title: Show http:// protocol in URL bar for Firefox 7+
link: http://jj.isgeek.net/2011/08/show-http-protocol-in-url-bar-for-firefox-7/
author: Jj
description: 
post_id: 772
date: 2011-08-19 01:30:57
created_gmt: 2011/08/19 06:30:57
comment_status: open
slug: show-http-protocol-in-url-bar-for-firefox-7
mentions: [{"source": "https://brid-gy.appspot.com/post/googleplus/104628160919272828920/z133dnih1ve0wpe5c04cfbzheouwehc4s4w", "title": "I found this useful.", "url": "https://plus.google.com/116761214452114671837/posts/V9tPCweCNZB", "author": {"name": "Danial Klimkin (\u0414\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0438\u043b \u041a\u043b\u0438\u043c\u043a\u0438\u043d)", "photo": "https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Hq6rboNwMwM/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAALM/br9uWcPrU_0/photo.jpg?sz=50", "url": "https://plus.google.com/116761214452114671837"}, "via": "brid-gy.appspot.com"}]


Firefox 7 beta was just rolled out yesterday to users on the Beta channel (_that would include me_). 

One of the various improvements and changes is that now Firefox follows [Opera](http://opera.com) and [Chrome](http://google.com/chrome) in[ hiding the **http://** protocol prefix from URLs](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=665580). 

I like my http, luckily you can switch to the old behavior from our good old friend [about:config](/2006/01/31/mozilla-aboutwhat/). To enable them back set this pref to '**false**' 

> browser.urlbar.trimURLs = false

You'll see the change immediately :)

## Comments

**[scribu](#371098 "2011-09-19 18:45:00"):** Thanks for the tip. This would be a nice feature *if* it consistently added back the protocol when copying the URL to the clipboard.

**[scribu](#371099 "2011-09-19 18:45:00"):** Thanks for the tip. This would be a nice feature *if* it consistently added back the protocol when copying the URL to the clipboard.

**[Carl](#371118 "2011-10-11 04:50:00"):** Great tip, thank you!

**[Greg Whiteley](#371013 "2011-08-23 11:01:00"):** Thank you, thank you, thank you!

**[teimu](#371124 "2011-10-20 18:19:00"):** thanks! it's so much more insightful to know the protocol. don't forget too that firefox can use ftp and probably a few others.

**[Julius](#371137 "2011-11-10 10:11:00"):** Thank you!

**[Ron Johnson](#371129 "2011-10-26 19:14:00"):** YATY: Yet Another Thank You!

**[Metusalemm](#371159 "2011-12-27 18:45:00"):** Thanx, what else in future will be hidden ? Today play like monkey after chrome.

**[Johannes Stickel](#371181 "2012-03-10 04:31:00"):** When you are already editing your configuration, you might also want set browser.urlbar.formattting.enabled=false.

**[Ziaghafoor2012](#371185 "2012-03-20 12:06:00"):** Ab na milay gy hum http://www.infoaw.com/article.php?articleId=901

**[Magicknight](#371123 "2011-10-20 15:28:00"):** I'm hard pressed to think why anybody would think it's a good idea hide the protocol; it's not intuitive for a novice users who types in "http" to then have the browser hide it. For the more knowledgeable user the difference between http and https is very important. I've just managed to persuade mum that https means its safe to enter credit card details and http is dangerous and now I have to start again :-(

**[AJ](#371111 "2011-09-29 13:56:00"):** Awesome. Thank you

**[Dave S](#371113 "2011-10-01 10:28:00"):** Thanks, that's just the tip I was looking for. I also like my http!

**[Antoniocs](#371116 "2011-10-04 09:45:00"):** Thanks!