--- title: Google custom search engine date: "2007-01-04T12:00:00Z" categories: - how-i-do-things wp_id: 139 description: I explored the power of Google Custom Search Engines to build niche tools for my own site, Calvin and Hobbes quotes, and Tamil media, while navigating current limitations regarding Google's supplemental index results. keywords: [google custom search engine, google coop, niche search, supplemental index, search customization] --- I didn't realise the power of [Google Coop's custom search engines](http://www.google.com/coop/cse/) (CSE) until I watched [Scoble interviewing Google's Shashi Seth](http://www.podtech.net/scobleshow/technology/1266/googles-shashi-seth-has-your-custom-search-engine). In a nutshell, CSE lets you create a search engine that's focuses on specific sites, like [UK blogs](http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014344395708352783254%3Aqyk2kmm852o) or [Photoshop sites](http://allynedmonds.com/tutorial-search/) Anyone can create these. You can edit other people's search engines too. There are a [huge number of custom search engines you can volunteer to edit](http://www.google.com/search?q=volunteer+inurl%3Acoop%2Fcse+site%3Agoogle.com). I've created a bunch of search engines myself: - [Search my site](http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=000835481400639045115%3Aijf7y_3lm_w) - [Search Calvin and Hobbes quotes](http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=000835481400639045115%3Aiyjyjb9bpfy) - [Search for Indian torrents](http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=000835481400639045115%3Ae86_ywfdqic) - [Search for Tamil mp3 files](http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=000835481400639045115%3Adbc_qq-ngpa) - [Search for Tamil lyrics](http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=000835481400639045115%3Aadn5cfeousi) You'll find that the Tamil mp3s and lyrics searches are very poor. This is because Google CSE does not show results in Google's "supplemental index" -- which has most of the useful results for MP3 searches. Fortunately [Google plans to add supplemental results](http://groups.google.com/group/google-co-op/browse_thread/thread/de6276f5e1c8f9ed/bcb3ca203de8357e). You can improve these searches. Just click on the search link and click on "Volunteer to contribute to this search engine" at the bottom. PS: I'm working on a [books search engine](http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=000835481400639045115%3Axj5d_vay7fo) as well, but until the supplemental index is added, there's not much I can do with it. --- ## Comments - **Madhu** _5 Jan 2007 1:35 pm_: This is damn neat.. i am trying to build a financial search engine for india - http://google.com/coop/cse?cx=012852517959602439280%3Ajy0du1sputi first cut but i like the refinement part, need to work on it to make it better.