Erasing Safari drop down web history

**gazzerdc** · June 8th, 2006, 10:07 AM

I know how to eliminate the history searches. Any way to get rid of all the saved web addresses that are in the drop down address line in Safari? You know, when you type www dot....and every place you have ever searched in your life shows up in a drop down menu? Where is this information hidden and how to I get rid of it?

No particular reason other than the fact that there doesn't seem to be a simple way to do it. :-)

**ElDiabloConCaca** · June 8th, 2006, 01:01 PM

The only things that will show up in that list are things that are in your bookmarks, or web sites you have recently visited and have NOT cleared out of the history yet.

For example, if "www.somesite.com" is NOT in your bookmarks, and you've recently visited it, then the next time you type "www.som...", "www.somesite.com" will be a choice in the drop-down menu. If you clear your history, it will no longer be a suggested auto-complete address.

You may want to wade through your bookmarks and see if there are some sites you no longer need bookmarked and can clear out.

**gazzerdc** · June 8th, 2006, 03:45 PM

You mean all those that show up in the drop down are actually BOOKMARKED? C'mon. Really? WOW. I had no idea. Seriously, though. I swear there are things in the drop down that aren't bookmarked. I'll have to delete a couple and check a few as a test. Is there a way to find out where something is saved in a bookmark (Tools and Reference, MAC, Finance, etc.) other than wading through everything. Can I do a "Find" to find them?
Thanks.

**Captain Code** · June 8th, 2006, 04:07 PM

As far as I can tell it's part of the history. When I clear my history, all those auto completed urls disappear.

**ElDiabloConCaca** · June 8th, 2006, 06:04 PM

Your "Bookmarks" menu does not contain the entire set of bookmarks that Safari defaults to. From the "Bookmarks" menu, select "Show All Bookmarks" and you'll see there on the left-hand side under "Collections" that there are many, many folders full of bookmarks.

**gazzerdc** · June 9th, 2006, 10:41 AM

Thanks, El.

You are absolutely correct. I never realized there was so much in the bookmarks i.e. Software developers, old things I'd saved for just a quick reference, etc. Now I know. When you delete "history," it gets rid of the latest, but the others are still there if they are saved in the bookmarks. I've started to go through some of those (like the 30 or so for "software developers" that I will never use.... it will actually help in using the drop down more efficiently....thanks again.

Gazbott