The Hijacked Address Bar
Google Chrome is tightly integrated with Google Search by default. However, Chrome has a feature designed to learn from your browsing habits. If you frequently visit a specific website (like Wikipedia or a specific online store) and use the search function located on that specific site, Chrome might quietly add that site to your list of “Search engines.” In some frustrating scenarios, usually involving a misclick or an aggressive extension, Chrome might automatically switch your default Omnibox (address bar) search engine away from Google and redirect all your standard queries to that secondary site’s internal search tool instead.
Managing Default Search Engine Settings
To regain control of your address bar and stop Google Chrome from automatically switching your default search engine, you must review your search settings and ensure they are locked to your preferred provider.
Open Google Chrome. Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner and select Settings. In the left-hand navigation menu, click on Search engine. Look at the top option, Search engine used in the address bar. Click the dropdown menu and ensure it is firmly set to Google (or your preferred provider like Bing or DuckDuckGo). Next, click on Manage search engines and site search. Scroll down to the “Site search” section. Here, you will see a list of websites Chrome has learned can act as search engines. If you see a site here that is aggressively hijacking your address bar, click the three dots next to it and select Delete. This prevents Chrome from mistakenly routing your queries through that site.