How to add Start Page as a search engine ?

Clairvaux

I haven't been able to make the Vivaldi instructions work. There are 2 methods in the help.

Method 1

Go to the page you want to add.
Right click on the search field of the page and select Add as Search Engine.

I go to https://www.startpage.com, right-click on the search field, and there's no Add as Search Engine in the context menu there.

Method 2

Do a search on the website you want to add as a search engine.
Copy the URL of the search results page.
Go to Vivaldi Browser Settings / Preferences > Search.
Under Search Engines, click on the + icon (Add Search Engine) to add a new search engine.
Paste the link to the URL field and substitute the search term with %s
Enter a Description (name) and a Nickname for the Search Engine.
Click Save.

I go to https://www.startpage.com, search for "Vivaldi", the resulting URL in the address bar is https://www.startpage.com/do/search. So no search term, here.

I paste https://www.startpage.com/do/asearch%s in the URL field, and save. The search engine is saved, but it does not work. When I do a search from the search bar, I only get Start Page's home page.

Ideally, I would like to add Start Page with my custom settings as a search engine.

A Former User

The default url is https://www.startpage.com/rvd/search?query=%s&language=auto (suggest url is https://www.startpage.com/cgi-bin/csuggest?query=%s&limit=10&lang=english&format=json)

derDay

@Clairvaux
@gaelle said to me, that searches with uses POST method are actually broken to add them to vivaldi. but I got a nice hint from @QuHno here

so you can use https://www.startpage.com/do/search?query=%s&cat=web&cmd=process_search&language=english&engine0=v1all&pg=0&abp=1 for the search string and activate POST in search settings

Clairvaux

@potmeklecbohdan said in How to add Start Page as a search engine ?:

The default url is https://www.startpage.com/rvd/search?query=%s&language=auto (suggest url is https://www.startpage.com/cgi-bin/csuggest?query=%s&limit=10&lang=english&format=json)

Thank you. I tried this, but it did not work. I'm directed to the home page of Start Page, with no search occurring.

What is the required setting for Use POST Method ? I tried both.

Also, what is Suggest URL, as opposed to URL ?

Actually, Start Page search was working nicely a few hours ago. It's only when I tried to replace the URL by the URL given by Start Page, for some custom settings, that search broke.

What happened was, it got stuck on previous search. The new key words in Vivaldi's search field would not do anything.

So I deleted Start Page as a search engine, and here I am. Could not put it back into place.

Clairvaux

@derDay said in How to add Start Page as a search engine ?:

@Clairvaux
@gaelle said to me, that searches with uses POST method are actually broken to add them to vivaldi. but I got a nice hint from @QuHno here

so you can use https://www.startpage.com/do/search?query=%s&cat=web&cmd=process_search&language=english&engine0=v1all&pg=0&abp=1 for the search string and activate POST in search settings

Thank you. I used this, at it seems to work.

However, I did not follow the method described here. Which seems different from yours, actually.

I just pasted your string in the URL field of the Search settings, and left Suggested URL blank (what is that ?). I also checked Use POST Method.

Is that the correct way to do it ?

Where does that string come from ? What is the logic, the grammar ? Is there a way to retrieve it if I lose it ? Is it something specific to Start Page ?

Also, do you know if it is possible to stick custom Start Page settings in that string ? Currently, Start Pages seems to give me my custom settings, but I suppose I will lose them if I delete cookies.

QuHno

@Clairvaux The suggest method is for the search suggestions, i.e. the dropdown and the search field and in the address bar with additional search terms.
Some search engines do not provide that, so it is optional

This works for me:

Search:
https://www.startpage.com/rvd/search?query=%s&language=auto

Suggest-URL:
https://www.startpage.com/cgi-bin/csuggest?query=%s&limit=10&lang=english&format=json
You can probably replace the language by your own or "auto", did not check that yet

Use Post:
[✓]

Yes, it is specific to Startpage, because every search engine uses its own syntax because the inner workings can be vastlly different and they need different strings.

edit:
Here is the description how to add Startpage to Vivaldi:
https://support.startpage.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/1089/0/how-do-i-make-startpage-my-default-search-engine-in-vivaldi
/edit

Here is the description how to set Startpage as search engine and how to save the settings in the search string without cookies:
https://support.startpage.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/196/0/how-do-i-keep-my-settings-when-i-add-startpage-as-a-default-search-engine-to-my-browser

Clairvaux

@QuHno said in How to add Start Page as a search engine ?:

Thank you. I substituted both your strings, and it still works.
I'm not seeing anything particular from adding the search URL, though. And I can't see any difference between the effects of the /rvd/ string (yours) and the /do/string.

[Sorry, I'm going to use my own "formatting" from now on, the UI of this forum is rotten.]

