Disable Related Matches in Microsoft Edge Quickly

If you use Find on Page in Microsoft Edge and see extra words highlighted, the Related Matches feature is turned on. This can make searches messy when you only want exact matches.

Here’s how to disable related matches in Edge using different methods.

1. Turn Off Related Matches in Edge Settings

You can quickly switch off the feature from Edge’s Settings menu.

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three dots in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
   
4. Choose Privacy, search, and services.
    
5. Click Address bar and search.
   
6. Find Show related matches when using Find on Page.
7. Toggle it Off.

To personalize your new tab layout, see how to add quick links in Edge.

2. Disable Related Matches Using Edge Flags

If the toggle is missing in Settings, use the experimental Flags menu.

1. Open a new tab and type edge://flags in the address bar.
   
2. Press Enter.
3. Search for related matches.
4. Open Show related matches in Find on Page.
5. Select Disabled.
6. Restart Edge.

Learn more about safe experimentation in how to enable Edge flags.

3. Use Windows Registry to Disable Related Matches

Enforce the setting system-wide with a quick Registry change.

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
   
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge
3. Right-click Edge, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name it FindOnPageRelatedMatchesEnabled
5. Set Value data to 0.
6. Close Registry Editor and restart Edge.

4. Re-enable Related Matches Later

You can restore the feature at any time.

1. Return to the same toggle, flag, or registry value.
2. Set it back to On or change the value to 1.
3. Restart Edge to apply the change.

What Are Related Matches in Edge?

When you use Ctrl + F, Edge may highlight similar terms or alternate spellings. For example, searching “color” can also show “colour.” If you are tuning other behavior, you might also review how to allow pop-ups in Microsoft Edge.

FAQs

Conclusion

Turning off Related Matches gives you precise, distraction-free searches. Use Settings for a quick change, Flags if the toggle is missing, or the Registry for an enforced configuration across your system.

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Milan Stanojevic

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.

Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.

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