The search bar at the top of Start.me lets you search the web using your preferred search engine. You can change the default engine, add custom ones, reorder them, and even hide the search bar entirely.
Set a default search engine
Click the search engine icon (globe) on the left side of the search bar.
Click Search settings.
Use the dropdown at the top to select your preferred default engine.
Click outside to close — your choice is saved automatically.
Switch search engines on the fly
Click the search engine icon in the search bar.
Select a different engine from the dropdown.
Start typing to search with that engine.
Your selection is remembered for next time.
Reorder or remove search engines
Click the search engine icon > Search settings.
Drag and drop to reorder engines.
Click the delete icon to remove engines you've added.
Add a custom search engine
You can add any website's search to your Start.me search bar:
Click the search engine icon > Search settings > Add search engine.
Choose a preset (Amazon, Ecosia, etc.) or click Add custom search engine.
Enter a name and the search URL, replacing the search term with
%s.Click Add to save.
Custom search URL examples
DuckDuckGo:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=%s
How to find a search URL
Search for something on any website, then copy the URL from your address bar. Replace the search term you typed with %s — that's your custom search URL.
Hide the search bar (PRO)
PRO users can hide the search bar entirely:
Click the User icon in the top-right corner.
Click User Preferences.
Toggle Hide search bar to ON.
This applies to all your personal pages. When hidden, keyboard focus goes to your browser's address bar instead.
Hide the search bar on a team subdomain
Team owners and admins can hide the search bar for all team pages:
Click the User icon > My teams > select your team.
Go to Subdomain > Display settings > Edit.
Toggle Hide search bar.
Changes save automatically and may take a few minutes to apply. See Use a team subdomain for all display options.