As add-ons no longer have the ability to modify the search bar area (as per bug 1418024), I'd like to request that an option be provided to auto-clear the search area. If the argument is that it is going to be removed, I'd argue against this for the following reasons: 1. It is more clear to have a separate area for searches. 2. Entering a search term like "example.com" treats this as a domain to visit rather than a search to query. 3. It is handy to be able to use a keyboard shortcut to paste some text into one area, and then have a separate area (the URL bar) to do something else. 4. It is handy to do one-off searches as provided in the search bar.

just to give a more real-life example to point 2 - any C#/Java/{other} full class/method name, e.g. System.String, won't work as a search term from URL bar