How to change the default search engine in Chrome

Change your Search Engine from Google.es to Google.co.uk (for example) in Google's Chrome browser.

This article explains how to change the default search engine from that of the country you are living in to another (e.g. from google.es to google.co.uk).

Why would you want to do this? I do it because I live in Spain and when I go to Google it insists on presenting results from google.es when I really want google.co.uk! By default, the search engine will offer you results for the Country that you live in and in the language of that country.

So, how do you do it?

First, you need to get to the tools options. Click the spanner at the top right of the screen:

This opens the Chrome Options Dialogue. From here you click "Manage Search Engines" in the Search section:

While you're there you might like to check the options. You can see my choices here but you can set yours up the way you want.

You will then see a list of all search engines on your system. You will be adding a new one so click in the box that has "Add a new search engine" inside and add the required info:

Now comes the techie bit! The first 2 options are easy but the last one not quite so easy!

1. Give your new search engine a name (whatever you want, it doesn't matter).

2. Enter a keyword (again this can be anything you want - if you type this in the address bar it will take you to your search engine).

3. This is the techie bit! For this to work, Chrome needs a working search request. Copy the following (highlight it, then right-click copy) and paste it into the "URL" box:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=&q=%s&pws=0%s

This adds google.co.uk but if you want a different search engine then go to their site and carry out a search, then copy and paste the URL from the results page. Click the  "X" at the top right when you're finished.

You now need to make it the default. Hover your mouse over the new entry in the list until the "Make Default" button appears and click it. It should now be the default and any new searches will be in English and from the UK.

And that's it!

Internet & Web