Site Search Engine

[Nancy_Janyszeski]

Hi, any suggestions for an alternative search engine.  I always used FreeFind.

~ Nancy     

Nancy Janyszeski

 ~  PAGenWeb/

 ~  Bucks County PAGenWeb
 ~  Montgomery County PAGenWeb 
 ~  Northampton County PAGenWeb

Bucks County History   

[NancyJanyszeski]

Does anyone use a Google search 

Nancy 

Nancy  Janyszeski. 🎄 

PAGenWeb,  SC

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[Kris Meyer]

I have always used FreeFind

Kris

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/state-coord/2001729128.171206.1774752877471%40yahoo.com.

[Nancy_Janyszeski]

Thank you. 

~ Nancy     

Nancy Janyszeski

 ~  PAGenWeb/

 ~  Bucks County PAGenWeb
 ~  Montgomery County PAGenWeb 
 ~  Northampton County PAGenWeb

Bucks County History   

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/state-coord/CAKr8zTjsuj-_gi7JuURXRQ2KDHZD%2BZ4rzQTpkLqZP8%2BPf4KN%2Bg%40mail.gmail.com.

[Rebecca Maloney]

I always use free find. They will increase the file limit if and when needed for no extra charge 

Rebecca Maloney
Volunteer with USGenWeb

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/state-coord/1351820694.1257136.1774787474467%40mail.yahoo.com.

[Timothy Stowell]

I used Pico search until they disappeared then switched to Freefined.

Seeing no need to change, staying with it.

On inherited site that had Google search, replaced with Freefind. It seemed to me that Google search found unrelated links.

Tim Stowell 

ASC NYGenWeb

SC MNGenWeb

CC hither and yon

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/state-coord/CAKr8zTjsuj-_gi7JuURXRQ2KDHZD%2BZ4rzQTpkLqZP8%2BPf4KN%2Bg%40mail.gmail.com.

[NancyJanyszeski]

I use FreeFind but can't add an additional URL, I have several, I am thinking I need to create an additional account.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/state-coord/CADh7GBd%3DDArLmHkNDcyctV4M%2BZWDN4CBOCOxA7V4tV_xhSuxZA%40mail.gmail.com.

[webmaster]

Yes, that has been my go-to for many years. 

 

https://programmablesearchengine.google.com/about/

 

I also use Google Search Console to submit a sitemap to help with site indexing, track indexing, uncover any indexing issues, see how my site performs in searches, and see what pages people click to. By far, my most popular pages are cemetery indexes. 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/state-coord/2001729128.171206.1774752877471%40yahoo.com.

[Shone Brooks]

Yes, I also use both. While I think FreeFind's solution is a better fit in most cases, Google is a reasonable alternative if done correctly. They do offer some helpful tools in that regard, but I found it more challenging than FeeFind's tools and the result was not necessarily better. However, you don't have go to the nines with Google. It can be implemented in a relatively basic way that still provides respectable results.

For example, Michigan's Charlevoix County site was orphaned and its FreeFind account was not passed along and had stopped working due to a domain/server migration. So as an interim solution, I replaced FreeFind with a basic Google implementation as the default site search. If you test it out, you'll see that the results are limited to the Charlevoix site, just to show that it can be done without too much fuss. If I wanted to take it further, the results page could be hooked to a template that better matches the rest of the site, but I'd probably switch it over to FreeFind instead as it's a bit easier using FreeFind's tools in my opinion.

It is also entirely possible to offer both options on a site. While one may be the default search from the home page or site-wide navigation other search options could be provided elsewhere, I encourage CC's to consider offering a page on each site that offers users a variety of ways to search not only that county site, but other sources of relevant content where appropriate. The Washtenaw County site, for example has a "Search Tools" page that allows users to select from a variety of search and search-related features using FreeFind, Google, and a variety of others. If nothing else, it provides a convenience factor.

I, too, use Google Search Console help monitor and improve site content and search engine performance, but that's a separate functionality that can be done with or without FreeFind or Google site search.

Hope that helps.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/state-coord/631301088.5316287.1774798636854%40webmail-oxcs.networksolutionsemail.com.

--
Shone Brooks, MIGenWeb Assistant State Coordinator and County Coordinator for Iosco, Jackson, and Washtenaw Counties

[Pat Asher]

In addition to Shone's comments, one of the things I like about Freefind is that, when it (re)indexes the site, it reports a broken link. Does GoogleSearch do the same?
Pat Asher

Shone Brooks, MIGenWeb Assistant State Coordinator and County Coordinator for Iosco, Jackson, and Washtenaw Counties

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[Linda K. Lewis]

Google Search Console reports all links from your sitemap that can't be indexed, and why, such as page not found. 

I use Xenu to check my external links fairly regularly.

Linda K. Lewis

Sent from my Fi ZFold6

-------- Original message --------

From: Pat Asher <pjr...@att.net>

Date: 3/29/26 2:51 PM (GMT-06:00)

To: state...@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: [SC-USGWg] Site Search Engine

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[Dale H. Cook]

On 29 Mar 2026 5:09 pm, Linda K. Lewis wrote:

> I use Xenu to check my external links fairly regularly.

