Create Custom Smart Bookmark Folders in Firefox - Guide
Understanding Firefox's "Most Visited" Bookmarks
Many Firefox users have likely noticed the pre-populated “Most Visited” bookmarks folder. This isn't simply a designated folder, but a dynamically generated list.
It leverages the Places database, a feature first implemented in Firefox 3, allowing users to construct customized, intelligent bookmarks.
The Role of the Places Database
Firefox utilizes the Places system to maintain a record of your browsing history and bookmarks within an SQLite database.
A robust query syntax is provided for interacting with this database, though its accessibility is limited by default.
Creating Custom Smart Bookmarks
While largely concealed, the query functionality within the Places database offers significant potential.
Users can harness this capability to design their own smart bookmarks, mirroring the functionality of the “Most Visited” folder and beyond.
This allows for dynamic bookmark organization based on various criteria, offering a personalized browsing experience.
Creating Saved Searches in Firefox
By default, Firefox offers a straightforward method for establishing a smart folder. Begin by accessing the Library window, which can be opened by selecting either the Bookmarks or History option from the browser menu.
Utilize the search field within the Library window to initiate a search. This search can encompass both the titles of web pages and their corresponding URLs. For instance, entering “How-To Geek” will locate all pages containing that phrase in their title.
You have the option to direct the smart bookmark search to examine either your bookmarks or your browsing history. Following your selection of Bookmarks or History, click the Save button. Then, assign a descriptive name to your saved search, effectively creating a smart bookmark folder.
Firefox will initially place the newly created bookmark folder within your bookmarks menu. However, you retain the flexibility to relocate it to any desired location, such as the bookmarks toolbar, for convenient access.
The smart bookmark folder is dynamically updated by Firefox. This functionality operates as a database query, similar to how smart playlists function in applications like iTunes. As a result of these steps, a smart bookmark folder is now available.
This folder will display pages you have previously visited on websites like How-To Geek, providing quick access to relevant content.
Leveraging Extensions for Enhanced Functionality
While crafting Places URIs manually unlocks advanced features, the majority of users will likely prefer a user-friendly graphical interface. Mozilla does not natively provide such an interface; therefore, installing an extension like SearchPlaces becomes necessary.
Following the installation of the extension and a subsequent Firefox restart, a new SearchPlaces option will appear within your Bookmarks menu.
SearchPlaces delivers a visual tool for both creating new smart bookmarks and modifying existing ones. It grants access to capabilities that are absent in Firefox’s standard interface.
The extension presents numerous options for building your Places URI. As an example, it’s possible to search for web pages containing the term “Android” that have been visited between ten and twenty times. Specifying a time frame for visits is also achievable, though it requires defining a number of seconds relative to a specific time.
However, defining “today” as a time range is straightforward. Simply set the relative time to “Midnight this morning” and input “0” for the time value.
To modify a smart bookmark folder that is included with Firefox, select the desired folder and then click the Edit button.
SearchPlaces reveals the Place URI for each smart bookmark. These URIs are concealed within Firefox’s default interface, likely to prevent confusion among less experienced users.
Utilizing Place URIs for Advanced Bookmarking
A comprehensive guide detailing the use of place: query URIs is available on the Mozilla Developer Network website. Numerous options exist for constructing sophisticated query URIs to refine your searches.
Consider, for instance, the desire to establish a smart bookmark folder displaying all pages visited on How-To Geek today, arranged alphabetically. The corresponding query string would be:
place:terms=howtogeek.com&beginTimeRef=1&beginTime=0&sort=1
This query is comprised of four distinct components:
- terms=howtogeek.com – This element specifies the search term as “howtogeek.com”.
- beginTimeRef=1 – This indicates that the starting time is relative to the beginning of the current day.
- beginTime=0 – The value “0” functions as a special indicator, encompassing all results from the specified relative time. In this instance, it retrieves all pages accessed since midnight today.
- sort=1 – This parameter arranges the results in alphabetical sequence.
After formulating a query URI, a new bookmark can be created through the Library window or the Bookmarks menu.
Assign a name to the bookmark and input the place: URI as the bookmark’s destination address.
A known issue prevents the direct creation of smart bookmarks on the browser toolbar. Firefox may initially recognize them as standard bookmarks, failing to interpret the place: URI correctly.
To resolve this, create the bookmark in an alternative location, such as the bookmarks menu, and then drag and drop it onto the toolbar. This action will prompt Firefox to correctly identify it as a smart bookmark.
The Firefox Places database contains significant, yet often overlooked, functionality. It represents a potentially powerful feature for some users, though many remain unaware of its capabilities.