A browser extension that automates ebook and document searches. Instead of typing filetype:pdf every time, the extension does it for you — with format filters, engine selection, history, favorites, and live previews.
Smart search
Appends filetype operators automatically.
Multi-format
Filter by PDF, EPUB, or MOBI — or all three at once.
History & Favorites
Every search saved locally. Star your best ones.
Multi-engine
Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Brave — or custom URL.
Live preview
Inline preview as you type via DuckDuckGo API.
Author Search
Separate title and author fields for precise results.
Smart Favorites
Label, sort and re-launch saved searches instantly.
Made with Love
Built entirely with heart. ❤️
Compatibility
Supported browsers
Chrome 88+
Firefox 89+
Edge 88+
Brave 1.20+
Setup
Installation
Two ways to install. Choose what works best for you.
Download .zip
Manual install · All browsers
Browser Store
One-click install · Auto-updates
ℹ️
Manifest V2 extension. Chrome, Edge and Brave require Developer Mode. Firefox uses about:debugging for temporary installs.
Firefox
1
Download the .zip
Get pem-search.zip and extract it to any folder.
2
Open about:debugging
Type about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox in the address bar.
3
Load temporary add-on
Click Load Temporary Add-on and select manifest.json.
4
Done
The icon appears in your toolbar. Click it to start searching.
⚠️
Temporary extensions are removed when Firefox restarts. Reload via about:debugging each session.
Chrome / Edge / Brave
1
Enable Developer Mode
Go to chrome://extensions and toggle Developer mode on.
2
Load unpacked
Click Load unpacked and select the folder with manifest.json.
3
Pin to toolbar
Click the puzzle icon and pin Toilet Finder for easy access.
How it works
Features
Everything inside the extension explained.
Search
Type a title or author, choose a format, press Enter. The extension builds the query:
Clean Code Robert Martin filetype:pdf OR filetype:epub OR filetype:mobi
💡
Include the author's name for better results. atomic habits james clear beats just atomic habits.
Filters
All — searches PDF + EPUB + MOBI simultaneously.
PDF — best for textbooks, papers, manuals.
EPUB — best for novels and ebooks with reflow layout.
MOBI — older Kindle-compatible format.
History
Click any entry to restore the query and filter instantly.
★ Star saves to Favorites. Click again to remove.
× deletes that entry.
Clear all shows a confirmation modal first.
Favorites
Add with ★ from history. Up to 50 items.
Click any favorite to re-run that search instantly.
Never auto-deleted, unlike history.
Preview
As you type (3+ chars), an inline panel shows title, URL and description via DuckDuckGo Instant Answer API.
⚠️
Works best for popular books. Obscure titles may return nothing — expected behavior.
Author field
Click Search by author below the format filters to reveal a dedicated author field. The extension builds precise operator queries:
Clean Code intitle:"Robert Martin" OR inurl:"Robert Martin"filetype:pdf
💡
The extension also detects author names in your query automatically and offers to move them to the author field.
Smart features
Stopword removal — words like pdf, download, free, ebook are stripped before search.
ISBN detection — paste a 10 or 13-digit ISBN and get direct buttons to Anna's Archive, LibGen, and Open Library.
Context menu — right-click any selected text and choose "Search in Toilet Finder" to open it instantly.
Paste-to-search — paste into an empty field and the search fires automatically after 800ms.
Word counter — a live count shows query length; turns yellow at 6 words, red at 8.
Favorites
Add with ★ from history. Up to 50 items.
Label each favorite: 📖 Reading, ✅ Downloaded, or 🔍 Pending.
Sort by save date or alphabetically with the A↕Z toggle.
Click ↗ in history to re-launch a search instantly without entering the field.
Developer mode
Enable in Settings to reveal the Custom URL field. The extension appends the encoded query after your URL.
Saving a custom URL deactivates preset engines. Click any preset to switch back.
Keyboard
Shortcuts
Active only when the popup is open. Designed to avoid browser conflicts.
Action
Shortcut
Run search
Enter
Focus search input
CtrlK
Switch to Search tab
Ctrl1
Switch to History tab
Ctrl2
Switch to Favorites tab
Ctrl3
Switch to Settings tab
Ctrl4
Cycle format filter
CtrlShiftF
Copy query to clipboard
CtrlShiftC
Toggle author field
CtrlShiftA
Toggle compact mode
CtrlShiftM
Close popup / clear field
Esc
💡
A flash notification confirms each shortcut action at the bottom of the popup.
Support
Help & FAQ
Common questions about installing and using the extension.
Firefox only keeps temporary add-ons for the current session. Reload via about:debugging → Load Temporary Add-on each restart.
The preview uses DuckDuckGo's Instant Answer API — works for popular books and authors. For obscure titles it returns nothing and hides automatically. Expected behavior.
No. History, favorites, and settings are stored locally via browser.storage.local. Nothing leaves your device except the search queries you choose to open.
Intentional. Dark mode uses a fixed neutral palette. Your accent is saved and applied when you switch back to light mode.
Yes. Replace icons/logo.png with your image (64×64 PNG recommended). For the toolbar icon, replace icons/icon48.png.
Clear history from the History tab and favorites from the Favorites tab. To reset all settings, clear extension storage from your browser's extension management page.
Toilet Finder
Chrome 88+
Firefox 89+
Edge 88+
Brave 1.20+