I’d like to be able to define a shortcut so that I could type the shortcut into the address bar and have the browser go to the URL that I defined for that shortcut.
For example, let’s say I define a shortcut called “docs” that takes me to https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/ (Please note that I’m not trying to search Google Docs - I just want to go there.) I’ve seen other threads where the recommendation is to create a custom search engine in settings. I’ve tried that and it doesn’t work. I go to the address bar, type “docs”, hit enter, and it goes to Brave search, searching for the word “docs”.
This seems like such basic functionality that would be useful to everyone. I’m really surprised that it doesn’t seem to exist.
I’ve been using exactly this method to accomplish exactly what you want for years! Until it broke today. When creating a custom search engine in settings, under “URL with %s in place of query” you used to be able to put the desired url and just not include the “%s”. After it was set up, you could type the shortcut into the omnibox, hit enter, and it would go to your desired site! Now all of my shortcuts stopped working and when I went to edit them, it says my URL is “not valid” if it does not contain the “%s”
So sad!!
If anyone knows a workaround, please share! My job requires a number of long, weird URLs I have to access frequently typing a few letters is much faster than clicking bookmarks with the mouse.
I’m just now trying to switch permanently from Chrome to Brave, and I use this exact feature religiously in Chrome. I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t get it to work in Brave.
I have like 40 direct shortcuts via site search without the %s that I use on a daily basis. Not having this feature is kind of a deal breaker.
This is all pre-set by DuckDuckGo and we can’t have our own custom bangs other then asking DuckDuckGo to create one and I don’t want others to have a link to my person sites or docs. This doesn’t work. And I don’t want to have to use an exclamation point to use a shortcut.