1. Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat-Sheet
Search with SearXNG is designed to be completely keyboard-driven so you never have to break your typing flow.
macOS Desktop Application
| Shortcut | Action | Context |
|---|---|---|
| ⌥ Option + Space | Summon or dismiss Floating Search HUD | Global (Any application) |
| Esc | Dismiss search HUD or clear input | Inside HUD |
| ↑ / ↓ | Navigate through live autocomplete suggestions | Inside HUD |
| ↵ Return | Open top search result in your default browser | Inside HUD |
| ⌘ 1 | Target General metasearch category | Inside HUD |
| ⌘ 2 | Target IT & Code category (GitHub, StackOverflow, etc.) | Inside HUD |
| ⌘ 3 | Target Images search | Inside HUD |
| ⌘ 4 | Target Videos search | Inside HUD |
| ⌘ 5 | Target News category | Inside HUD |
| ⌘ 6 – ⌘ 0 | Music, Science, Files, Social, and Maps | Inside HUD |
| ⌘ L | Save current search query to Search Later drawer | Inside HUD |
| ⌘ , | Open Application Preferences & Benchmarks | Inside App |
Browser Extension (Chrome, Edge, Brave)
| Shortcut / Trigger | Action |
|---|---|
| sx + Space / Tab | Type in browser URL bar to trigger Omnibox live SearXNG suggestions |
| Alt + Shift + S | Open SearXNG search popup with latency indicator |
| Alt + Shift + F | Toggle in-page draggable floating search bar (Shadow DOM) |
| Right-click selection | Search highlighted text via context menu in General, Images, News, or IT |
2. Configuring SearXNG Instances
Search with SearXNG connects directly to any valid SearXNG or SearX instance that exposes the standard JSON API.
Using Curated Public Instances
- Open the application Preferences (or Extension Options).
- Navigate to the Instances tab.
- Click Benchmark All to ping the active public instances list from searx.space.
- Select the instance with the lowest latency (typically < 120ms) and an A+ grade.
Using Your Own Self-Hosted Instance
If you run SearXNG in Docker or on your own server, ensure that JSON output format is enabled in your server's settings.yml:
search:
formats:
- html
- json # <-- Required for autocomplete and HUD queries
Then, in Search with SearXNG, choose Custom Instance and paste your server URL (e.g. https://searx.example.com).
3. Multi-Profile Management
Need different configurations for work and personal browsing?
- Work Profile: Point to your company's internal SearXNG node with IT & Code as the default category.
- Personal Profile: Point to an encrypted public instance with strict privacy settings and safe search enabled.
Switch between profiles instantly from the popup header or via the desktop menu bar icon.
4. Search Later Queue
When deep in focused work, avoid distraction rabbit holes by pressing ⌘ L in the desktop search HUD. The query is saved to your local offline queue. When your work session ends, open the Search Later drawer from the menu bar to review and execute your saved searches with one click.