Learn about Alfred Custom Search by installing the Doc’s Tech Notes custom search

I’ve been playing around a bit with Alfred. Specifically, I’ve been experimenting with Alfred custom searches. During my experimentation I wondered how easy it would be to create a custom Doc’s Tech Notes search that would allow me to search all Doc’s Tech Notes content from Alfred.  It turns out that this is a very simple process. It also turns out that it is extremely easy to share custom searches.

In this Tech Note I’ll demonstrate how to download the Doc’s Tech Notes custom search, use the custom search and then add a custom icon.  During the process, you will learn a few things about Alfred and how Alfred custom searches are created and shared. I won’t go into the specifics of creating a custom search in this Tech Note. I’ll save that for a potential future note. Consider this a “for familiarization only” task.

Install the Doc’s Tech Notes custom search:
You won’t believe how easy the developers of Alfred have made this step.

• Download the free Alfred app (If you want to experience the real power of Alfred, you can purchase the PowerPack although it is not required for custom searches)
• Click the following link: Install the Doc’s Tech Notes custom Alfred search – the Custom Search: Doc’s Tech Notes... install dialog will display as shown in the image below

• Select the Oh Yes! button - the Doc’s Tech Notes custom search will install

It’s done. The unique aspect of this install is that custom search criteria is installed via a simple URL. No file download.

Now that you have the Doc’s Tech Notes custom search installed, after the link below we will use the custom search and then personalize it with a custom image.

Using the Doc’s Tech Notes custom search:
Let’s give the custom search a try:

• Activate Alfred (my hot-key is a double-tap of the ⌘ key)
• Type doc followed by a space in the Alfred window – Alfred presents the Search Doc’s Tech Notes... prompt as shown in the image below

• Immediately after the space, enter a search query – for this example, use android
• Immediately after the search query hit the Return key – The default browser will open displaying the Doc’s Tech Notes search results page shown in the image below

I have several Tech Notes that I occasionally refer to and have already used this custom search to jump to them quickly with just a few keystrokes rather than a lengthy series of keystrokes and clicks. This search also allows me to quickly review my site to ensure I don’t duplicate Tech Notes.

Adding a custom logo to the search:
You may notice in my screenshots that the Doc’s Tech Notes logo appears when I enter the keyword doc and yours does not. Unfortunately, installing the custom search through a URL will not pull in a logo. It would be useful if the Alfred developers could include a link to an online logo somewhere that automatically installs, but that is not currently available. For now you must manually install an image. Let’s add the Doc’s Tech Notes logo the custom search.

• Download Doc’s Tech Notes logo by right-clicking on the image below and choosing the Save Image As... option and saving the logo to the desktop

• Activate Alfred
• Hit ⌘ + , (or click the Alfred cog) to open the Alfred Preferences window
• Select Custom Search as highlighted in item number 1 in the image below

• Select the Doc’s Tech Notes custom search as highlighted in item number 2 above – this may be your only custom search
• Select the Edit button as highlighted in item number 3 above - the edit custom search dialog will appear as shown in the image below

• Drag the Doc’s Tech Notes logo form the Desktop to the area highlighted in the image above
• Click the Save button
• Close the Alfred Preferences window
• Delete the logo from the Desktop
• Activate Alfred
• Type doc followed by a space in the Alfred window - Alfred presents the "Search Doc’s Tech Notes..." prompt along with the  Doc’s Tech Notes logo
• Try and search your heart desires

Now when you activate the Doc’s Tech Notes custom search by typing doc into the Alfred window, not only will you see the Search Doc’s Tech Notes... prompt, but also the Doc’s Tech Notes logo to the left. Of course this is not required, but it does add a bit of polish to Alfred custom searches.

So that’s how you can install, use and add a custom icon to Alfred custom searches. Give it shot and let me know what you think by dropping a comment below. While not an all inclusive discussion of custom searches, it should give your brain a kickstart as to the possibilities of this feature. If you want me to go into specifics about other Alfred features let me know. Alfred has become instrumental to my workflow and the more I learn about it, the more productive I have become.