Customize searching in Safari on Mac

Searching the web is a powerful way to find information, and in Safari you can choose which search engine you wish to use.

Choose a search engine

Delete all text in the Smart Search field, click the magnifying glass , then choose a search engine from the list.
When you search, you also give information about yourself to the search engine. For example, if you enter “Golden Retriever” in the Smart Search field, the search engine learns that you’re interested in information about Golden Retriever dogs, even if you don’t press Return to submit the search terms. Search engines have different policies for what they do with search data they collect from you.

Choose Safari > Preferences, click Search, then deselect “Include search engine suggestions.” Safari stops sending the search engine your partial search terms as you type them, and the search engine doesn’t send Safari search suggestions to show in the results list below the search and address field.

Choose Safari > Preferences, click Search, then deselect Enable Quick Website Search.

Choose Safari > Preferences, click Search, then deselect Include Safari Suggestions. Safari stops using Safari Suggestions.

Choose Safari > Preferences, click Search, then deselect “Preload Top Hit in the background.” While you’re typing in the Smart Search field, Safari no longer starts to load a page it determines to be the top hit based on your bookmarks and browsing history.

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