Twitter, Mozilla Strike Deal That Bakes Twitter Search Into Firefox 8 Search Box

Twitter and Mozilla have struck a deal that makes Twitter search one of the default search options in the new Firefox 8 web browser. It’s included in the Windows, Mac and Linux versions, which can be downloaded now.

As Mozilla’s blog post explains, the Twitter search option can be used to search Twitter usernames, hashtags and topics (without hashtags). It’s available in four languages: English, Portuguese, Slovenian and Japaneses. Mozilla says more languages will be enabled in future releases.

Twitter search was previously available as a separate add-on for the Firefox search bar. Today’s news means that Firefox users won’t have to go find the add-on if they want quick access to Twitter search.

Deals like this have historically involved payment of some kind. We asked Twitter for confirmation of any financial arrangements between it and Mozilla; our request was sent to Mozilla’s PR team and a spokesperson told us they have nothing to share about the business aspect of today’s announcement.

Mozilla recently revealed that 98% of its revenue comes from existing search deals with Google, Microsoft and Yahoo. The company’s deal with Google is due to expire this month.