Search FAQ

BBC Search Frequently Asked Questions

Why do some search results on BBC Online have iPlayer and TV & Radio Programmes categories while others don't?

The iPlayer category will only appear in the search results if there is a relevant TV or radio programme currently available on iPlayer. The TV & Radio Programmes category will only appear if there is a relevant TV or radio programme scheduled for broadcast during the next seven days.

On BBC Online am I able to sort the search results by date or relevance?

For each category, we use the best sorting option as our default. News is sorted by date, as most users want to see the most recent news articles first. Learning is sorted by relevance, as the most appropriate articles are needed, rather than the most recent.

For some categories you can change the sorting option by using the Display menu on the left to select a different order: most relevant article first, newest article first or oldest article first. You can also fill in the Date fields on the left-hand side to narrow the period of your search.

On BBC Online am I able to sort the search results by just video (or audio, or text and images) articles on their own?

Yes, but currently this option is only available for News and Sport. It will be rolled out to all other appropriate categories in the future.

For News and Sport, users can select search results by format: video, audio, or text and images. Use the Media menu on the left-hand side of the page to select your preferred option.

Why are the results different if I launch my search from a News or Sport page on BBC Online?

We know there is a correlation between the part of BBC Online that users are visiting and the information they are seeking. For example, if you are reading a BBC News page and then search for a term, it is likely that this term will be related to news or current affairs and so we prioritise News content in the results page. The same applies when you read a BBC Sport page and begin your search from there.

Wherever you use BBC Online, we want to make sure that you can always access the entire range of BBC content. When you search from News or Sport in this way, you will see a section called Elsewhere on the BBC on the right of the results page. This is a selection of the best content matching your search term from other areas of the BBC.

In the search results on BBC Online how are the featured links, which are labelled Editor's Choice, selected?

Our editors carry out research into popular topics and recommend the best and most informative content available for your search term from within the BBC and from non-BBC sites (Elsewhere on the Web).

Sites from outside the BBC have to meet our editorially agreed criteria.

On some pages of search results on BBC Online there is an Elsewhere on the Web section. Where do the articles in this section come from?

Some of the websites in the Elsewhere on the Web section are Editor's Choice links selected by our editors, who evaluate all our recommendations against the following checklist:

1. The website must meet the needs of a UK audience.
2. Where there are news sections and time-sensitive features, these must be up-to-date.
3. Information on the website must be accurate.
4. The website must be easy to navigate and be clear what it contains.
5. Links, images, multimedia elements and services should work correctly.
6. It must have an acceptable standard of taste and decency and not link to unacceptable sites.
7. Where possible, BBC Online prioritises websites that provide information or services beyond their commercial purpose.

When a number of websites meet these criteria for a particular search term, a comparative judgement is made on the relative merits of each website.

The rest of the results in the Elsewhere on the Web section are from a feed of news content from a third-party supplier. You can find out more about the Elsewhere on the Web system here.

Can I create a feed for my search results from BBC Online?

Yes, Atom feeds are available for our most popular searches. Where you can see the feed indicator in the address bar, you can click on it to set up an Atom feed of results about your search term.

Can I link to a set of BBC search results from my own site?

Yes, we are happy for you to link to our results. Simply copy the url from the address bar and use it as your link.