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    Disable URL completion in search box

    Suggestions and feature requests
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    • sirdan221
      sirdan221 last edited by admin

      This is following up on my previous post here:
      https://forums.opera.com/topic/2633/disable-url-completion-in-search-box/9

      It appears that currently it is impossible to disable the URL completion in the search box. I think it would be a wonderful feature for a number of reasons:

      (1) it allows protection of privacy without having to delete your history;

      (2) should be able to be quickly toggled on/off via a keyboard shortcut so that if I invite someone to look at my computer screen it doesn't distract from what I meant to show;

      (3) sometimes I find suggestions distracting from what I was trying to search for initially

      (4) Chrome does not offer this possibility, and this would set Opera apart

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      • lem729
        lem729 last edited by

        I think you can disable some of it. Make sure to go to settings (Alt P), Privacy and Security, and take the check out of "Use a prediction service to help complete searches and URLs typed in the address bar." Then clear your browser cache. Also go to your Google Search preferences

        http://www.google.com/preferences?hl=en

        and select never show instant results as you type.

        I like the idea of a toggle -- to turn it on or off at your will and easily.

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        • A Former User
          A Former User last edited by

          Read the linked topic. o.O

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          • lem729
            lem729 last edited by

            The poster said, "it's currently impossible to disable URL completion in the search box."

            I pointed out ways to at least minimize URL completion, that were not mentioned in that previous thread. That doesn't solve the problem, but until the poster gets his wish, it's something worth knowing about -- that is, shutting off, "Use a prediction service to help complete searches and URLs typed in the address bar," as well as to instruct Google not to use predictive searches.

            As I said before, I like the idea of a toggle to disable URL completion, or to not disable it. Also useful could be the ability (as a default setting that one can choose) to delete browser history on exiting the browser.

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            • sirdan221
              sirdan221 last edited by

              Thanks, that helps somewhat and I actually already had unchecked the box to disable search completion in the privacy settings. The remaining issue however, as we discussed in the previous thread, is that there are still autocomplete suggestions based on your history -- so the only way currently to eliminate autocomplete suggestions is to constantly delete your history.

              One option is to install an extension that deletes your history everytime you close the browser, but the suggestion I made here is that I would prefer not to have to delete my history consistently and be able to toggle autocomplete on/off as needed.

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              • lem729
                lem729 last edited by

                What you want, sirdan221 makes sense to me. I shut off my predictive search stuff on the desktop for the time being (I wax and wane on some of these issues) :), but I really, like you, wouldn't want to have to constantly delete history. Some times it can be useful. Now I'm thinking that even if you tell Opera not to do a predictive search, if you don't shut off the Google predictive search stuff (in Google Search Preferences), and you should perchance use the Google search engine, you'll still get Google predictive stuff in the search bar.

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                • chopchip
                  chopchip last edited by

                  I think one of the problems here (and in Chrome) is that URL completion happens automatically, instead of when the user asks for it.

                  For example, I often visit a homepage called ing.dk but when I type this in, it "completes" it, sending me to some sub page, when I actually wanted to go to the front page.

                  Opera could draw inspiration from most linux/unix command line interfaces where you have to press a key for tab completion to happen. (I know tab might not be the right choice in this case, but there are other keys on the keyboard that may be used for this purpose.)

                  I think that, when enabled, url completion should be a handy option you have, not something that is always forced.

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                  • donq
                    donq last edited by

                    I 101% agree to need of option to disable autocompletion (or at least limit it to domain top page only). I have disabled suggestions and I often use dropdown with history - but this stupid autocompletion kicks in and redirects me into some completely unrelated page in required domain. After switching from other programs I just often forget to hit Del key to clear 'completed' part - or sometimes, when it completes correctly, I automatically hit Down key and Enter and will be directed to wrong page again 😞

                    In other words, this kind of autocompletion just needs to much attention and distracts from 'seamless browsing experience'.

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                    • chopchip
                      chopchip last edited by

                      One year later...

                      I wonder if the dev team reads this forum?

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                      • leocg
                        leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by

                        One year later...
                        I wonder if the dev team reads this forum?

                        Yes, they do.

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                        • skoy21
                          skoy21 last edited by

                          It should ne possible to choose wether you want it or not.

                          Its a matter of privacy as well as ease of use, as it sometimes completes a child page that was visited, then you have to go to the and to delete the rest url if you want to simply go to the homepage, and sometimes there are very looooooong urls for you to delete...

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