Add Google SSL Search Provider to Firefox Search Box

Google supports search over SSL secure connection, where user can enjoy end-to-end encrypted search solution between local computer and Google’s server. Secure Google Search channel helps protect search terms and search results pages from being intercepted or sniffed by malicious hackers or proxies.

To search with Google over SSL secure connection, users can manually visit https://encrypted.google.com. However, the Google Search search provider which comes with Mozilla Firefox does not use Google over SSL URL as default search provider, for both search and search suggestions.

Firefox users who want to use Google SSL Search can download and install the following add-ons which install one of the following search providers that default to using encrypted Google SSL Search URL to perform searches and provide type-ahead search suggestions securely.

Google (SSL)
Google SSL Search

Once installed, user can select the Google SSL search provider from the drop down list of the search box, and it can be made as default search engine by moving it to first place when managing search providers of Firefox.

Note that only Google web search is available over SSL. Other search products like Google Images and Google Maps are not currently available over SSL. When you’re searching over SSL, these properties may not appear in the left panel.