Fix Firefox's Google Search language setting
posted: May 11th, 2006 · by: Sven
Short note to myself. In case you’ve ever have to reinstall Firefox, immediately go and kill the line
19 <input name="meta" value="lr%3Dlang_de">
in <appdir>/firefox/searchplugins.
Do not wait. Just do it now. Quick!
I’ve been really annoyed by firefox’s internal search plugin which - I can’t remember since when - send me to www.google.de kindly “tailoring” the search results for German users. That means: practically ommitting every interesting page on the web.
As I’m usually looking for technical things this behaviour actually results in the opposite of what Google wants to achive - I usually got totally useless results for almost everything.
Mike said July 31st, 2008 at 11:03 AM ¶
Man you saved my sanity! Thanks!
Btw, in Firefox 3 on Mac, you have to go to: /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/searchplugins
find the google.xml file, add <param /> to the parameters section (if you want english as default language) as well as replace {moz:locale} entries to the required language setting.
Amicus said August 14th, 2008 at 10:31 AM ¶
If you use Firefox 3.0.1 it won’t work.
But, if you open C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins you can find xml file google.xml
Edit that file.
After line: <param />
insret following line: <param /> (for search results in English)
You can use even “en-GB”
That worked for me.
Amicus said August 14th, 2008 at 10:32 AM ¶
If you use Firefox 3.0.1 it won’t work.
But, if you open C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins you can find xml file google.xml
Edit that file.
After line (without quotes): ”<param />”
insret following line(without quotes): ”<param />” (for search results in English)
You can use even “en-GB”
That worked for me.
Amicus said August 14th, 2008 at 10:35 AM ¶
Something is wrong!
Post cannot show my lines correctly.
If you use Firefox 3.0.1 it won’t work.
But, if you open C:Program FilesMozilla Firefox_searchplugins you can find xml file google.xml
Edit that file.
After line (without quotes): ”<param>”
insret following line(without quotes): ”<param>” (for search results in English)
You can use even “en-GB”
That worked for me.
Zia said October 14th, 2008 at 06:15 PM ¶
firefox set google results english http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=firefox+set+google+results+english http://www.artweb-design.de/2006/5/11/fix-firefox-s-google-search-language-setting
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins\google.xml
about:config
keyword.URL;http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=
If you want to have the Google search box in Firefox always giving results in English, you need to modify the file “google.xml”, part of the Firefox installation.
First of all, close every Firefox instance.
Open the folder “C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins" by clicking Start, then Run, in the Open box type the folder path and then click OK.
Copy the already present file “google.xml” to “google1.xml” in the same directory “C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins".
This is to keep a copy of the original Firefox installation, in case you need to revert back to it.
Open file “google.xml” with Notepad.
It would look like as below but the long key string for the “Image” tag can be different per every Firefox installation.
<searchplugin> <shortname>Google</shortname> <description>Google Search</description> <inputencoding>UTF-8</inputencoding> <image height="16" width="16">data:image/x-icon;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAIAAACQkWg2AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAaRJREFUeNpiVIg5JRURw0A0YAHio943kYV%2B%2Ff33%2BdvvX7%2F%2FMjEx8nKycrGzwKXOiPKzICvdeezLhCV3jp15%2Bfv%2FX0YGhv8MDDxMX2qKTIw0RK10eYD6QYqATvoPBkt3f5K0W9Ew4fjTFz%2F%2Bw8Dm3W8UPeZxqFa%2BevsFyD0twgfVsOfkRxHrtfV9u5BVQ8Crd98%2FffkGYQM1QJ20%2FfSPv79eNxQGYfpSVJADmcvEAHbr7oOX2dj%2FERNKIA2%2F%2F%2Fz%2FxfCDhYVoDUDw5P6vf9%2B5iY0HVmZGQWm%2BN3fff%2Fn2k4eLHS739x%2FDiRs%2Ff%2F%2F5x8HO%2FOHzN3djfqgNjIwMgc6qzLx%2Fpy47j2zY%2Feff06tXhOUucgxeun33AUZGpHh4%2Bvo7t8EyIJqz%2FhpasD59%2B5dNrqdnznZIsEL9ICXCsWuBCwvTv%2FymS5PWPP32ExEALz%2F%2BB5r848cPCJcRaMP9xaYQzofPPzfuvrnj0Jst%2B5%2F8%2Bc4sLPeDkYlRgJc93VPE18NIXkYUmJYQSQMZ%2FP3379uPH7%2F%2F%2FEETBzqJ0WqLGvFpe2LCC4AAAwAyjg7ENzDDWAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg%3D%3D</image> <url /> <url> <param /> <param /> <param /> <param /> <!-- Dynamic parameters --> <param /> <mozparam /> </url> <searchform>http://www.google.com/firefox</searchform> </searchplugin>
To make English the default language for search results, you need to add the below line to the “Param” list.
<param />
The file “google.xml” modified will look like below.
