If you don’t see the Writer’s Knowledge Base entry please navigate to http://hiveword.com and try again from step 2. Chrome is a little persnickety.

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You're done! You should now have the WKB in your search engine list.

When the WKB search engine is selected you can quickly do a WKB search right from your browser without manually going to the WKB. If you're using Chrome then you can simply type your search terms in the location bar and hit Enter when the WKB is set as the default search engine.

Did you know that you can do the same thing with many other sites that you use? Amazon, for example. Simply go to Amazon.com and use the same directions as above and you’ll also be able to search Amazon right from your browser.

Many sites do this, by the way. The trick is knowing which sites can do it. In Firefox, the down arrow on the search engine selector glows blue when a site has its own search engine. In IE the down arrow becomes orange. The Safari plugin makes it even more obvious but Chrome, not surprisingly, doesn’t choose to highlight embedded search engines. Go figure.

Enjoy!