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Forewarning: This question is highly subjective and can easily be answered with "Add a bookmark, you potato", but I wanted to point out a scenario which I come across all too often.

I frequent Stack Overflow and love the "Hot Network Questions" list on the right-hand side, so I often click on questions of interest and have been inclined on several occasions to join a community just because I felt that I can provide a solution or comment.

Some Stack Exchange sites are frequented more than others and I will often find myself wanting to visit, for example, the User Experience one.

It would seem intuitive to type http://userexperience.stackexchange.com, but alas it is wrong.

If I want to visit Arqade then I must use http://gaming.stackexchange.com

Fraught with peril, I wish to visit the Graphic Design one, so instead I run a Google search just to find that I could have trusted my instincts because it is in fact http://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com

I am thoroughly aware of https://stackexchange.com/sites, but the listing is formed based on popularity of the site and most blocks are small with barely distinguishable logos.

I am also aware that I can see all of the communities which I have joined by visiting my profile, but it is also prone to the issue of too many choices and it actually requires me to read something.

I think it would be beneficial to users and even the Stack Exchange network if an autocomplete search field could be implemented which could match keywords to the various networks.

Once again, this is clearly subjective and I would love to hear any Stack Exchange experts weigh in on this.

Mock-up of suggested site search box

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  • Where would this search bar you talk about be implemented?
    – M.A.R.
    Dec 21, 2015 at 20:36
  • @Ϻ.Λ.Ʀ. Sorry about that, please see the updated image in my question.
    – MonkeyZeus
    Dec 21, 2015 at 20:38
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    @Adam Maybe it should be "status-bydesign"?
    – nicael
    Dec 21, 2015 at 20:51
  • 2
    @nicael It doesn't matter. Technically speaking, as a request, it's completed by default.
    – Adam Lear StaffMod
    Dec 21, 2015 at 20:52
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    Has any data ever been collected to see how many users use that search box? I don't consider myself a Guru but at 5K rep on SO, I feel overwhelmingly silly that I did not see it sooner. With all due respect, if a comment had mentioned "Just use the Stack Exchange SuperCollider MultiDropdown" then I would have surely thought the comment was joking and I would instead search for a flux capacitor.
    – MonkeyZeus
    Dec 21, 2015 at 20:54
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    Why is this post gaining attention today? New upvotes AND an answer.
    – MonkeyZeus
    Mar 14, 2022 at 19:26
  • @MonkeyZeus the other way around - new answer -> new attention :)
    – Oleg Valter is with Ukraine
    Mar 14, 2022 at 20:12
  • 1
    @OleGValteriswithUkraine the upvotes came in before the answer ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
    – MonkeyZeus
    Mar 14, 2022 at 20:31

2 Answers 2

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Fortunately for you, this was implemented... a while back. It's in the Stack Exchange SuperCollider MultiDropdown (or "site switcher" for short), up at the top of your screen. It shows you your 5 highest rep sites by default (or you can customize it!), plus provides a search box.

Image showing the search box

N.b.: this is now on the right side of the screen, not the left, but still has the same functionality (and now 178 sites!)

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  • @nicael If that's the actual official name, then (or whatever it's called now) can also be removed :)
    – Joe
    Dec 21, 2015 at 20:48
  • There's no official name :D this is the okayest though.
    – nicael
    Dec 21, 2015 at 20:48
  • @nicael Well, the Meta-official name...
    – Joe
    Dec 21, 2015 at 20:49
  • Has any data been collected on its usage? I feel rather silly for not seeing it all this time.
    – MonkeyZeus
    Dec 21, 2015 at 20:59
  • Well, there is 1000% more usage after users post questions about finding sites on Meta... :)
    – Joe
    Dec 21, 2015 at 21:01
  • @MonkeyZeus "bicycle" perhaps?
    – Joe
    Dec 21, 2015 at 21:46
  • Perhaps update the screenshot as well?
    – This_is_NOT_a_forum
    Mar 12, 2022 at 11:13
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Perhaps arqade.stackexchange.com should be a redirect to gaming.stackexchange.com to help users find where they are going more easily. The same could be done for userexperience.

To help this process, StackExchange could keep stats on what urls leads users to the site-not-found page and use this information to build Desire Paths to the correct urls.

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