How to Use Yahoo.Com as Default

Modern Web browser applications ship with a hard-coded default search engine. Internet Explorer uses Bing as the default search site, while Chrome and Firefox use Google to perform Web searches. Many Web users prefer to use other search sites when searching for information on the Web. One of the largest alternative search engines is Yahoo.com, which has millions of active users. If you are a loyal Yahoo.com user and want to use the site for your Internet searches, you can enable Yahoo! as the default search provider in your browser.

Instructions

Google Chrome

1. Launch Google Chrome. Click the "wrench" icon, then "Options" on the drop-down list. Chrome opens a new tab labeled "Options -- Basics." Click the "Basics" tab, then scroll down to the "Search" section.

2. Click the drop-down list next to the "Manage Search Engines" button. Select "Yahoo!" from the list. Close the "Options -- Basics" tab.

3. Click the "+" symbol at the top of the Chrome browser window. A new tab opens. Type a search term in the address bar and press "Enter." Chrome displays a Yahoo! search results page for the term or keyword you entered.

Firefox

1. Open Firefox. Type "about:config" in the address bar and press "Enter." Firefox displays a "This might void your warranty!" warning message. Click the "I'll be careful, I promise!" button.

2. Enter "keyword.URL" into the "Filter" field. The "keyword.URL" value link appears in the results pane. Right-click the value link, then "Modify" on the pop-up menu.

3. Delete the default value in the box. Enter "http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=" in the box, then click "OK."

4. Close the "about:config" tab. Close Firefox and restart it. Yahoo! is now the default search engine for address bar searches. To search for keywords, simply enter them in the address bar and press "Enter." Firefox opens a Yahoo! results page for the search.

Internet Explorer 9

1. Open Internet Explorer. Click the down-arrow button next to the "magnifying glass icon" in the search box. Click "Find More Providers." The Internet Explorer Gallery Add-ons page opens in the browser.

2. Enter "Yahoo" in the "Search" box on the Web page -- not the browser search box. Click the "magnifying glass" icon.

3. Click the "Yahoo! Search Suggestions" add-on link. After the "Yahoo! Search Suggestions" page appears, click the "Click to Install" link.

4. Enable the "Make this my default search provider" and "Use search suggestions from this provider" options. Click the "Add" button. The "Yahoo!" icon appears in the search box in the browser window. Type a search term in the address bar or search box and press the "Enter" key. Internet Explorer displays search results on the Yahoo.com website.

References

• GroovyPost; How to Change the Default Firefox 5 Search Engine; Mar. 2011
• Search Engine Journal; How to Change Your Default Search Engine in FireFox, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer; Oct. 2010
• PC Advisor; How to Change Your Default Search Engine in Google Chrome; Carrie-Ann Skinner; June 2011
• Techrena Dot Net; Change Internet Explorer 9 Search Provider; Bharath Kumar; Feb. 2011