Solved Context menu search using POST opens a blank tab

[carrep]

Search has taken a hit since 5.3 was introduced. I've read the long thread of lots of people not being able to change default search engines. I do not use snapshots and do not have any extensions that impact search engines.

Since I first installed 5.3 my default search engine no longer works, today after 4th minor update I sat down to try figure it out. I've been using Startpage as default for a long time and the 'new' Startpage that was introduced with 5.3 does work, but my old trusted default Startpage still did not. I figured out it had something to do with the Use POST setting, needed to reduce the POST parameters. So I modified those and now things work.

The 'new' introduced Startpage works, but has Use POST setting as off; it still works if I set it to on with a very small POST parameter string: query=%s,cat=web.

However, and here is my issue. Highlighting text on a webpage, right clicking and doing search from the context menu DOES NOT WORK with Use POST set to on, it only returns a blank page. With Use POST off it works as expected. With most other search engines it does work as before, but they have Use POST set to off.

Summary: I can search using Startpage as default search engine from the address field with Use POST on or off, but if searching from the context menu on highlighted text it only works if Use POST is set to off.

Windows 10 21H2, latest stable V.

//MODEDIT: adjusted title, bug reported as VB-89996

[pafflick]

Good news - this bug is now fixed in Vivaldi 5.6.

[Nirose]

This is happening since the last update. I have set the Quick command to "Open Links in New Tab" but now it seems to open a blank new tab when doing a search

I can't reproduce it all the time. It sometimes works and sometimes it does not.

Here's a screenrecording of the bug

[pafflick]

I'm unable to reproduce that here. Searching using the context menu with a search engine using the POST method works without any issues. Tested in Vivaldi 5.3.2679.51 (64-bit on Windows 10 ver. 21H2).

Try setting up your custom search engine in a clean profile and see if it works there (make sure the parameters are set correctly, for POST use uppercase: %S). For more information, please refer to the Troubleshooting issues guide.

[Pathduck]

@pafflick There is definitely something wonky with using context menu searches with POST.

A white page (about:blank?) opens and the search stops there.
https://ttm.sh/P2q.mp4

This is Win10 x64, 21H2.
Latest V Stable, clean profile.

Sometimes it does work, but not been able to figure out any pattern. And even when it does work it flashes a white page before forwarding to the search results.

I've not been bothered to make a bug report myself because I don't use context menu searches at all, but I'll probably make one tomorrow.

[guigirl]

@Pathduck Fwiw, POST searches more generally have been crap* for numerous Snappie versions, & remains lousy. Several of us in several threads over many months have discussed it, including [to namedrop] @hlehyaric & moi.

* in Quick menu, in context menu, in searchbar.

It's been so crap for so long that after having raised three separate bug reports over the longterm, months ago i gave up & abandoned POST in V, now sadly only using GET.

---

13/6/22 Update -- better news!

14/6/22 Update -- rats, still NFG for the context-menu POST search [albeit GET is ok].

[hlehyaric]

@guigirl Tbh, after the mess wrt POST introduced some time ago by syncable search engines, I gave up too .

[pafflick]

@Pathduck Not sure what's the trigger here, but I can't reproduce that. Tried using the same search engines and selecting longer phrases, as you did, and it still worked 100% of the time here.

FWIW, after the 5.3 release, I have decided to switch to POST with the search engines that support it, and so far I haven't encountered any issues. Everything seems to work for me, just as it did with GET.

[Pathduck]

@Nirose Hi, this is a custom search engine using POST, right?

Try changing the POST parameters field to use %S instead of %s.

[Pathduck]

OK after a bit more testing now... I believe this is related to changing the NOTORIOUS "Always search in a new tab" option.

• In a clean profile, the option is UNSET
• => POST searches through context menu works
• SET the option or just toggle it.
• => POST searches through context menu do not work
• No matter the setting now, context menu POST searches break
• Restart the browser => back to working, regardless of setting
• Change the setting => back to broken

Just a theory for now, need confirmations.
Addendum: In my earlier attempts, I might have toggled this option before testing...

[pafflick]

@Pathduck That's still not triggering the bug for me. Whether that option is enabled or not, POST searches using the context menu work without fail here.
However, I remember now experiencing it some time ago with the internal version while trying to search within a stack. It opened a blank tab, though I think it failed also with GET searches (can't remember for sure). I didn't think much of it back then, but now I'm seeing the same bug in 5.3 Stable.
Still not sure why I can't reproduce it in unstacked tabs.

[Pathduck]

@pafflick Hi - thanks for checking.

