Vuze Meta-Search Introduction

I have seen questions in various places around the web regarding the Meta-Search function of Vuze.  I put up this guide in an effort to explain the basics of this option and answer those questions. 

Vuze is one of the suggested clients at my Best Free Bittorrent Client review here at Gizmo's Freeware.

If you do not have Vuze, you can get it from the

• Vuze Home Page (32 bit version only)
• Sourceforge (all versions).

Most users will use this guide to install additional torrent search sites to the meta search using Vuze search templates.  This will expand the results of a Meta-Search, as the default search engines will produce very few relevant results.  I have provided instructions on how to do this as well as a link to download search templates that I have tested in my Vuze.  These templates will work in Windows, Mac or Linux.  So this guide will take care of all issues regarding the adding of search templates to Vuze. 

Note:  If you have enabled the option "Do not show GB unit" at Tools>Options>Interface>Display, then you will need to disable that option  in order to get results over 1GB in any search.  (Thanks to rockwater for finding this glitch).

I will point out that you do not need to search within Vuze to find content.  Vuze will work with any torrent search site on the web.  Personally, I prefer searching directly at the sites and I encourage you to do so also.  See here for information:

• Best Free Torrent Search Engines

Accessing Vuze Meta-Search

To access the Meta-Search, you need to conduct a search.  Initially, this may be done two ways, through the search box  in the middle of the Vuze screen or through the search box in the upper left corner of Vuze.

Inside Vuze Meta-Search

Once inside the Meta-Search screen you will see two tabs, Web Search and Meta Search.  The web search is simply a Bing search for the term(s) you entered.  The Meta-Search is the search that is important as it accesses torrent search sites.

Advanced Filters for Vuze Meta-Search

On the top of the Meta Search results in Vuze  are the words  Advanced Search Filters.  Clicking on this will show the advanced filters discussed just below as well as the Add/Edit optiions for adding (or removing templates.  This used to be located on the right hand side of the Meta Search results page.  

Clicking on the highlighted above will show this:

The first filter option is Show results with.  This allows you to have results that include the keywords and also to exclude results from those that have keywords you choose to exclude.  So if you wanted results with the word "linux" in them, but exclude "mint" from those results, you would add those words in as in the below image.  Once you type into these boxes, an X will appear next to the box.  Clicking on this X will clear that box.

The next filter option is file size range.  This is to sort by file size among the results obtained.  In the search for "linux", the smallest file returned in the search was 87kB and the largest was 4.88GB.  This option works by clicking and holding the arrow at either end.  Changing this will eliminate results that fall outside the new range you have set. 

I do want to emphasize that this is only to sort among results you have obtained.  I see many users asking how to increase the figures here.  For instance, one will search for a movie, but the results will not be more than 100MB in size and that is what the file size range filter will show as the maximum.  This is due to the fact that the default search templates will only show results for trailers, reviews etc., and not the movie.  To expand the results, and the file size range, you need to add additional search templates.  Once that is done, you can use this filter to eliminate trailers etc..

The next filters are regarding the amount of results to show per page and to limit results to a category.  This is pretty much self explanatory.  The categories can be useful in weeding out results you do not want.

The final filter is to Show results from.  For most users this is the most important part of this guide.  The image below shows the default filters that are included with the Meta-Search, MiniNova, Vuze (their HD network) and Subscriptions (RSS subscriptions you have enabled through Vuze).  Vuze and MiniNova will produce very few results and most often those results are not relevant to what you want.  If you click on the name of a search site listed there, the results will change to show only results from that site.

Visiting Torrent Source Page

When you have found the result you want, then it is a good idea to visit the details page at the site listing the torrent.  If you press the next to the torrent name your browser will open to the page of the torrent listing.

Installing Search Templates for Vuze Meta-Search

In this section, I will provide you with links for working Vuze search templates and instructions on how to add these to your results. These templates will work on all operating systems (Windows, Mac & Linux).   All templates were tested by me and uploaded by me.  Once added, your results will expand greatly and you are more likely to find what you want.

The templates can be obtained at :  Vuze Templates .  There are 17 sites listed, with a download button below each name.  They are listed in alphabetical order as to the name of the template.  If you are looking ThePirateBay, it is listed under TPBse.

To install, you can press download  and either

• Select "Open with" in your browser and select Vuze; or
• Save the download to your computer and open by double-clicking; or
• Save the download to your computer and open within Vuze using File>Open>Vuze file; or
• Save the download to your computer and go to the Meta-Search section of Vuze and select the Add/Edit option and select the import a new template option and browse to the template location.

I would suggest using either the 2d or 3rd option as you will have the templates on your computer to re-enter in case you have an issue with Vuze requiring a complete uninstall and reinstall.

The first three options need no further instruction.  However, the discussion involving the fourth option is relevant to those options should you decide to remove a site.  Assuming you have downloaded the template(s), you would then go to the search section and click on Add/Edit

This will bring up the below screen.  To add a site in, click on Import a new template and on the following screen browse to where you saved the template and select the template.  Vuze will add the site in and re-search the term entered with the new site included.

You can de-select sites to be included in the results by un-ticking the site listed.  You can remove a site from all results by clicking on the X next to it.  Note that the Vuze HD network must be included in all results and that neither Vuze nor MiniNova may be removed.  Any of the sites you add through the templates may be removed or de-selected for a search.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this guide has answered any questions you have about the Vuze Meta-Search and has helped to make that search effective with the adding of additional Vuze search templates.

If you have any questions or suggestions for the guide, I would appreciate it if you would post here or at our forum. 

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• Finding Legal (and Free) Torrents sites that offer only legally downloadable and distributable content.