Faster keyboard-driven access to bookmarks

phy

Currently, all bookmark access is geared towards mousing. The fastest keyboard-only access to launching a specific bookmark I have found so far, is ⌘⌥B, ⌘F, [type search], ↹, ↹, ↓, ↵. Thats... not great. Using the URL/Search bar, Firefox has a clever prefix (*) for searching bookmarks, among other things. Orion already shows bookmarks from the URL bar:

With the * idea, typing * welc would have only showed the bookmark, like performing a search in the Edit Bookmarks window.

Although mentioned in this post, the OP actual meant bookmark keywords, which Orion already has, so I thought it worth opening a separate suggestion.

Other current solution I could find (but havent tried yet) is a Raycast Extension. Not a fan of this but maybe some would find this useful in the meantime.

Vlad

phy What is the actual ask? Is finding bookmarks through address bar not working for you?

phy

Vlad prefixes typed in the URL bar to show only scoped results:

* something shows only Bookmarks searched by "something"
^ something shows only History searched by "something"
? something shows only Suggestions for "something"
% something shows only Tabs searched by "something"
~~?g something switches to suggestions driven by a different search engines (g = Google, n = Neeva, r = Reddit, etc) and launches search iin that engine with returnKey.~~ Just discovered Quick Searches. ⭐️

Vlad

phy How would a user discover this? Why is this necessary when search already searches through these?

phy

Vlad As a keyboard power feature (there's no UI) discovery would primarily come from good documentation.

The reason for this feature is getting where I want is too slow. If I know I want a certain bookmark why do I have to ↓KEY 13 times or reach for mouse to get to them in this example:

Upon pressing the space key after a prefix, Firefox changes the bar UI to show you are searching a scope:

Vlad

discovery would primarily come from good documentation

Little worried about that as almost nobody reads the documentation. HIG generally says if you need documentation to discover something, it is not implemented intuitevely. There should be a way to make this obvious.

phy

Vlad Hmmm, what about in the right-click of the URL bar:

Add options with learning hints like Search bookmarks (*). Selecting this would configure the URL bar and move cursor into it ready to type:

Vlad

phy Wouldn't that make that popup menu huge?

phy

Vlad +4 lines to it. Considering it is being accessed by a mouse, its far less movement than what is currently being asked searching the URL bar for bookmarks (13 lines in example above). If height is a concern, it could be a submenu (named "Search by..." perhaps) to keep it to just +1 line.

Longely

Brief Summary
Firefox have this bar in the bottom of the "address window" that lets you choose where the search will happen, if you want to search a different place then the default search engine

Details:

To some extend its very similar to "Bangs" but not all search engines support that. and this is way more intuative for people who dont know about bangs

I think this could be super usefull, especially if you could configure what sites you have as options. example.. github, youtube, wiki. whatever fits your work/freetime needs

My only problem with Firefoxs implementation is that when you actually click the icon of where you want to search, it inserts kinda like a bang instead of taking you directly there, so you still have to press enter after.
I dont see a need for that extra step.

Vlad

We have UX ready, waiting for a priority window.

Longely

Vlad

Perfect! this looks very close to Firefox

Only thing is this is not only relevant for actual Search engines. But also for other stuff like YouTube, Wiki, Github etc..
So maybe calling it Search engines is a bit missleading or gives the impression it can only be used for that

Not sure what would be a better term tho. Firefox calls it Search Shortcuts

dantep

Vlad Are these options still in development?

eirk

Brief Summary
In firefox, you can enable what orion calls "bookmark invocation keywords" but instead of searching stuff up, you can search bookmarks, tabs, history, and "actions"

Details:
i realize that orion already can search bookmarks, tabs, and history already, but these allow you to filter the results to only search that type

orion probably can implement:

bookmarks
tabs
history
actions
saved windows
devices

Image/Video:

actions:
basically shortcuts that manage the browser. see the image below

Vlad

eirk something similar planned https://orionfeedback.org/d/4253-faster-keyboard-driven-access-to-bookmarks/15

eirk

along with addons, this could basically replace https://orionfeedback.org/d/1831-add-a-command-palette/12