What is “search google or type a URL”?
The Omnibox or search box on Chrome displays the “Search Google or type URL” words in the address bar. Here, you have the option to either choose typing in a keyword and see all the results for it, or the URL can take you to a specific website.
When you open a new tab, you will notice the Images and Gmail on the upper right and the customize button on the right corner. Depending on your requirements, you can press these and directly head to the page without using the search bar. However, the confusion still stands on whether to choose Search or enter the website.
Where else is search or type URL found?
The Search Google or type a URL feature is also present in the Canary update of Chrome. This is an update that allows GoogleGoogle to test ideas. One of its commonly used ideas is burying the full URL to the top-level domain name. Even when you’re navigating the site, you will find that only the website name is visible.
Through this feature, you not only get a simplified web address but also have room for the sub-field offering Search Google or type a URL. In case that you want to choose to see the full URL, you can follow these steps:
- Type in chrome://flags/#origin-chip-in-omnibox in the address box.
- You will find the origin chip button on the domain Click it.
- To enable the domain, click on it.
Which is better: Search google or type a URL
Users are often confused about whether to choose typing in a keyword or simply the entire URL. It’s important to know that you should first understand the differences before deciding to search or type a website address.
Google search
The Google Search engine is an easy way to search for pictures, emails, and websites. Its web indexing option allows Google to search through websites and find the relevant one according to the keyword typed in. Once you type in the keyword close to the information you require, Google will easily search through the websites providing the best answers to your query.
This will help you discover new sites, find more than enough data, and also save time in the process. There is one problem with this; you will have to know how to sift through the pages with the wrong or useless information and pick the ones more suitable for you.
URL
The URL, or the Uniform Resource Locator, is the source of the website and the link displayed in the Omnibox. For this, you need to know the exact link; any misspells can land you on the wrong page. You can easily copy and paste the URL from the source into Omnibox and click on Search.
You don’t have to go through the hassle of searching through several unwanted sites through this method. You can simply go to the one you’re looking for, which may otherwise not be visible in the results due to ranking. You can also type in a short form of the URL and find the results immediately. If you forget the URL, you can still access the site through the search bar.
Here are the steps you can follow:
- Type the website name in the browser search box.
- Once you press Enter, the page will mention a list of websites by that name.
- Once you find the website you need, you can select it.
Test it out
You can test out the difference between searching Google or typing a URL by trying these two experiments. They will help you understand it better:
Test one
This test will tell you the purpose of the Omnibox when you make a search. For this, you will have to begin by opening a new tab on your browser. When you have the topic, you want to search for, type it in the search bar without wording it as a keyword.
Test two
Open another tab and type in/ paste the URL of the site you want to find. This should hold the same topic as the one you searched in test one.
Now, compare the results to understand the difference between search or type URL. You’ll find that the first test will produce more results than test two. In the second test, you’ll have results only within the URL.
Conclusion
The Search Google or type URL is a great way of gaining access to the right information or website you require. Since the majority of internet users use it, you can simply incorporate the keywords, and the results from the keywords will appear on the screen. You can try out both Search or type the web address and figure out the best option for you.
