How do I search across U.S. government sites?
To search across content from U.S. government sources on Google
U.S. Goverment Search, all you have to do is enter a query into
the search box and click the "Search Government Sites" button.
This launches a search across U.S. federal, state and local government
sites with domains such as .gov, .mil, and other select ones. You
get the same relevance and results format as you do when conducting
a search on Google.com. You can also use the advanced search option
to focus on content from specific government sources.
What sites are included in the Google U.S. Government Search
index?
The Google U.S. Government Search index includes U.S. federal,
state and local sites with domains such as .gov, .mil as well as
select government sites with .com, .us, and .edu domains (eg. .usps.com,
.ca.us and ndu.edu). We add content from these sites to our search
index on a regular basis. If you cannot find content from your
site in the search index, ask your site webmaster to use Google
Sitemaps to identify what parts of their site we should index.
How do I add additional content feeds to the homepage?
Click on the "sign in" link below the search box and log in to
the homepage using your Google
Account. Once logged in, click on the "Add content" hyperlink
in the top left hand corner of the homepage. This will open our
content directory, where we list some popular content feeds on
topics such as government, sports, business, and technology. You
can search the Web for additional feeds using the search box at
the bottom of the content directory, or you can enter the URL for
an RSS feed from your favorite site into to the search box and
add it directly.
Will personalizing the Google U.S. Government Search homepage
change the content on my Google.com homepage?
No, it will not. You can have separate personalized content on
both your Google U.S. Government Search and Google.com homepages. Learn
how to set Google U.S. Government Search as your default homepage.
How do I delete a content feed from my homepage?
To delete a content feed, simply click the "x" in the upper-right
corner of the feed's title bar. Please note that this will also
delete any preferences you've set for that feed, like the number
of stories shown for Google News. If you decide to restore
the feed later, you'll need to reset your preferences.
For sections powered by an underlying service -- like Gmail,
Bookmarks and Search History -- deleting the feed won't delete
the underlying service or associated preferences. You can go directly
to the service itself to change those preferences. For example,
you can manage your Bookmarks and Search History at http://www.google.com/psearch
How do I rearrange the position of content feeds on my page?
To move sections, click your mouse on the feed's red and blue
title bar, and with the mouse button still depressed, drag the
section to a new location.
Do I need to have a Google account to use Google U.S. Government
Search?
No, you do not need to have a Google account to use Google U.S.
Government Search. You will be able to search across U.S. government
content and view updated government news from various sources without
a Google Account. If you want to personalize the page by adding
additional content feeds, however, you will need a Google Account.
Don't have an account? Sign up for a free Google or Gmail account.
What's a Google Account?
Your Google account gives you access to various Google services,
including your personalized Google U.S. Government Search homepage,
Google Groups, Google Alerts, the Froogle Shopping List, and Personalized
Search. If you've used any of those services before, you already
have a Google account. If you have a Gmail account, you can use
your Gmail username and password to sign in to your Google account.
If you don't yet have a Google account, you can create one at https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount.
Note: If you share a computer and don't want others to see your
personalized homepage (which may link to your Gmail account), please
be sure to sign out of your Google account when you're done using
the computer.
Can I add Google Gadgets to the Google U.S. Government Search
homepage?
Currently you can add content feeds from sources all over the
web -- and on all sorts of topics -- to the homepage. You can't,
however, currently add Google
Gadgets. We're working hard to add this functionality.
How do I get a site included in the Google U.S. Government
Search index?
If you're a webmaster for a government site and you can't find
all of the content from your site in the U.S. government search
results, use Google
Sitemaps to tell us what content we should include.
How do I get a content feed from my organization included in
the content directory?
You can find instructions for creating a feed here. Once
created, people will be able to add it to their Google personalized
homepage on google.com, usgov.google.com, or other partner sites.
We periodically review government-specific feeds for inclusion
in the content directory.
How can I get Google search for my organization's website?
You can bring Google search to your agency with our enterprise
search products, the Google Search Appliance and Google Mini. These
products offer search as fast and relevant as Google.com across
the content on your website or internal network. Learn
more about Google's solutions for government organizations.
How do I make this my default homepage?
To set Google U.S. Government Search as your browser's homepage,
simply follow the directions below.
For Internet Explorer:
1. Select "Internet Options" from the "Tools" menu.
2. Make sure you're on the "General" tab.
3. In the "Home page" section, type " http://www.google.com/ig/usgov" in
the text box.
4. Click "OK."
For Firefox:
1. Select "Options" from the "Tools" menu.
2. Make sure you're in "General" preferences.
3. In the "Home Page" section, type " http://www.google.com/ig/usgov" in
the text box.
4. Click "OK."
For Safari:
1. Select "Preferences" from the "Safari" menu.
2. Make sure you're in "General" preferences.
3. In the "Home page" field, type " http://www.google.com/ig/usgov" in
the text box.
4. Close the Preferences window.
For Netscape:
1. Select "Preferences" from the "Edit" menu.
2. Click on the "Navigator" category.
3. In the "Home Page" section, type " http://www.google.com/ig/usgov" in
the text box.
4. Click "OK."
For Opera:
1. Select "Preferences" from the "Tools" menu.
2. Make sure you're on the "General" tab.
3. In the "Startup" drop-down menu, select "Start with home page."
4. In the "Home page" field, type " http://www.google.com/ig/usgov" in
the text box.
5. Click "OK."
Note: You may be asked to sign in to your Google Account before
your personalized homepage is displayed.
What do I do if I still have questions?
Can't find what you're looking for? Contact
us
