Default Search Engine

What it does

If this policy is enabled, you can set the name of a search engine to be used as the default. If this policy is disabled or not configured, the Firefox default engine is used.

What it writes

Hive

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE or HKEY_CURRENT_USER

Registry key

Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\SearchEngines

Options

Configure and deploy

Choose a state and the option values; the output below is generated from the template for exactly that.

History 85 retained releases

1. 7.513 Nov 2025
   • Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
2. 6.69 Jan 2025
   • Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
3. 6.526 Nov 2024
   • Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
4. 6.011 Jul 2024
   • Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
5. 4.126 Jun 2023
   • Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
6. 4.418 Oct 2022
   • Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
7. 2.1019 Apr 2021
   • Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
8. 2.823 Feb 2021
   • Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
9. 1.113 Dec 2019
   • Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
10. 1.1023 Oct 2019
    • Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
11. 1.8.229 Jul 2019
    • Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
12. 1.414 Dec 2018
    • Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
13. 1.317 Oct 2018
    • Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
14. 1.211 Sep 2018
    • Description If this policy is enabled, you can set [removed: type ]the name of a search engine to be used as the default. If this policy is [removed: not configured or disabled,][added: disabled or not configured,] the Firefox default engine is used.
      Whole description, marked

      If this policy is enabled, you can set [removed: type ]the name of a search engine to be used as the default. If this policy is [removed: not configured or disabled,][added: disabled or not configured,] the Firefox default engine is used.

    • Supported on [removed: Microsoft Windows XP SP2][added: Firefox 60 ESR] or later
    • Supported on SUPPORTED_[removed: WINXPSP2][added: FF60ESR]; resolved; Blank;
15. 1.09 May 2018
    • Already present in the first release ChangeIntel keeps.

70 later releases left it unchanged.

Template

Internal name

SearchEngines_Default

Namespace

Mozilla.Policies.Firefox

Template file

firefox.admx

Release

Mozilla Firefox 7.9.1 · file set a735e5407dca0f19…

<policy class="Both" displayName="$(string.SearchEngines_Default)" explainText="$(string.SearchEngines_Default_Explain)" key="Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\SearchEngines" name="SearchEngines_Default" presentation="$(presentation.SearchEngines_Default)" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      <parentCategory ref="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:Search" />
      <supportedOn ref="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:SUPPORTED_FF60ESR" />
      <elements>
        <text id="SearchEngines_Default" required="true" valueName="Default" />
      </elements>
    </policy>

<presentation id="SearchEngines_Default" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
        <textBox refId="SearchEngines_Default">
          <label />
        </textBox>
      </presentation>

Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:category:Search
<category displayName="$(string.Search_group)" name="Search" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      <parentCategory ref="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:firefox" />
    </category>
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:category:firefox
<category displayName="$(string.firefox)" name="firefox" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      <parentCategory ref="Mozilla.Policies:Cat_Mozilla" />
    </category>
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:definition:SUPPORTED_FF60ESR
<definition displayName="$(string.SUPPORTED_FF60ESR)" name="SUPPORTED_FF60ESR" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
Mozilla.Policies:category:Cat_Mozilla
<category displayName="$(string.mozilla)" name="Cat_Mozilla" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:category:Search
<category displayName="$(string.Search_group)" name="Search" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      <parentCategory ref="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:firefox" />
    </category>
<strings><string id="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:Search_group">Search</string></strings>
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:category:firefox
<category displayName="$(string.firefox)" name="firefox" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      <parentCategory ref="Mozilla.Policies:Cat_Mozilla" />
    </category>
<strings><string id="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:firefox">Firefox</string></strings>
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:definition:SUPPORTED_FF60ESR
<definition displayName="$(string.SUPPORTED_FF60ESR)" name="SUPPORTED_FF60ESR" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
<strings><string id="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:SUPPORTED_FF60ESR">Firefox 60 ESR or later</string></strings>
Mozilla.Policies:category:Cat_Mozilla
<category displayName="$(string.mozilla)" name="Cat_Mozilla" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
<strings><string id="Mozilla.Policies:mozilla">Mozilla</string></strings>