A fix for Blogger search problems

If you’ve ever been flusterated by Blogger’s oft-broken search box (in the navigation bar, top left of this page), here are two ways around the problem.

With someone else’s blog, do a Google site search. Open Google, type site: followed by the URL (minus http://), and add keywords.

With your blog, add a search box. The simplest and best one I’ve found is by Darren Hoyt: Build a Simpler Google Search Form. The code for the Orange Crate Art search box (in the sidebar, right) looks like this:

I’ve made two changes to Darren’s code, adding target="_blank" to open search results in a new tab or window, and changing value="Google search " to value="Go ". At last, a working search box. Go, man, go.

Thanks, Darren, for sharing your work.

[September 27, 2012: Darren’s instructions have disappeared from the Internets. I’m glad I saved them here.]