index.md

---

title: search
slug: Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/API/search
page-type: webextension-api
tags:
  - API
  - Add-ons
  - Extensions
  - Reference
  - Search
  - Search Engines
  - WebExtensions
browser-compat: webextensions.api.search

---

{{AddonSidebar}}

Use the search API to retrieve the installed search engines and execute searches.

To use this API you need to have the "search" permission.

When choosing between search.query() and search.search(), consider the following:

• {{WebExtAPIRef("search.search()")}} is available on all the main browser engines and, therefore, is ideal for use in cross-browser extensions. However, it can only issue searches against the browser's default search engine.

• {{WebExtAPIRef("search.query()")}} is available only on Firefox. However, it has the advantage of enabling you to issue a search against any search engines installed in the browser.

Functions

• {{WebExtAPIRef("search.get()")}}

  • : Retrieve all search engines.

• {{WebExtAPIRef("search.query()")}}

  • : Search using the browser's default search engine.

• {{WebExtAPIRef("search.search()")}}

  • : Search using a specified search engine.

{{WebExtExamples("h2")}}

Browser compatibility

{{Compat}}