Embodiments promote searcher productivity and efficient search engine usage by using extraquery context to detect a searcher's intent, and using detected intent to match searches to well-suited search providers. Extraquery context may include cursor location, open files, and other editing information, tool state, tool configuration or environment, project metadata, and other information external to actual search query text. Search intent may be code (seeking snippets) or non-code (seeking documentation), and sub-intents may be distinguished for different kinds of documentation or different programming languages. Search provider capabilities may reflect input formats such as natural language or logical operator usage, or content scope such as web-wide or local, or other search provider technical characteristics. Search intent detection permits efficient and effective use of a single search box for a wide variety of different searches for different kinds of results, thereby simplifying a development tool user interface.