<searchplugin> <shortname>Google</shortname> <description>Google Search</description> <inputencoding>UTF-8</inputencoding> <image height="16" width="16">data:image/x-icon;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAIAAACQkWg2AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAaRJREFUeNpiVIg5JRURw0A0YAHio943kYV%2B%2Ff33%2BdvvX7%2F%2FMjEx8nKycrGzwKXOiPKzICvdeezLhCV3jp15%2Bfv%2FX0YGhv8MDDxMX2qKTIw0RK10eYD6QYqATvoPBkt3f5K0W9Ew4fjTFz%2F%2Bw8Dm3W8UPeZxqFa%2BevsFyD0twgfVsOfkRxHrtfV9u5BVQ8Crd98%2FffkGYQM1QJ20%2FfSPv79eNxQGYfpSVJADmcvEAHbr7oOX2dj%2FERNKIA2%2F%2F%2Fz%2FxfCDhYVoDUDw5P6vf9%2B5iY0HVmZGQWm%2BN3fff%2Fn2k4eLHS739x%2FDiRs%2Ff%2F%2F5x8HO%2FOHzN3djfqgNjIwMgc6qzLx%2Fpy47j2zY%2Feff06tXhOUucgxeun33AUZGpHh4%2Bvo7t8EyIJqz%2FhpasD59%2B5dNrqdnznZIsEL9ICXCsWuBCwvTv%2FymS5PWPP32ExEALz%2F%2BB5r848cPCJcRaMP9xaYQzofPPzfuvrnj0Jst%2B5%2F8%2Bc4sLPeDkYlRgJc93VPE18NIXkYUmJYQSQMZ%2FP3379uPH7%2F%2F%2FEETBzqJ0WqLGvFpe2LCC4AAAwAyjg7ENzDDWAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg%3D%3D</image> <url /> <url> <param /> <param /> <param /> <param /> <param /> <!-- Dynamic parameters --> <param /> <mozparam /> </url> <searchform>http://www.google.com/firefox</searchform> </searchplugin>
Save and close it. Restart Firefox and see the results.
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Zia said November 3rd, 2008 at 12:37 PM ¶
Firefox: How to set Google results in English http://www.zialingua.com/rtfm/google-firefox.htm
Gen said January 14th, 2009 at 11:42 AM ¶
Actually the parameter needs to look like this:
<param />
aka
<Param name=”hl” value=”en”/>
Zia said July 3rd, 2009 at 07:33 PM ¶
Thank you Gen, i didnt notice that the xml code has been cut out. Here is the complete instruction with a google.xml sample file. http://www.zialingua.com/bbs/2008/10/14/how-to-set-firefox-google-search-in-english/
Okoth said November 11th, 2009 at 01:29 AM ¶
<searchplugin> <shortname>GoogleNL</shortname> <description>Google Search</description> <inputencoding>UTF-8</inputencoding> <image height="16" width="16">data:image/png;base64,AAABAAEAEBAAAAEAGABoAwAAFgAAACgAAAAQAAAAIAAAAAEAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADs9Pt8xetPtu9FsfFNtu%2BTzvb2%2B%2Fne4dFJeBw0egA%2FfAJAfAA8ewBBegAAAAD%2B%2FPtft98Mp%2BwWsfAVsvEbs%2FQeqvF8xO7%2F%2F%2F63yqkxdgM7gwE%2FggM%2BfQA%2BegBDeQDe7PIbotgQufcMufEPtfIPsvAbs%2FQvq%2Bfz%2Bf%2F%2B%2B%2FZKhR05hgBBhQI8hgBAgAI9ewD0%2B%2Fg3pswAtO8Cxf4Kw%2FsJvvYAqupKsNv%2B%2Fv7%2F%2FP5VkSU0iQA7jQA9hgBDgQU%2BfQH%2F%2Ff%2FQ6fM4sM4KsN8AteMCruIqqdbZ7PH8%2Fv%2Fg6Nc%2Fhg05kAA8jAM9iQI%2BhQA%2BgQDQu6b97uv%2F%2F%2F7V8Pqw3eiWz97q8%2Ff%2F%2F%2F%2F7%2FPptpkkqjQE4kwA7kAA5iwI8iAA8hQCOSSKdXjiyflbAkG7u2s%2F%2B%2F%2F39%2F%2F7r8utrqEYtjQE8lgA7kwA7kwA9jwA9igA9hACiWSekVRyeSgiYSBHx6N%2F%2B%2Fv7k7OFRmiYtlAA5lwI7lwI4lAA7kgI9jwE9iwI4iQCoVhWcTxCmb0K%2BooT8%2Fv%2F7%2F%2F%2FJ2r8fdwI1mwA3mQA3mgA8lAE8lAE4jwA9iwE%2BhwGfXifWvqz%2B%2Ff%2F58u%2Fev6Dt4tr%2B%2F%2F2ZuIUsggA7mgM6mAM3lgA5lgA6kQE%2FkwBChwHt4dv%2F%2F%2F728ei1bCi7VAC5XQ7kz7n%2F%2F%2F6bsZkgcB03lQA9lgM7kwA2iQktZToPK4r9%2F%2F%2F9%2F%2F%2FSqYK5UwDKZAS9WALIkFn%2B%2F%2F3%2F%2BP8oKccGGcIRJrERILYFEMwAAuEAAdX%2F%2Ff7%2F%2FP%2B%2BfDvGXQLIZgLEWgLOjlf7%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F9QU90EAPQAAf8DAP0AAfMAAOUDAtr%2F%2F%2F%2F7%2B%2Fu2bCTIYwDPZgDBWQDSr4P%2F%2Fv%2F%2F%2FP5GRuABAPkAA%2FwBAfkDAPAAAesAAN%2F%2F%2B%2Fz%2F%2F%2F64g1C5VwDMYwK8Yg7y5tz8%2Fv%2FV1PYKDOcAAP0DAf4AAf0AAfYEAOwAAuAAAAD%2F%2FPvi28ymXyChTATRrIb8%2F%2F3v8fk6P8MAAdUCAvoAAP0CAP0AAfYAAO4AAACAAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAAQAA</image> <url /> <url> <param /> <param /> <param /> <param /> <param /> <param /> <!-- Dynamic parameters --> <param /> <mozparam /> </url> <searchform>http://www.google.nl/firefox</searchform> </searchplugin>