The Firefox address bar can keep serving suggestions after you clear the search suggestion checkbox. Bookmarks, history, open tabs, top sites, and sponsored results each have their own switch, so one setting rarely covers everything.
Work through the Settings sources first, then use about:config when a checkbox is not the whole story. If a preference resets on every restart, check for a managed profile.
In this guide, I have covered:
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Firefox Address Bar Suggestions That Won’t Turn Off
You unchecked the search suggestion box and the dropdown still fills up the moment you type. That is normal Firefox behavior, not a bug. The address bar draws from several suggestion sources at once.
Search suggestions are only one of them. Bookmarks, browsing history, open tabs, top sites, and sponsored results are separate sources with separate controls. Turn off one and the rest keep feeding the list.
Start with the switches that are easy to reach:
- Click the
menu, then select Settings. - Select Search in the left sidebar.
- Clear Show search suggestions under the search suggestions section.
- Look for an Address bar suggestions section and clear any other enabled suggestion sources shown there.
- If Show suggestions from sponsored content appears, clear that option as well.
- Click the address bar and type a partial word without pressing .
Anything from the source you just disabled should stop appearing. If results still show, another source or a managed preference is feeding them.
Mozilla’s support discussion about persistent Firefox address bar suggestions is worth reading when you want to compare the exact result types other users reported.
Remove Search History That Still Appears
A phrase you typed into the search box last month keeps popping up. That is stored search history, not a live suggestion from the search engine, and it survives when you flip the suggestion setting.
Clearing it is a separate job. The BrowserHow guide to clear search term history in Firefox on Computer covers the cleanup step by step.
Once it is gone, reopen Firefox and type the same partial word. Nothing from that old search should surface.
Disable All Address Bar Sources With about:config
Some Firefox builds show a checkbox that does not map cleanly to the preference behind it. When Settings leaves you with suggestions you cannot kill, go one level down.
- Open a new Firefox tab.
- Enter about:config in the address bar and press .
- Accept the warning that opens the Advanced Configuration page.
- Search for browser.urlbar.suggest.enabled.
- Set the preference value to false.
- Search for and set browser.urlbar.suggest.searches, browser.urlbar.suggest.bookmark, browser.urlbar.suggest.history, browser.urlbar.suggest.topsites, browser.urlbar.suggest.openpage, and browser.urlbar.suggest.engines to false.
- Close every open Firefox window, including private windows.
- Reopen Firefox and test the address bar.
Do not touch preferences marked as locked or managed. An organization can enforce those, and your change will either do nothing or revert on its own.
You’ll know it worked when a single typed letter leaves the dropdown empty. If it still fills, revisit the list above and check each preference one more time.
TIP: Every preference in about:config has a reset arrow on its right side. If a value causes trouble later, click it to restore the original setting.
Check for Settings That Keep Turning Back On
A preference that returns to its old value after every restart is being written from somewhere else. A managed browser configuration does exactly that, and so can a profile that keeps receiving the same policy.
- Open about:config again.
- Search for the preference that keeps returning to its previous value.
- Check whether the value is locked or marked as modified.
- Close Firefox completely and reopen it.
- Search for the same preference and compare its value with the setting you selected.
If the value resets, ask your organization’s IT administrator whether Firefox is centrally managed. On a personal computer, test the same preference in a second Firefox profile to see whether the problem is tied to your current one.
A preference only applies to the Firefox profile where you changed it. Repeat the change in every profile you use if you want the same behavior everywhere.
Check Whether the Suggestions Are on the New Tab Page
Not everything that looks like a suggestion is one. If the clutter appears before you type a single character, you are looking at the New Tab page, not the address bar.
Test it in two steps. Open a new tab and look at the page. Then click the address bar and type one letter. Only what appears in the dropdown belongs to address bar suggestions.
The BrowserHow walkthrough on removing unwanted content from the Firefox New Tab page handles the first half. It will not disable real autocomplete, so check both areas separately.
Get both clean and the loop closes: a blank New Tab page, and an address bar that waits for you to type before it shows anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Firefox address bar suggestions persist after I disable search suggestions?
Firefox may still be showing suggestions from bookmarks, browsing history, recently visited pages, or sponsored content. Disable the relevant source in Settings, or turn off the underlying preferences in about:config.
Will clearing my Firefox history stop every address bar suggestion?
No. Clearing search history removes stored search terms, but bookmark, recently visited page, and other configured suggestion sources may remain active. Check those sources separately.
Why does an about:config preference reset when Firefox restarts?
A locked or centrally managed Firefox configuration can restore the original value. Check whether the preference is marked as locked, or ask your IT administrator whether the setting is controlled by your organization.
Can I keep Firefox autocomplete but remove only sponsored suggestions?
Yes. If Firefox shows a Show suggestions from sponsored content option in Settings, clear that checkbox without disabling every other suggestion source.
Do I need to clear cookies to disable Firefox address bar suggestions?
No. Cookies and cache are not the usual cause of persistent address bar suggestions. Change the suggestion sources or their underlying preferences instead.
