# Firefox: Manage the address field drop down list with sites I've visited earlier? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2009, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-manage-the-address-field-drop-down-list-with-sites-ive-visited-earlier/484398 "2009-02-04T10:51:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-manage-the-address-field-drop-down-list-with-sites-ive-visited-earlier/484398/1 "2009-02-04T10:51:40Z")
When you begin to type an URL in Firefox’ address field, a drop down list appears with sites you’ve visited earlier. Two questions: 1. How do I delete those entries, if possible? 2. Can I turn off this feature? ---
**Author:** ![Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fake_Tales_of_San_Francisco)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-manage-the-address-field-drop-down-list-with-sites-ive-visited-earlier/484398/2 "2009-02-04T10:55:18Z")
Click Tools then Clear Private Data. Have only Browsing History checked and then click Clear Data. Now, only websites you have bookmarked will appear. Click Tools then options, then privacy and uncheck keep private data. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-manage-the-address-field-drop-down-list-with-sites-ive-visited-earlier/484398/3 "2009-02-04T10:56:35Z")
If you have the latest version of FF, that feature is part of the Awesome Bar, as it is nicknamed, so there’s a good term to search for. I [found this](http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9972852-2.html), for example. If you try to clear it using the “clear history” it clears a lot more than just the browsing history, so that may not be ideal. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-manage-the-address-field-drop-down-list-with-sites-ive-visited-earlier/484398/4 "2009-02-04T10:58:23Z")
Thanks. I’ve cleared browsing history already, but this particular information won’t go. - Perhaps it’s broken, because the sites suggested are not the most recent, and they seem not to change as I’m surfing… ---
**Author:** ![longPath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@longPath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longPath)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-manage-the-address-field-drop-down-list-with-sites-ive-visited-earlier/484398/5 "2009-02-04T11:00:57Z")
Under Tools, you can “Clear Private Data” Under Tools, Options, Privacy, you can turn off the auto history thing. ---
**Author:** ![Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fake_Tales_of_San_Francisco)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-manage-the-address-field-drop-down-list-with-sites-ive-visited-earlier/484398/6 "2009-02-04T11:02:23Z")
My only explanation for that is that you have bookmarked sites that it is searching through. For example, when I type ‘dope’ into my address bar it comes up with a whole load of threads from this site. If I type in ‘ab’ it comes up with random pages from random sites I have bookmarked. Could this be happening to you? ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-manage-the-address-field-drop-down-list-with-sites-ive-visited-earlier/484398/7 "2009-02-04T11:29:35Z")
I think you can stop FF from keeping any history by typing, About:config in the address bar. Look for “browser.urlbar.maxRichResults” Set the value for 0 if you dont want any history to be kept. You have to ignore the warning about “Here be dragons!” ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefox-manage-the-address-field-drop-down-list-with-sites-ive-visited-earlier/484398/8 "2009-02-04T12:09:22Z")
> [@Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](#): > > My only explanation for that is that you have bookmarked sites that it is searching through. For example, when I type ‘dope’ into my address bar it comes up with a whole load of threads from this site. If I type in ‘ab’ it comes up with random pages from random sites I have bookmarked. > > Could this be happening to you? Yap, that’s it. Why this is a problem for me, is that at work, when I type “www” Firefox seems to suggest only sites not work related (about 10% of my bookmarks are of that kind), which I haven’t visited in months; and while they are safe for work, it’s still kind of embarrasing. More than that, it’s really annoying to have these sites suggested a few times every day. I’ve deleted them now, I things are they I want it. Thanks, **Fake Tales** , and everyone else taking time.