You said :
"Yes, it is specific to Startpage, because every search engine uses its own syntax because the inner workings can be vastlly different and they need different strings."

So, does that mean one has to disregard completely Vivaldi's help about that ?

You said :
Here is the description how to add Startpage to ... well Opera - but basically the same applies to Vivaldi. Scroll down to the search string:
https://www.startpage.com/cgi-bin/csuggestquery=%s&limit=10&lang=english&format=json

This is a mistake, isn't it ? It opens a Web page with only this :
["%s",[]]
(Does different things according to where I click it from in the forum. Other times, just opens the Start Page home page. To repeat : rotten forum interface.)

You said :
Here is the description how to set Startpage as search engine and how to save the settings in the search string without cookies:
https://support.startpage.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/196/0/how-do-i-keep-my-settings-when-i-add-startpage-as-a-default-search-engine-to-my-browser

I'm aware of those instructions, but this is supposed only to allow one to make a bookmark, right ? Is there a way to copy one's Start Page settings in the Search URL field of Vivaldi ? I tried that, and it does not work.

My searches now occur with my custom settings, but I'm not sure how they got saved, or whether they will stay there.

QuHno

@Clairvaux said in How to add Start Page as a search engine ?:

Thank you. I substituted both your strings, and it still works.
I'm not seeing anything particular from adding the search URL, though. And I can't see any difference between the effects of the /rvd/ string (yours) and the /do/string.

You can use both and I don't know what the specific difference is, because the search sting I posted was mine and it is a little bit older (some years ) and it was working fine, so why not post it as an alternative - but the official way seems to be the /do/

So, does that mean one has to disregard completely Vivaldi's help about that ?

Nope, it means that you do it the formal way if it can be done by right click, which works for the usual GET queries, but, because startpage uses POST by default, either the way via my script or a ready made search string is needed.

@Quhno said in How to add Start Page as a search engine ?:

Here is the description how to add Startpage to (...) =10&lang=english&format=json

This is a mistake, isn't it ?

Yes.
Corrected, see edit

Is there a way to copy one's Start Page settings in the Search URL field of Vivaldi ? I tried that, and it does not work.

Perform a query with the settings from the bookmark with your settings, or just click on unobfuscated the link in the settings page, type something in the search field on the page and hit OK.
On the result page empty the search field if pre-filled, and use my bookmarklet.
This should give you a working query string for the search including the settings, which you can use. Example of a string (I did not change the defaults):

https://www.startpage.com/do/asearch?cmd=process_search&language=english&enginecount=1&pl=&abp=-1&op=un11&ff=&theme=&prfh=enable_stay_controlEEE1N1NsuggestionsEEE1N1Ngeo_mapEEE1N1Nwikipedia_iaEEE1N1Nother_iaEEE1N1Ndisable_open_in_new_windowEEE0N1Ndisable_video_family_filterEEE0N1Nenable_post_methodEEE1N1Nenable_proxy_safety_suggestEEE1N1Ndisable_family_filterEEE1N1NsslEEE1N1Nlanguage_uiEEEenglishN1NlanguageEEEenglishN1Nwt_unitEEEcelsiusN1Nnum_of_resultsEEE20N1Nlang_homepageEEEs%2Fdefault%2Fen%2F&suggestOn=1&flag_ac=0&lui=english&cat=web&ycc=0&pg=0&t=default&query=%s

My searches now occur with my custom settings, but I'm not sure how they got saved, or whether they will stay there.

It is all in the string you have bookmarked. Open the bookmark manager or Panel and look at the address

andrejskuidins

Hello,

so I ended by adding following URL as search URL: https://www.startpage.com/sp/search?query=%s

and suggest URL like: https://www.startpage.com/cgi-bin/csuggestquery=%s
but suggestions in Vivaldi search bar are not being shown, any ideas?

Pathduck

@andrejskuidins Hello and Welcome to the Vivaldi Community

Unfortunately it looks like Startpage suggestions no longer work in a format compatible with browsers.

Format test:

$ curl "https://www.startpage.com/suggestions?segment=startpage.udog&q=test"
{"extended_data": {}, "suggestions": [{"text": "testes"}, {"text": "testicles"}, {"text": "testis"}, {"text": "testicle"}, {"text": "testosterone"}, {"text": "test"}, {"text": "testudines"}, {"text": "testimonial"}, {"text": "testimony"}, {"text": "testator"}]}

For it to work in Vivaldi results need to be like this:

$ curl "https://ac.duckduckgo.com/ac/?q=test&type=list"
["test",["test","test speed","testing","test microphone","testwise","test internet speed","test webcam","test camera"]]

It seems more and more search engines remove the possibility to use suggestions from clients, instead pushing users to install their useless extensions instead.

As a workaround you can still use DDG for suggestions with Startpage.
https://ac.duckduckgo.com/ac/?q=%s&type=list