Short Tutorial/FAQ – How does Google Autocomplete Work?

Question: After I enter a word or even a single letter in the Google search box, Google will give me a list of predictions about my search topic. How does the Autocomplete feature work?

Answer: Designed to save users time when searching, Autocomplete predictions reflect real searches that have been done on Google. After the predictions appear, the user then has the option to continue typing their desired query or choose from the dropdown selection. Google estimates that, cumulatively, it saves the equivalent of over 200 years of typing every single day and, on average, reduces typing overall by about 25%.

To determine what predictions to show, Google looks for common queries that match what someone starts to enter in the search box but also considers these factors:

• The language of the query
• The location a query is coming from
• Trending interest in a query
• Your past searches

This enables Autocomplete to show the most helpful predictions that are unique to a particular location or time, such as for breaking news events. The predictions change in real-time in response to each character being typed.