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Webshortcuts are a convenient way to directly issue a search query on certain webpages.

The user can currently choose between two syntaxes:
- shortcut followed by a colon followed by the query (e.g. "yt:cute cats")
- shortcut separated by the query with a space (e.g. "yt cute cats")

I'd suggest a third syntax:
First a symbol such as a colon followed by the shortcut and the query.
Here's one example: ":yt cute cats"

So why should we introduce this syntax?
Since the user first types the colon, KRunner immediately knows that the user will execute a webshortcut.
This allows KRunner to recommend available shortcuts.
This is really useful if you want to open a website whose shortcut you don't know.
Just type the first few letters and you'll see it.
That is much faster and userfriendlier? than going into the webshortcuts settings and searching for the page.

If you want to see some kind of implementation of this feature, then go to DuckDuckGo and enter a bang ("!") into the search field.
DuckDuckGo will recommend you "webshortcuts" matching your current input.

This feature has a low priority since It might need a little more code without adding that much value.
Please consider implementing this idea first since it adds it adds a lot of value with less code.

Another idea could be for Krunner to suggest using web shortcuts for arbitrary inputs (similar to when entering a search in modern browser url/search bars). The downside to that is kde comes with a large number of web shortcuts, so the list would be massive.

KDE allows to mark webshortcuts as preferred. These could be recommended to the user.

I've moved this to a seperate topic (https://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=83&t=156673) since it similar, but not directly related to this idea, so please respond there.
Feel free to delete this post, I can't find the delete button ^^

It would be awesome if webshortcuts could use the api of the corresponding website to fetch and show the result of query search on that site.
Let's say I'm typing "wp:KDE", then krunner could use the api of wikipedia to show me articles that match my search query.

How could this be implemented?
If a webpage has an api, then integration code for that uses that api to fetch search results must be written.
These api implementations could be delivered via a plugin like system.

We could additionally/instead? define one well documented standard/protocol for search request and politely ask website owners to implement it.
We may support them by providing libraries for the must common webframeworks that simplify implementing this standard.