Creating Google Browser Buttons in Navigator and Microsoft

Google Browser Buttons are free, JavaScript bookmarklets that allow you to integrate features of Google's into your . You don't have to download or install any software. Rather, you just drag and drop a JavaScript-encoded from a at Google.com onto your Web browser's or Personal toolbars.

Requirements:

Windows 95/NT/98 or Linux/Unix • Netscape 4.0+ • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0+

Macintosh • Netscape 4.5+ • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.5+

Step One: Prepare Your Browser

To be able to use Google's Browser Buttons, you'll need to be able to see your Web browser's Links or Personal toolbars.

If you use Internet Explorer, go to View → Toolbars and make sure that there is a checkmark next to "Links." If you use Netscape, go to View → Show and make sure that there is a checkmark next to "Personal Toolbar." If you use AOL, minimize AOL, launch Internet Explorer (Start → Programs → Internet Explorer), go to View → Toolbars, and make sure that there is a checkmark next to "Links.".

View Toolbars in Internet Explorer View Show in Netscape

To save screen space, Internet Explorer may "hide" the Links toolbar from you, sticking it on the far right side of Internet Explorer's Address bar.

Links toolbar location in some versions of Internet Explorer

You can easily move the Links toolbar by going to View → Toolbars and unchecking "Lock the Toolbars."

Unlocking the Toolbars in Internet Explorer

Click and hold on the Links toolbar, drag down towards the bottom of your screen, and release. The Links toolbar will move from the far right side of the screen to just beneath Internet Explorer's Address bar.

Links toolbar beneath the Address bar in Internet Explorer

The contents of your links toolbar will be different than the ones shown above. That's perfectly fine. The important thing is that you can now see your Links toolbar.

Finally, relock your Internet Explorer toolbars by going to View → Toolbars and checking "Lock the Toolbars." Step Two: Drag and Drop the Google Browser Button

Point your Web browser to

http://www.google.com/options/buttons.html

and then click on the blue "Get Your Google Buttons Here" link near the bottom of this page.

The "Get Your Google Buttons Here" link

A "sniffer" code will redirect you to a page that contains browser buttons specifically designed for your Web browser. This page gives brief instructions on how to prepare your browser (which you have already done), and shows you three links you can drag onto your Links toolbar:

Three links you can drag onto your Links toolbar

Drag and drop the Google Search link onto your Links or Personal toolbar. Here's how.

Place your mouse over the first link, "Google Search." Press down your left mouse button and hold it. Drag the "Google Search" link to your Links toolbar and release your left mouse button. Internet Explorer may warn you that you are adding a link that may not be safe. Since the Google Search link is safe, you can ignore the warning. Click "Yes" when asked if you want to continue.

Internet Explorer sunsafe link warning. You can ignore this. The Google Search link will be added to the far right side of your Links or Personal toolbar.

Google Search button on Internet Explorer's Links toolbar

Step Three: Use the Google Browser Button

There are two ways to use your new Google browser button. First, if you click on the Google Search button in your links bar, a pop-up menu will appear.

Google pop-up search box

Key in any search term and click on the OK button (or press enter on your keyboard). Google will show you all of the pages in its database that match your search terms. In effect, the Google Search button lets you search Google ... without having to first go to Google's Web site!

The second way to use your new Google browser button is even more amazing. Go to almost any Web page in the world, highlight a word or phrase (by clicking and dragging across that word or phrase, just as you would do in Microsoft Word), and then click on the Google Search button in your Links bar. Google automatically searches for the word or phrase you highlighted. You don't have to type a thing!

For More Information

For more information on JavaScript bookmarklets, visit

http://www.bookmarklets.com/

You can also create your own bookmarklet for almost any search engine, online dictionary, or Internet database at

http://www.bookmarklets.com/mk.phtml