I am also an avid Xenu user.
--
Dale H. Cook, Member, NEHGS, AGS, MA Soc. of Mayflower Descendants;
Massachusetts State Coordinator for the USGenWeb® Project;
Administrator of https://plymouthcolony.net

[Nancy_Janyszeski]

I did figure out how to add an additional URL to FreeFind.  It works fine but I am disappointed that some sites show,

The information you’re about to submit is not secure

Because this form is being submitted using a connection that’s not secure, your information will be visible to others.

This is a site on our new secure server at DreamHost.

FreeFind Authorization Security   

I tried a search on the same server using sitelevel and I don't get the error.

So, I will try a sitelevel search on the same site and see how it goes.

~ Nancy     

Nancy Janyszeski

 ~  PAGenWeb/

 ~  Bucks County PAGenWeb
 ~  Montgomery County PAGenWeb 
 ~  Northampton County PAGenWeb

Bucks County History   

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[Shone Brooks]

That's usually a symptom of URLs that are using http:// instead of https://.

The latter is the standard for modern browser security tools and when a modern browser encounters a URL or form that uses http://, it will normally alert the user in some way. Some sites still don't work will https:// URLs, so it's not as easy as changing them all over at once, but with careful testing, you can usually figure out which ones have to be http://, while converting the others to https://in your HTML, form actions, site search inclusions, etc.

For those that simply don't work with https:// the choice sort of comes down to excluding them or including them and living with those pesky security alerts when they show up.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/state-coord/531146798.448218.1774832631798%40mail.yahoo.com.

[Nancy_Janyszeski]

Ok, just put a Sitelevel search on the same site and no security issues.

https://www.sitelevel.com/

~ Nancy     

Nancy Janyszeski

 ~  PAGenWeb/

 ~  Bucks County PAGenWeb
 ~  Montgomery County PAGenWeb 
 ~  Northampton County PAGenWeb

Bucks County History   

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/state-coord/531146798.448218.1774832631798%40mail.yahoo.com.

[NancyJanyszeski]

Thanks, yes all the new sites are https we moved them all to a secure server.

Maybe there is a cache issue.

Nancy 

Nancy  Janyszeski. 🎄 

PAGenWeb,  SC

-------- Original message --------

From: 'Shone Brooks' via State Coordinators <state...@googlegroups.com>

Date: 3/29/26 9:12 PM (GMT-05:00)

To: state...@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: [SC-USGWg] Site Search Engine

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/state-coord/d6956fb8-d4b9-4d9d-ad13-39858e0fc899%40yahoo.com.

[Linda K. Lewis]

One thing about Google Search...if your state is set up with subdomains, such as county.state.tld, you can set up a statewide search engine. This can be a very powerful tool for researchers! Even if not set up that way, it is still possible to set up a statewide search, just requires more effort.

Apologies for any typos sending from my phone...

Linda K. Lewis

The USGenWeb Project SM

www.usgenweb.org

Sent from my Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note8.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/state-coord/371252747.177256.1774834595763%40yahoo.com.

[Timothy Stowell]

Nancy,

You can add additional URLs as starting points - 

Let's say you have files on your PA server but also have files for x site on another server.   Once you log on to your Freefind account on the tab that shows Build Index - third item down - Set starting points in the box put the URL of the page (usually the index page) of the URL you want the search engine to spider in addition to the main one you have which shows at the top of the page on the right side when you login to  your Freefind site.  Then click Finish.

Then ask the program back on the Build Index to Index now to have the new URL included in future indexing.

Tim

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/state-coord/531200975.158452.1774796470481%40yahoo.com.

[Timothy Stowell]

For sites abandoned or inherited due to coordinators departing, the new coordinator can make sure their name / address appears on the site, write to Freefind and ask them to turn the account code over to them, which they will do.  Then if URL changes are needed, like the change from say Rootsweb or Joy's old server, one can just go in and change the site's URL without having to change the Freefind code.

Tim S.

On Sun, Mar 29, 2026 at 1:10 PM 'Shone Brooks' via State Coordinators <state...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

<snip>

[Shone Brooks]

Agreed. In this case, the Google is being used on an interim basis in the hopes of identifying a new coordinator soon so we don't have to juggle the account again. (There are other, more pressing issues to attend to at the moment.) But should that fail, we may bite the bullet as it were an do the needful.

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[maktran...@yahoo.com]

I use google search because I use google browser - it finds the majority of what I want quickly - MAK 

Marcia Ann Kuehl 
RenoCoKS CC
ColumbiaCoGA CC 
Wisconsin SC 

USGenWeb is always looking for CCs for our Adopt Me Counties! Join our team!!!  

On Saturday, March 28, 2026 at 07:54:42 PM PDT, 'NancyJanyszeski' via State Coordinators <state...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Does anyone use a Google search 

Nancy 

Nancy  Janyszeski. 🎄 

PAGenWeb,  SC   

Site Search Engine