Google Custom Search is a platform provided by Google

Google

Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...

 that allows web developers to feature specialized information in web searches, refine and categorize queries and create customized search engines, based on Google Web Search. Google launched the service on May 10, 2006.

Custom Search Engine

Released on October 24, 2006, Google Custom Search allows anyone to create their own search engine by themselves. Search engines can be created to search for information on particular topics chosen by the creator. Google Custom Search Engine allows creators to select what websites will be used to search for information which helps to eliminate any unwanted websites or information. Creators can also attach their custom search engine to any blog or webpage. Google AdSense results can also be triggered from certain search queries, which would generate revenue for the site owner. This service is currently being beta tested, with bugs, enhancements and feedback from developers being recorded at the "Google Custom Search Engine Enhancement Page".

Subscribed Links

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Subscribed Links are web results that users can manually subscribe to. Anyone is allowed to make a new Subscribed Link, and do not necessarily need knowledge on how to create a feed, as a basic link can be created. Subscriptions are then available in a special directory.

Topics

Topics are specific areas of search, which can be developed by people with knowledge of a certain subject. These topics are then displayed at the top of relevant Google web searches, so the user can refine the searches to what they want. Currently, there is a limited number of topics that Google is wanting to develop, namely Health, Destination Guides, Autos, Computer games, Photography and Home Theater.

One of the topics with many contributions is Health. They include the National Library of Medicine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...

, Health On the Net Foundation

Health On the Net Foundation

Health On the Net Foundation is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1995 under the auspices of the Geneva Ministry of Health and based in Geneva, Switzerland. This came about following the gathering of 60 of the world's foremost experts on telemedicine to discuss the growing concerns over the...

, Harvard Medical School

Harvard Medical School

Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....

, Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...

and others.

Google CSE's may offer better topical search results than the standard Google search.

External links

• Google Custom Search
• DRAGNET A Google custom search created by librarians at the New York Law School that tracks more than 80 recommended web sites.
• Social Science Data Search A Google custom search of more than 800 recommended sites created by the University of California Berkeley.