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Creating Custom Search Items

CSBW can use any site’s search URL to create a custom search Item. This means you can input the search URL from almost any site on the web to create a searchable icon within CSBW. These are the steps for getting a search link and then importing it into CSBW.

Custom Search Bar Widget (CSBW) is a time saving and versatile tool for all Android users. Here’s how to get it up and running quickly.

1. Visit the web site you’d like to create a “Custom Search Item” for

2. Use that site’s search bar

Search for anything here. It doesn’t matter what you use.  In this example, we’ll use “shoes.” After using the search bar, the site will direct you to a new page with the search results.

3. Copy the URL after the search

You can copy URLs in Android by long-pressing them, highlighting all the text, and selecting “Copy.”

4. Open CSBW

With the URL copied, we can now easily import it into CSBW.

5. Add a new item

Tap the “+” or “Add” icon.

6. Select “Search Item”

We don’t want to just add a link to that search page, we want to create a new search item so that we can input our own text into CSBW to get results from that page. To do this, we will add a new “Search Item.”

7. Select “Custom Item”

8. Paste the URL you copied earlier

9. Replace the searched text with %s

In this example, we will replace the original search text (shoes) with %s. Make sure to leave the erst of the URL in place and only replace the text that you entered in the site’s search bar.

“%s” is what CSBW uses to create custom searches. Every time you now use the Custom Search Item in CSBW, the URL will be loaded with your search query replacing the %s value.

You can also use this screen to edit the icon. Just tap the icon image. You can choose a custom image or use an icon pack to pick a new icon.

Tap “OK” and you’re all set. You can find your new Custom Search Item in the CSBW dock.