Can I clear DuckDuckGo search suggestions stored by browser extensions separately from browser history?

1. What the user is really asking: local suggestions versus central history

The question is about scope: is “search suggestions” a separate store from “browser history”? The reporting shows three common sources for suggestions — the browser’s local autofill/cache, DuckDuckGo’s in‑page suggestion feature, and browser extensions that may inject or reroute searches — and each source is managed in a different place, meaning suggestions can often be erased without wiping the browser’s full history, but only if the correct store is targeted ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

2. Browser autofill and cache: the easiest separate target

Guides explain that autofill and local suggestion entries are part of the browser’s saved data and can be cleared independently of full browsing history by using the browser’s privacy or autofill controls — for instance clearing autofill suggestions or deleting specific cached form entries — which removes locally stored suggestion items without necessarily removing all browsing history ^{[1] [2]}.

3. DuckDuckGo’s own suggestions and settings: a separate control

DuckDuckGo’s on‑site suggestion/autofill can be disabled or adjusted through DuckDuckGo’s settings, allowing users to reduce or remove suggestions originating from DuckDuckGo without performing a blanket clear of the browser history; reporting of how to access DuckDuckGo settings and disable suggestions appears in user guidance and clearing tutorials ^{[2] [1]}.

4. Extensions that create or reroute suggestions: the wildcard that requires removal or inspection

DuckDuckGo itself has warned about malicious Chrome extensions (often with “video” in the name) that incorrectly send searches to DuckDuckGo and Bing; when an extension is the source, the correct remedy is to remove or disable that extension via the browser’s extensions page — only by targeting the extension can those injected suggestion entries be stopped or removed, and DuckDuckGo’s help page explicitly points users to browser extension removal instructions ^{[3] [4] [5]}.

5. Practical workflow to clear suggestions without nuking history

Based on the overlap in guidance, the practical sequence is: check extensions and remove any suspicious add‑ons (so they stop injecting suggestions) ^{[3] [4]}; clear browser autofill or individual suggestion entries in the browser settings ^{[1] [2]}; and adjust DuckDuckGo site settings if its suggestions are the issue ^{[2] [1]}. The sources recommend these as separate actions, implying a user can target suggestion stores without selecting “clear all history” if they prefer ^{[2] [1]}.

6. Limits, caveats, and competing viewpoints

The reporting makes clear that DuckDuckGo emphasizes privacy and does not track searches on its servers — so many suggestion problems are local to the device or caused by third‑party extensions — but none of the provided sources offer a universal, browser‑agnostic “one button” solution that erases only extension‑created suggestions across all environments; browser interfaces differ and some guides still recommend broad history clears when users want a clean slate, which is more blunt than necessary but sometimes easier for less technical users ^{[1] [2] [4]}.

7. Bottom line with a recommended approach

Target the specific source: remove suspicious extensions via the browser extension menu and report them to DuckDuckGo if they abuse the search endpoint ^{[3] [4]}, clear browser autofill entries to remove locally stored suggestions ^{[1] [2]}, and change DuckDuckGo’s suggestion settings if desired ^[2]. Those steps let users clear suggestions tied to extensions or local autofill without indiscriminately erasing all browser history; absent browser‑specific documentation in these sources, exact menu names and paths will vary by browser ^{[4] [5]}.