Is Trusted Browse safe?
Trusted Browse overrides the default search engine and redirects Google and Bing searches to a Yahoo-affiliate proxy.
The extension replaces the default search engine with trustedbrowsesearch.com and adds declarativeNetRequest rules that intercept navigations to Google and Bing search results, redirecting them to the vendor's SERP before those pages load. Every intercepted search query is forwarded to trustedbrowsesearch.com with the affiliate parameter s=pzpr appended. A content script running on trustedbrowsesearch.com signals successful installation back to the vendor by injecting a CSS class into the page.
AI-generated. Findings may contain errors. Those marked Verified have been manually reviewed.
Publishers can request a review.
Findings
Trusted Browse routes searches through its own search page
Trusted Browse sets trustedbrowsesearch.com as the default search provider.
It also ships redirect rules for Google and Bing searches, sending them to www.trustedbrowsesearch.com/search/ with the search phrase and a pzpr source parameter.
You install Trusted Browse or open a matching Google or Bing search URL.
The redirect rules apply to top-level Google and Bing search-result navigations.
The extension sends the search to trustedbrowsesearch.com instead of leaving it on the original search page.
The target URL includes the searched phrase and the pzpr source parameter.
| Field | Value | Why it matters | |
|---|---|---|---|
Search phrase | hello | This reveals what you typed into search when the rule or default provider handles the query. | |
Search page URL | https://www.trustedbrowsesearch.com/search/?category=web&s=pzpr&vert=private&q=hello | This shows the destination that receives your search instead of the search page you started from. | |
Source parameter | s=pzpr | This attaches the request to a specific extension distribution or affiliate source. | |
Search category | category=web&vert=private | This adds context about how the vendor search page should handle the query. |
The manifest makes the vendor page the default search provider
{
"chrome_settings_overrides": {
"search_provider": {
"encoding": "UTF-8",
"favicon_url": "https://www.trustedbrowsesearch.com/favicon.ico",
"is_default": true,
"name": "Trusted",
"keyword": "Trusted Browse",
"search_url": "https://www.trustedbrowsesearch.com/search/?category=web&s=pzpr&vert=private&q={searchTerms}",
"suggest_url": "https://sug.trustedbrowsesearch.com/v1/sug/?yid=pzpr&ssv=2&vert=private&q={searchTerms}"
}
},
"declarative_net_request": {
"rule_resources": [
{
"id": "rules",
"enabled": true,
"path": "rules.json"
}
]
}
}Redirect rules copy Google and Bing search terms into the vendor URL
[
{
"id": 1,
"priority": 1,
"action": {
"type": "redirect",
"redirect": {
"regexSubstitution": "https://www.trustedbrowsesearch.com/search/?category=web&s=pzpr&vert=private&q=\\2"
}
},
"condition": {
"regexFilter": "(^.*?bing.com\\/search\\?q=)([^&]*)(.*)(.*)\\&FORM=([^&]*)(.*)",
"resourceTypes": [
"main_frame"
]
}
},
{
"id": 2,
"priority": 1,
"action": {
"type": "redirect",
"redirect": {
"regexSubstitution": "https://www.trustedbrowsesearch.com/search/?category=web&s=pzpr&vert=private&q=\\2"
}
},
"condition": {
"regexFilter": "(^.*?google.com\\/search\\?q=)([^&]*)(.*)(.*)\\&sourceid=([^&]*)(.*)",
"resourceTypes": [
"main_frame"
]
}
}
]- www.trustedbrowsesearch.com
Receives default searches and redirected Google or Bing search navigations at /search/.
- sug.trustedbrowsesearch.com
Receives search-suggestion requests configured by the manifest search provider.