The Hijacked Omnibox
Google Chrome’s address bar (the Omnibox) is highly customizable, allowing you to search directly from the bar. However, Chrome is also designed to learn your habits. If you visit a website with its own search function (like Amazon or Wikipedia) and use their internal search bar, Chrome may silently add that website to its list of “Site search” engines. Occasionally, a rogue extension or a misclick on a prompt can actually change your default search engine entirely, meaning when you type a query into the address bar, Chrome automatically routes you to Yahoo, Bing, or a strange custom search site instead of Google.
Locking Down the Search Engine
To ensure your queries are routed correctly and stop Google Chrome from automatically changing your default search engine or suggesting unwanted site searches, you must manage your search preferences.
Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of Chrome and select Settings. In the left-hand navigation sidebar, click on Search engine. First, look at the dropdown menu labelled Search engine used in the address bar and ensure it is explicitly set to your preferred choice (e.g., Google). Next, click on the Manage search engines and site search option below it. Scroll down to the “Site search” section. Here, you will likely see a long list of websites Chrome has automatically learned. Click the three dots next to any unwanted site search entry and select Delete. Removing these ensures Chrome won’t accidentally switch to them when you type a related keyword in the Omnibox.