• How is Search Assist helpful?
• When is Search Assist helpful?
• How does Search Assist work?
• Do the Search Assist suggestions come from my Search History?
• How can I disable Search Assist?
• How can I offer suggestions or feedback about Search Assist?

Search Assist is the latest Yahoo! Search innovation to help you find exactly what you’re searching for. As you type, it automatically offers helpful search terms and phrases. After you’ve searched, it suggests additional search terms and topics to expand your search.

How is Search Assist helpful?

• It saves time. By offering great suggestions, often exactly what you had in mind, it reduces the need to complete your search or enter repetitive searches.
• It's smart. By making suggestions as you type, it eliminates one of the hardest parts of searching — coming up with the right question or search phrase.
• It gives you ideas. By suggesting search terms and topics you may not have considered, it helps you to find what you’re searching for. It also gives you new ideas to help you further explore a topic.

When is Search Assist helpful?
Each time you search, Search Assist suggestions can make searching the Web faster, easier, and more efficient. But you're always in control. Use it when you want, ignore it when you don't want it. It's there to help.

• When you're not sure how to spell a word: Start typing and Search Assist lists complete words that match what you type. For example, typing "pulc" generates suggestions like "pulchritudinous," "pulcinella," and "pulchritude."

• When you type a very general term: For example, type "San Francisco" and Search Assist offers "Also try" suggestions that include completed searches like "san francisco giants" or "san francisco chronicle."

• When you're having difficulty expressing the intention of your search: Search Assist lists suggestions that help put your search in context. For example, a simple search for "yoga" generates suggestions like "yoga basics," "yoga mats," and "yoga poses". Search Assist offers a wealth of concepts which help you confidently explore or refine your search.

How does Search Assist work?
As you type into the search box, Search Assist compares your search phrase to searches performed by all other Yahoo! Search users. Search Assist then offers suggestions based on the questions and phrases typed by people who have performed searches which are related to yours.

Clicking the arrow below the search box expands Search Assist and lets you see all of the suggestions. To the left, you will find the "Also try" suggestions. These are completed searches which might just be exactly what you are looking for. To the right are concepts that are related to your search term or question.

• Use "Also try" suggestions to complete your search query.
• Use the suggestions to the right to explore and refine your search based on related concepts.

Each time you select a suggestion, Search Assist displays search results for that search term and a new set of suggestions.

Do the Search Assist suggestions come from my Search History?

No. Search Assist does not base its suggestions on the searches your particular searches. It is not related to the Search History feature. Search Assist makes suggestions based on what all users find to be helpful.

Your Search Assist searches are covered under the Yahoo! privacy policy. For more information about how Yahoo! treats your personal information, please see our privacy policy.

How can I disable Search Assist?

You turn Search Assist on or off at anytime. When Search Assist is turned off, it will not automatically displays search suggestions. When you want to see search suggestions, clicking the arrow below the search box expands Search Assist and shows all the suggestions for your searches.

To change your Search Assist setting:

On the Yahoo! homepage:

1. Click the arrow below the search box to expand Search Assist.
2. Select Off or On.

On a Yahoo! Search results page:

1. Click the arrow below the search box to expand Search Assist.
2. Click Settings to go to Yahoo! Search preferences.
3. At Show me the Search Assist layer, select from:
   
   - Always
   - Never
   - When you detect I need help

• When signed in to Yahoo!: The Search Assist setting that you select is saved as a permanent preference.
• When not signed in to Yahoo!: The Search Assist setting that you select will be not be saved.

How can I offer suggestions or feedback about Search Assist Beta?

If you have an idea for a new feature you’d like to see on Search Assist, please let us know on the Search Suggestions Board.