SearchZilla

It is hard to understand who would want to install SearchZilla because this Google Chrome extension does not even try to offer anything relatively interesting or beneficial. The description that can be found on the Chrome web store (chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/searchzilla/lgolgjbhgjpihecbbbhggkaggkmnbffc) informs that the PUP (potentially unwanted program) can change the default search provider on your Chrome browser and then offer “optimized search results powered by Yahoo.” The word “optimized” is the only thing that could attract users because we are always on the lookout for the best services available. That being said, the PUP enhances the search service not in the best way possible, and that, in fact, is the number-one reason we recommend removing SearchZilla from your web browser. Are you interested in that as well? Read this post and check out the guide below if you want to delete the suspicious extension. Also, note that the comments area is open to anyone, and if you have questions that were left unanswered, you should not hesitate to post them.

SearchZilla is the creation of webcoapps, a company whose name has been mentioned in quite a few of our recent removal guides. That is because this company stands behind other potentially unwanted programs as well. A few of them include Vista Search and Searchsio. They are all pretty useless, and they are all presented as “single purpose extension[s].” SearchZilla is introduced at portal.search-zilla.com, but Chrome users can only download it from the Chrome Web Store (the link is listed above). When you install extensions from this platform, you are always informed about what kinds of permissions are granted. If you install the PUP, it gets the permission to read and change your data, to read the browsing history, and also to change search settings. If you have installed the extension already, you might have noticed that the default search provider was replaced with feed.search-zilla.com/?. All searches conducted via this tool are automatically redirected to Yahoo Search, at search.yahoo.com. Because people generally trust this search tool, they might assume that interacting with the results shown is safe. That is not necessarily the case.

When you install SearchZilla, it starts tracking you. Every time you visit a website or interact with an ad, this information is collected and analyzed, and then the company can pass on some data to third-party advertisers so that relevant ads and links could be picked. These ads and links are then injected into the search results you see on search.yahoo.com. Of course, they are also meant to coincide with your actual search query, although that is not a given. In general, while the PUP suggests that it can somehow enhance or optimize Yahoo Search, all it can do is inject sponsored content, and we do not think that that is helpful or beneficial. As a matter of fact, most people want to get rid of ads and not see more of them. That alone could be a reason good enough to delete SearchZilla. It is also important to note that if you do not know what parties represent ads via the PUP, you cannot know if they can be trusted. There certainly is some level of risk to interacting with the PUP as well. To conclude things, the extension is not very useful, its reliability is shaky, and it can show suspicious ads. These are the reasons to perform the removal now.

You might have a different opinion about SearchZilla than we do, and if you are okay with being tracked, facing ads, and dealing with a search service that is not original, you might decide to stick with the PUP. If you want to get rid of it instead, there are a few removal methods you can apply. One option is to employ a trustworthy anti-malware tool to delete SearchZilla automatically. This is a terrific option but not just because it can clean your operating system for you. This tool can also protect it, which is what you need because there are far worse threats that PUPs out in the virtual world. If you decide to delete the PUP manually, you should be able to do it using the guide below, but remember that your system and the Chrome web browser will remain vulnerable. Take care of that as soon as you get the chance.

SearchZilla Removal

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Tap Alt+F keys simultaneously.
3. In the More tools menu, click Extensions.
4. Remove the PUP.
5. Tap Ctrl+Shift+Delete keys simultaneously.
6. Click the Advanced tab at the top.
7. Select a time range and the boxes you want.
8. Click Clear data.
9. Restart Google Chrome.