Google Hacks

Google Catalogs

Comb through your favorite catalogs or peruse a collection of over 4,500 with Google Catalogs.

At the start of the dotcom boom, all the retailers rushed to put their catalogs online. Google’s sauntered along, and long after all the hoopla has died down, put up catalogs in a different way. Instead of designing a web site that looks like a catalog, Google simply scanned in pages from catalogs—over 4,500 of them—and made them available via a search engine.

From the front page of Google Catalogs (http://catalogs.google.com), you may either do a simple keyword search or browse through a subject index of catalogs. Each catalog listing gives you the option to view the catalog, view previous editions, or link to the catalog’s site (if available). If you choose to browse the catalog, you’ll be presented with a series of page thumbnails. Catalog pages also offer a search bar at the right of the page that allows you to search just that catalog.

If you’re interested in a particular class of item (like electronics or toys or whatever) stick with the topical catalog browsing. If you’re searching for a particular item, use the keyword search on the front page. If your search is somewhere in between, use the advanced search page.

The Advanced Catalog Search (http://catalogs.google.com/advanced_catalog_search) lets you narrow down your search by categories (from Apparel and Accessories to Toys and Games), specify if you want to search only current catalogs or all past and current ...