Try this:

• Open clean profile
• Settings > Appearance, set Open Settings in a Tab
• Close settings window
• Try search again
• => Should still work
• Open settings tab
• Try search again
• => Search is broken

In this case, the "Open search in new tab" setting does not seem to matter, what matters is opening the Settings in a tab...

When testing in a new profile, a "bad habit" of mine of to make settings open in a tab for convenience. I never really think that this could in any way interfere, but maybe it does in this very weird case...?

[Wulunzun]

I am using Searxng as my search engine. Everything was working fine before the 2nd most recent update. After that, my Searxng search engine broke and I had to reconfigure the settings.

Previously, I was able to put

https://searx.tiekoetter.com/search?q=%s&category_general=1&language=en-US&time_range=&safesearch=0&theme=simple

as the query url but after the update, this query url returns a blank page. I had to change the query url to

https://searx.tiekoetter.com/search?q=%s

This works for normal search but when I try to highlight text on a webpage and right click to 'search for', it returns a blank page. If I restart my PC, the 'search for' will work for 1 - 2 times then return blank pages after that.

As Searx always reverts to POST, regardless if I turn off POST, I have tried, as suggested on a previous post about a similar problem, to change the %s to %S but it is still the same.

Another problem I have with the 2nd most recent update is that I can't remove the search bar on my address bar. I looked under 'search', 'appearance', 'address bar' but I can't find the option to remove the search bar. It was doable before the update. Or did I miss something in these settings?

Please help.

[guigirl]

@Pathduck @pafflick i fear you're both overlooking the most obvious reason that you're experiencing opposite outcomes from ostensibly the same test mode. It's a simple noob error, albeit i'm flabbergasted & gobsmacked that hardened pros like you are both falling for it.

You're each lifting the opposite leg & ergo standing on the wrong foot when you do your context-menu search tests. Furthermore, i strongly suspect that one of you has your tongue lolling outta the left corner of your mouth, whilst with the other it's the right corner. I mean, geez peeps, these are simple rookie errors that foolishly ignore Chaos Theory. Remember, Input Conditions are critically important. FFS, pl-ease coordinate your bodies for these tests; Gaia is depending on you!

Anyway, gotta go now; your combined testing carelessness has just wiped out 42 butterfly species in the Amazon. Bezos is really pissed off.

[mib2berlin]

@Wulunzun
Hi, I cant help with the search engine settings but as you now could customisze the tool bars they removed the setting.
Right click on the home button choose Edit > Customize Toolbar Y move the search bar down and drop it in the page.

Cheers, mib

[Wulunzun]

@mib2berlin, thanks for the tip. I tried your method but I still can't remove the search bar. Why did Vivaldi remove the setting anyway?

[Eggcorn]

@Wulunzun I just tried those strings, and they worked fine for me. But take that with a grain of salt: I'm sick and out-of-it, so I could be missing something here.

[Nirose]

@Pathduck Hi, thanks for replying.

I did that before to fix a different problem. The space between the keywords in search were being replaced with "%20". Converting %s to %S fixed it but not this specific problem.

It seems the problem isn't isolated to quick commands, I cannot select a portion of text and search it anymore. It just results in a new blank page for me.

This also doesn't occur 100% of the time. It works when I open up a new window with a single tab, it doesn't when a window has multiple tabs. It's very strange

[mib2berlin]

@Wulunzun
Hi, code deduplication I guess, OK.
As I removed the search bar since the beginning of time I add it with the customize tools again, hit Done and open costomize tools again and remove it.
Try to reset address bar settings.
The Searxng search for marked text work, too. I try 15 times, no blank page.
This is my entry: https://searx.tiekoetter.com/search?q=%s&category_general=1&language=en-GB&time_range=&safesearch=0&theme=simple
generated from the search field of searxng.
To test if the issues happen on your side you can add a new profile and check the search configuration.
If it work there an extension cause this or, worst case, your profile is broken.

Cheers, mib

[Pathduck]

@guigirl Look - getting a POST search working is perfectly simple if you remember that there must be exactly three terminations: one on one end of the cable, one on the far end, and the goat, terminated over the keyboard with a silver-handled knife whilst burning black candles.

POST searches in Vivaldi are NOT magic. There are fundamental technical reasons why it is necessary to sacrifice a young goat to your browser now and then.

(paraphrased from Anthony DeBoer/John Woods)

[Pathduck]

@Nirose See related: https://forum.vivaldi.net/topic/76363/search-from-context-menu-broken

It's hard to figure out a way to consistently reproduce from a clean profile but I think I have the cause now - opening settings in a tab.