Anuj.

Bang Search Tool: A Simple Yet Powerful Way to Search the Web

In a world where every second counts, efficient tools can transform how we navigate the web. One such gem is the BangSearch Tool. This lightweight, user-friendly tool harnesses DuckDuckGo’s “bangs” feature, providing a faster and simpler way to search specific websites. While I didn’t create the original concept—that credit belongs to Theo for "Unduck" —I’ve reverse-engineered it, added my own twist, and opened it up for collaboration. Here’s what it’s all about, how it works, and why it might become your new go-to search tool.

What Is the Bang Search Tool?

The BangSearch Tool is a simple search utility that builds on DuckDuckGo’s Bangs system. For those unfamiliar, DuckDuckGo’s bangs are shortcuts (like !g for Google, !w for Wikipedia, or !yt for YouTube) that allow you to search specific sites directly through their engine, all while prioritizing user privacy.

My version, inspired by Theo’s Unduck project, refines this concept into a lean, fast, and straightforward tool.

Bang Search Tool

Think of it as a turbocharged bookmark bar. Type a quick command, press enter, and you’re taken to your destination—no fuss, no delays. It’s also open-source, with documentation and code available at my GitHub Repo, where anyone can explore, contribute, or fork it for their own use.

What Problem Is It Solving?

TL;DR: Fixes DuckDuckGo's slow redirects.

The BangSearch Tool is all about speed and efficiency. It reduces the time and effort power users spend searching the web. Instead of opening a new tab, navigating to a site, and typing a search query, you can do it all from one place. It’s a simple solution, but the time savings accumulate, especially for frequent web users.

DuckDuckGo’s bang system is a powerful feature, but it has one drawback: slow redirect times. DuckDuckGo handles bang redirect requests on server-side, which can delay the process of reaching the target site due to various reasons. I’d been using DuckDuckGo bangs for a while and noticed this sluggishness, just as Theo did over time.

I wasn’t the one to crack this problem—Theo was. He developed a simple tool, Unduck, to address the issue he also faced. Inspired by his solution, I reverse-engineered it and created my own version of the tool.

How Does It Work?

Using the tool is effortless. It employs PWA (Progressive Web App) technology. When you visit the BangSearch Tool website, the JavaScript is cached in your browser, enabling offline use as well.

The redirection logic is handled client-side using the cached code in your browser, making it significantly faster than DuckDuckGo’s server-side redirection. Additionally, I’ve hosted the tool on Cloudflare Pages, so it renders from the nearest Cloudflare edge server for the first time, further speeding up page loads.

Who Can Benefit?

Anyone who values speed and efficiency can benefit. Whether you’re a developer, student, researcher, or casual web surfer, the BangSearch Tool saves time and effort. It’s particularly useful for power users who often search specific sites or need quick access to information.

Typical Use Case - (YouTube)

Imagine wanting to find a song on YouTube. The usual process involves opening a new tab, going to YouTube, typing in the search bar, and hitting enter. It’s not a hassle, but it takes a few extra steps.

Here’s how you can do it with the BangSearch Tool: Open your browser’s search bar, type !yt song name, press enter, and you’re done. The tool takes you straight to YouTube’s search results for that song. It’s a minor tweak, but it adds up over time, especially for heavy web users. Once you get used to bangs, you’ll appreciate how quickly you can navigate the web.

Typical Use Case - (LLM's)

Another example is querying large language models (LLMs). Instead of opening a tab, visiting an LLM’s website, and starting a new chat, I’ve created custom bangs for LLMs. For instance, I type !llmg tell me a joke in the search bar and hit enter. Here, llm stands for large language models, and g represents Grok. This command launches a new chat in Grok AI—it’s that simple. I’ve also made a custom bang for Open AI’s ChatGPT: !llmc tell me a joke.

How to Use It?

Using the BangSearch Tool is straightforward. You can opt for Theo’s Unduck version, my version, or create your own. Whichever you choose, the setup is the same. Here’s how to get started:

Google Chrome

  1. Open Google Chrome and enter chrome://settings/search in the URL bar.
  2. Click on Manage search engines and site search.
  3. Click on Add.
  4. Fill in the details:
Name: Bang Search
Keyword: !
URL: https://bang.anujsubedi.com.np/?q=%s
  1. Click Add.
  2. Click the three vertical dots next to "Bang Search" and select "Make default".
  3. Done.

Once set up, type ! in the search bar followed by the bang and query—like !yt song name—to use it.

Mozilla Firefox

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox and enter about:preferences#search in the URL bar.
  2. Scroll down to the Search Shortcuts section.
  3. Click on Add Search Engine.
  4. Enter the details:
Name: Bang Search
Keyword: !
URL: https://bang.anujsubedi.com.np/?q=%s
  1. Click Add.
  2. Scroll to the top and set Bang Search as the default search engine.
  3. Done.

For other browsers, follow similar steps to add the search engine and start using the tool.

Default Search Engine

BangSearch Tool also allows you to choose your favorite search engine as a default search engine from its homepage. This way, all the queries you type in the browser’s search bar without a bang are handled by your favorite search engine.

Want a Custom Bang or to Fork It?

Want custom bangs without hosting your own version? I’ve got you covered. You can suggest custom bangs for my version by starting a new discussion on the GitHub Repo. I’ll review your suggestion and add it to the tool.

If you’re a developer, feel free to fork the project, add features, or adjust the UI to your liking. The code is open-source, so experiment and make it your own.

Conclusion

The BangSearch Tool offers a simple yet powerful way to search the web. DuckDuckGo’s "bangs" feature was already a game-changer, and this tool enhances it by speeding up queries. Neither Theo nor I invented the concept, but we’ve each added our own flair. Theo credits DuckDuckGo for the idea, and I credit both for the inspiration.

Lastly, Theo (T3) is an incredible creator, and his work inspires me. If you’re into tech, you should definitely check out his channel.