Introducing sidebar search in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft

Hello Insiders! We have heard your feedback and are excited to announce sidebar search - the first step in our evolution of contextual search in the new Microsoft Edge. 

 

Sidebar search builds off the foundation we began with "Ask Cortana" in the previous version of Microsoft Edge and addresses feedback we received when "Ask Cortana" didn't meet your needs.

 

With sidebar search, you can highlight a word or phrase, right click, and select “Search in sidebar” from the context menu. Search results show up in a pane on the right side of the page showing you web results like definitions, web links, images, videos and many more Bing services which are related to the query.

 

We have added some new features to improve relevance and to provide user requested functionality that was absent in "Ask Cortana". In addition to the web results, you now see image and video verticals which show results related to the highlighted word or phrase. If you are signed into your azure active directory account at work, you can now see company results.

 

Sidebar search is a persistent pane in the tab in which it was opened, which gives you the option to close the pane or look up additional information related to other words using the search box. There’s more – if you want a full view of web results, you can now click on the “Open in new tab” button which opens the web results in a new tab.

 

You can expect to see sidebar begin to roll out in Microsoft Edge Dev and Canary channels very soon!

 

mayusuf_1-1589991666536.png

 

Thanks - Microsoft Edge Search team

 

 

 

 

124 Replies
I found this unexpectedly in my Mac Canary build earlier today because I right-clicked to search the web for a highlighted phrase and was DELIGHTED to see the sidebar search available! Thank you! Works exactly as expected (for me) and seems to render search results well.

It did take me a while to notice the floating blue "Open in new tab" button -- I sort of expected an icon near the top right for that -- but now I see it, yup, that's perfect.

@seancorfield Is everyone else able to close the sidebar once open, because I'm stuck with it until I close the tab.

 

Thank you for your feedback about the size of the context menu, @matt_bits  ! We're glad you're giving Sidebar Search a try! We are taking your feedback into consideration as we iterate on the feature.

 

@cjc2112 Thank you for your feedback! We're glad you're giving Sidebar Search a try.

 

In case you missed it, if you scroll up, you'll see a close button beside the search box. We have also added a right click context menu in sidebar search which includes close and back options. Right now, sidebar search should show only bing pages, please send feedback via the feedback tool in Edge with details on your experience on seeing non-bing web pages in sidebar search. We will look into those cases.

 

Thanks!

@mayusuf 
Hi I am using version Canary 85.0.538.0
I don't see this feature but I wonder why?
sidebar search in me this feature is not included..
why can't I try this feature?

@Eko009 I still don't have it. Just updated to 85.0.538.0

@mayusuf I don't seem to see a x anywhere in the sidebar.

cjc2112_0-1591413475551.png

 

 

 

Edit: i found out how to close it, a right click will bring up an option to close sidebar. Still no X.

 

@mayusuf 

I am not able to see any option for sidebar search whereas some people can access it. Please tell what to do.

@Ekansh0202 I think it may be in a/b testing, which would explain why some people can use it and others cant.

@cjc2112 

Do you have the option?

 

Hi @Eko009 , we are gradually rolling the feature out to users in Dev and Canary. You should have access to the feature a few weeks.

 

Thanks!

@Ekansh0202 I have it on one of my devices on Canary and Dev, but am missing it on 2 others.

Versutus

@Pete_FFC 

 

Hello,  I have to tell you that I am an 83 years old veteran and to spend my time(alone) I like to try software.  I really cannot help you except to say iit works or not, as I really do not master computers.

 You may be better off using someone that is conversant with software.  I really like the sidebar search.  Plus you mentioned something about a Spell Checker that is something I really can use.  I am a francophone but I like english better.  My computer is in English but sometimes I need to send french email.  If the Spell Checker will check spelling inn both languages that would be a really nice tool.

Keep up the good work, you are fantastic, also take care and wear a mask.

 

Regards Maurice Ledoux CD

Hi @cjc2112 , Thank you for trying out sidebar search and for reporting this. Please can you report this via the Edge feedback and include a full screenshot of the issue. We will be happy to investigate further.

 

Thanks!

Hi @Versutus 

 

Currently the spell-checker can check a large number of languages, but at the moment what it CAN'T do is automatically detect languages, so you have to change the proofing language manually every time. I have flagged this to Microsoft, so hopefully it will eventually be able to do this.

 

You take care too :smiling_face_with_smiling_eyes:

@mayusufThe issue has been fixed. Another thing I noted was that you can't access web pages in the sidebar besides bing (they open in new tabs), but that brings it closer to what ask Cortana was before, but it was cool to be able to duel search on a tab while it lasted.

Omg, I missed this feature so much!

Please enable search with Google

@mayusuf  Cool, thanks for this nifty tool, I enjoyed it a lot. :lol: