There’s a new Google Search ‘in columns’ script: Google search in several columns (Dec 2019). It’s the only one I know works on Google News results in 2020 (I mean the proper Google News search results, not the ersatz variety also available), for those using a desktop PC and widescreen monitor.

I found that 3 columns on a 1920px widescreen was possible, though I had to tweak the script a little for fitting and beautification. For instance I had to blank the silver dividing line between columns to accommodate the “block” buttons generated by my HitHider addon.

I also removed the “Cache” link on search results, which otherwise lays on top of and partly blocks the view of the URL title. “Cache” can be blocked from appearing, via adding a line in uBlock Origin thus…


! 16/01/2020 google com
! remove cache link button
xxx.google.com##div.yWc32e


Update: this cache link-removal/fix not needed if you have the latest version of Google Search restore URLs.

If you have image thumbnails blocked on News search results, via uBlock Origin thus…


google.*##[id^="news-thumbnail"]
google.*##[alt^="Story image"]


… then to aid this script’s columns you may also want to make sure you remove the space-padding left behind by such images, so as to straighten up the looks of the three column layout…


! 16/01/2020 google com
! remove empty image-block padding from results
! and also block tiny favicons from results
xxx.google.com##a.top.NQHJEb.dfhHve
xxx.google.com##.xA33Gc


Other items at work on the above screenshot are Google Search Restore URLs, and Google Search Sidebar. I haven’t yet figured out how to get the Goooooogle footer to centre on the page.

If you want to tell the script not to load on Google Books, then add…


// @exclude http*://xxx.google.*tbm=bks*
// @exclude http*://xxx.google.*.*tbm=bks*


The script also plays nicely with the Stylish UserStyle Google Search in columns, which takes care of showing Google Books in three columns and does a far nicer job of it. For the main Google Search also appears to prevent result-breaking, where half a result is in one column, and half in another column.

---

In the above code, replace xxx with www — despite wrapping the code in code tags, WordPress refuses to respect the actual code and shows www. as a linked http://www.