Do you have favorite websites that you read and use as references on a regular basis?
Wouldn’t it be cool to have a search engine that scanned only those sites when you’re looking for information online?
Get this; Google’s got a tool for that called Custom Search. It enables the creation of a one-of-a-kind, special-for-you search experience.
It’s the same tool that’s used to embed Google search capability onto websites, but, hey, you can use it for your own purposes, too.
Note: This is not to be confused with Google’s Personalized Search, which as the Wizard of Oz would say, is a horse of a different color. Personalized Search creates results based on search history.
We’re talkin’ Custom Search. And FYI, as with so many things provided by Big G, you need a Google account to access it. If you’re not already in the Google fold, now’s the time to join the club.
Steps for creating your search engine:
Go to the Goggle Custom Search site.
Click on the Create a Custom Search Engine button, and, if you’ve not already done so, sign into your Google account.
Now you’re on the Create a Custom Search Engine page. Fill in the blanks.
Search engine name: Create a title that will appear in a list on your custom search homepage.
Search engine description: Add a few details about what kind of information you’ll be searching for with this engine.
Search engine language: Select from the drop-down menu.
What do you want to search? Pick either “Only sites I select,” or, “The entire web, but emphasize these sites.”
Select some sites: List the web addresses you want to include in your search engine. There are different ways to specify the URLs. You can search individual pages, entire sites, parts of a site and entire domains. Click “Tips on formatting URLs” to find out how to input the various options.
- Tip: If you want to use this tool as a search engine for your blog, then just put that URL in.
Select an edition: The options are “free” or “business.” If you’re simply looking to create a personal search, opt for the free edition. If you’re not sure what you want, read the explanation provided for each of the choices.
Check that you agree to the Terms of Service.
Click finish.
Presto — you’ve got a custom search engine.
For easy future reference, click on the My search engines link in the lefthand sidebar, then bookmark your custom search homepage.
You’ll receive a confirmation email with links to help manage your custom search.
If you want to make changes — such as alter the title, or add/delete a URL — you can do so through the control panel.
If you want to embed the engine on a your personal website/blog, all the necessary documentation is available through your custom search homepage.
Meanwhile, if you have an iGoogle page, there’s a widget to add the custom search there, too.
It’s easy to do. Why not give it a try? Happy custom searching.
That’s pretty neat, Deni. If you know the sites you want to search, it definitely looks like a far simpler way to go vs. constantly making acrobatic use of advanced Google search features in general searches.
Right-t-o. And once you assemble the URLs for a custom search you’re all set. Also, you can have multiple custom search engines, so you make different ones for different interests.