Removing past searches from Google Chrome's omnibar

Question

One time I searched for Orange Juice in Chrome's Omnibar. Now, every time I start typing Orange, I get the search suggestion:

How do I get Chrome to stop offering me this search suggestion? If I need to edit some config file, I can do that.

Please don't post answers if you haven't ensured they work first. (This is intended to prevent people from answering "Press Shift-Delete.")

Clarification: I'd prefer a solution in which I can selectively delete entries, not just by time segment. I also prefer a solution that does not involve cancelling any Chrome functionality.

Answer 1

The term Orange Juice is stored in the C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default folder for Windows 7, and in /Users/{username}/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default for Mac OS X, inside a SQLite database file named History (no file extension), in a table called keyword_search_terms. If you're looking to change URL predictions, the table is called 'urls'.

You need to make sure Chrome is not running, so open this page in another browser.

Next, download a SQLite database browser such as SQLite Browser (recommended for OS X), or the Firefox addon SQLite Manager.

With the Firefox addon, you can click on Explorer's address bar and paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default to quickly get to that folder.

SQLite browser doesn't show you the hidden files & folders you need on mac. You can choose "Go To Folder..." and paste the path to have the folder opened, or you can go to Finder and have all hidden files/folders shown. Follow these steps to show them. Then go to /Users/YourMacUsername/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome. Drag the 'Default' Folder to the sidebar as a shortcut. Then, in SQLite browser, click the open folder icon in the top left, and then the default folder in the finder sidebar. Select the file named 'History' with no file extension. Then find and go to 'Browse Data'.

Next, open up the keyword_search_terms table, and in the lower_term column, find Orange Juice delete the row and save changes. For URL predictions, open up the urls table and remove entries.

If you want to do this in one command, SQLite can run SQLite SQL scripts, too. Something like DELETE FROM keyword_search_terms WHERE lower_term = 'orange juice'.

Answer 2

The easy solution to delete a single prediction is:

What annoyed me was entering facebook.com. I was used to write "face" and then press "enter". But i messed it up, and when i was writing "face" instead of auto completing to facebook.com I was ending up on the address "face/" which obviously gave a error, because no such address exists.

The solution is (in my case)

Write the address you want to remove, in my case "face". Press the down arrow, to select the first prediction, or the prediction you want to remove. After it is selected, simply press "Shift+Delete".

Enjoy

Answer 3

Instead of going into Options to delete entries, you can also delete history by hitting CTRL+H:

Answer 4

The Shortcuts Database also has a reference that will pull up the recommendation if you dont go clear it as well.

Answer 5

Click the wrench icon in the upper right corner

select options

select under the hood on the left side

select clear browsing data

select a time from obliterate the following items from

check clear browsing history

click clear browsing data

restart Chrome and your searches are gone.

Answer 6

Upon further investigation and rereading your question, it seems that you can't nuke search entries selectively. It's buried in there in your profile in some obscure cache file or something.

However, you can disable the autocomplete:

The prediction service is typically turned on by default. Follow the steps below to turn it off.

1. Click the wrench icon tools menu on the browser toolbar.
2. Select Options (Preferences on Mac and Linux; Settings on a Chromebook).
3. Click the Under the Hood tab.
4. In the "Privacy" section, deselect the "Use a prediction service to help complete searches and URLs typed in the address bar" checkbox.

Keep in mind that the address bar shows matches from your browsing history, in addition to predictions. If you don't want to see matches from your browsing history, clear your browsing history.

You can couple this with the disable history suggestions flag, --disable-history-quick-provider.

Answer 7

Type the first letter of the word you search, e.g o (in case of orange juice). When you see the word on the opened section under address bar, navigate to (Orange juice) Hold the shift and delete the whole suggestion USING BACKSPACE. You won't see it again when you type (ora..)

Answer 8

This has worked for me, for removing a site from omnbix: Example removing facebook.com:

1. Type f
2. Use the arrows down-up to select facebook, even if it is first
3. Hold shift, hit delete, then release shift (On a mac you have to hit fn while holding shift)

Answer 9

Update: this will delete all Omnibar history.

Just launch Chrome with option

--omnibox-popup-count=0

(you may append this line to the end of "Target" field in "Properties" window for Google Chrome alias)

This option will cause Chrome to erase all remembered search suggestions. It will not cause Chrome to turn off suggestions completely.

(original answer provided by some Google user, named Bapabooiee, back in 2009)

Answer 10

On a chromebook, you should try shift+alt backspace, that's what worked for me

Answer 11

to completely remove your history and searchs goto your account when looged into google select dashboard or just goto:

https://history.google.com/history

there you can remove all your history including switching history tracking off.

When using chrome your bookmarks and searches etc usually sync to your account so when clearing this hostory it will clear throughout your profile meaning when you load chrome that history will also dissapear.

Outside of thast just download any free history eraser to erase all local content from your pc but bare in mind that this does not effect you online google profile.

Answer 12

1. Press Ctrl+h
2. Click on clear browsing data
3. In the dialogue that appears, check the 6th option - just under the password option - (I have a french version of Google Chrome)
4. Click clear browsing data.

Answer 13

I'm not sure if this applies to all versions, given that the original question was asked 3 years ago, but I see that this topic is still active, so…

The problem is that Chrome is saving specific sites as 'search engines'. Not sure what's in the site coding that makes it do that, but here's now to fix it:

Options/Settings > Search > Manage Search Engines

You'll see a dialog box with the usual search engines: Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia, etc. Below that you'll see "Other Search Engines". Go through and delete any you don't want. (Hover over the entry. There's an X all the way to the right. Click to delete.)

Sorted. That worked for me at any rate.

Answer 14

Alt-Backspace is the equivalent of delete, so shift-alt-delete will delete items from the search bar.

I have tried and it worked on my HP11 Chromebook, so it should work. Hope I helped!