I find it really unusual how many people using Firefox for a relatively long time do not know about such useful and basic features like Smart Keywords. Provided with the core of Firefox, they are a great tool for every web surfer. They basically enable you to search web faster and access your favorite websites with your keyboard only.

Bookmarks Keywords

The more often you visit a website, the more irritating it gets when you have to enter its whole address into the Location bar or even click on the bookmark icon. Wouldn’t it be simplier to type a keyword instead? Let’s say you want to visit your favourite Firefox guide - ImproveFirefox.com. But the bookmark icon is deep inside the bookmarks menu and you are fed up with typing such a long domain name.
Once you spend 10 seconds adding a keyword to your bookmark, e.g “if”, you will be able to enter the website via typing “if” instead of “improvefirefox.com” into the Location bar.

Create a bookmarks keyword

In order to add a keyword to a bookmark, right click on it and choose Properties.

In the new window type your desired keyword for a domain (it must be unique – do not repeat the same keyword for multiple bookmarks!) and click OK.

You’re done, you can check if everything is fine. Click Ctrl-L (it will move the cursor to the Location bar), type the keyword and click Enter.

Isnt’t that neat?

Smart Keywords

Smart Keywords provide a faster way to search websites without opening their main pages. Suppose you use Wikipedia a lot. You can create a Smart Keyword for it, e.g. “wiki”.
In order to find information about the Great Wall of China you will only need to enter “wiki great wall of china” into the Location bar instead of opening wikipedia.org and typing the “great wall of china” phrase in the search field. If use search websites a lot, you will find out that this way can save you a hell lot of time.

Create a Smart Keyword

Visit the page that and find the search field you normally use.
Right click on the search field. Choose Add a Keyword for this Search…

In the Add Bookmark dialog type the bookmark’s name (it is not really that important), e.g. “Wikipedia” and a keyword, e.g. “wiki”. You need to file the Bookmark somewhere. It is usually a good idea to create a folder for Quick Search bookmarks.

Check if everything works properly, enter “wiki great wall of china” into the Location bar and press Enter.

It should open a desired Wikipedia page. Now you can add Smart Keywords to all the webpages you search relatively often. It is a good idea to choose the shortest keyword possible, e.g. “g” for Google or “w” for Wikipedia.