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diff --git a/own-instance.html b/own-instance.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000..56da43f6b --- /dev/null +++ b/own-instance.html @@ -0,0 +1,202 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html> + +<html lang="en" data-content_root="./"> + <head> + <meta charset="utf-8" /> + <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> + <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> + <title>Why use a private instance? — SearXNG Documentation (2025.1.6+6dab7fe78)</title> + <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="_static/pygments.css?v=4f649999" /> + <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="_static/searxng.css?v=52e4ff28" /> + <script src="_static/documentation_options.js?v=ef740023"></script> + <script src="_static/doctools.js?v=9a2dae69"></script> + <script src="_static/sphinx_highlight.js?v=dc90522c"></script> + <script data-project="searxng" data-version="2025.1.6+6dab7fe78" src="_static/describe_version.js?v=fa7f30d0"></script> + <link rel="index" title="Index" href="genindex.html" /> + <link rel="search" title="Search" href="search.html" /> + <link rel="next" title="Administrator documentation" href="admin/index.html" /> + <link rel="prev" title="About SearXNG" href="user/about.html" /> + </head><body> + <div class="related" role="navigation" aria-label="Related"> + <h3>Navigation</h3> + <ul> + <li class="right" style="margin-right: 10px"> + <a href="genindex.html" title="General Index" + accesskey="I">index</a></li> + <li class="right" > + <a href="py-modindex.html" title="Python Module Index" + >modules</a> |</li> + <li class="right" > + <a href="admin/index.html" title="Administrator documentation" + accesskey="N">next</a> |</li> + <li class="right" > + <a href="user/about.html" title="About SearXNG" + accesskey="P">previous</a> |</li> + <li class="nav-item nav-item-0"><a href="index.html">SearXNG Documentation (2025.1.6+6dab7fe78)</a> »</li> + <li class="nav-item nav-item-this"><a href="">Why use a private instance?</a></li> + </ul> + </div> + + <div class="document"> + <div class="documentwrapper"> + <div class="bodywrapper"> + <div class="body" role="main"> + + <section id="why-use-a-private-instance"> +<h1>Why use a private instance?<a class="headerlink" href="#why-use-a-private-instance" title="Link to this heading">¶</a></h1> +<aside class="sidebar"> +<p class="sidebar-title">Is running my own instance worth it?</p> +<p>...is a common question among SearXNG users. Before answering this +question, see what options a SearXNG user has.</p> +</aside> +<nav class="contents local" id="contents"> +<ul class="simple"> +<li><p><a class="reference internal" href="#how-does-searxng-protect-privacy" id="id1">How does SearXNG protect privacy?</a></p> +<ul> +<li><p><a class="reference internal" href="#what-are-the-consequences-of-using-public-instances" id="id2">What are the consequences of using public instances?</a></p></li> +<li><p><a class="reference internal" href="#i-see-what-about-private-instances" id="id3">I see. What about private instances?</a></p></li> +</ul> +</li> +<li><p><a class="reference internal" href="#conclusion" id="id4">Conclusion</a></p></li> +</ul> +</nav> +<p>Public instances are open to everyone who has access to their URL. Usually, they +are operated by unknown parties (from the users’ point of view). Private +instances can be used by a select group of people, such as a SearXNG instance for a +group of friends, or a company which can be accessed through a VPN. Instances can also be +single-user instances, which run locally on the user’s machine.</p> +<p>To gain more insight on how these instances work, let’s dive into how SearXNG +protects its users.</p> +<section id="how-does-searxng-protect-privacy"> +<span id="searxng-protect-privacy"></span><h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id1" role="doc-backlink">How does SearXNG protect privacy?</a><a class="headerlink" href="#how-does-searxng-protect-privacy" title="Link to this heading">¶</a></h2> +<p>SearXNG protects the privacy of its users in multiple ways, regardless of the type +of the instance (private or public). Removal of private data from search requests +comes in three forms:</p> +<blockquote> +<div><ol class="arabic simple"> +<li><p>Removing private data from requests going to search services</p></li> +<li><p>Not forwarding anything from third party services through search services +(e.g. advertisement)</p></li> +<li><p>Removing private data from requests going to the results pages</p></li> +</ol> +</div></blockquote> +<p>Removing private data means not sending cookies to external search engines and +generating a random browser profile for every request. Thus, it does not matter +if a public or private instance handles the request, because it is anonymized in +both cases. The IP address used will be the IP of the instance, but SearXNG can also be +configured to use proxy or Tor. <a class="reference external" href="https://github.com/asciimoo/morty">Result proxy</a> is supported, too.</p> +<p>SearXNG does not serve ads or tracking content, unlike most search services. Therefore, +private data is not forwarded to third parties who might monetize it. Besides +protecting users from search services, both the referring page and search query are +hidden from the results pages being visited.</p> +<section id="what-are-the-consequences-of-using-public-instances"> +<h3><a class="toc-backref" href="#id2" role="doc-backlink">What are the consequences of using public instances?</a><a class="headerlink" href="#what-are-the-consequences-of-using-public-instances" title="Link to this heading">¶</a></h3> +<p>If someone uses a public instance, they have to trust the administrator of that +instance. This means that the user of the public instance does not know whether +their requests are logged, aggregated, and sent or sold to a third party.</p> +<p>Also, public instances without proper protection are more vulnerable to abuse of +the search service, which may cause the external service to enforce +CAPTCHAs or to ban the IP address of the instance. Thus, search requests would return less +results.</p> +</section> +<section id="i-see-what-about-private-instances"> +<h3><a class="toc-backref" href="#id3" role="doc-backlink">I see. What about private instances?</a><a class="headerlink" href="#i-see-what-about-private-instances" title="Link to this heading">¶</a></h3> +<p>If users run their <a class="reference internal" href="admin/installation.html#installation"><span class="std std-ref">own instances</span></a>, everything is in their +control: the source code, logging settings and private data. Unknown instance +administrators do not have to be trusted.</p> +<p>Furthermore, as the default settings of their instance are editable, there is no +need to use cookies to tailor SearXNG to their needs and preferences will not +reset to defaults when clearing browser cookies. As settings are stored on +the user’s computer, they will not be accessible to others as long as their computer is +not compromised.</p> +</section> +</section> +<section id="conclusion"> +<h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id4" role="doc-backlink">Conclusion</a><a class="headerlink" href="#conclusion" title="Link to this heading">¶</a></h2> +<p>Always use an instance which is operated by people you trust. The privacy +features of SearXNG are available to users no matter what kind of instance they +use.</p> +<p>For those on the go, or just wanting to try SearXNG for the first time, public +instances are the best choice. Public instances are also making the +world a better place by giving those who cannot, or do not want to, run an +instance access to a privacy-respecting search service.</p> +</section> +</section> + + + <div class="clearer"></div> + </div> + </div> + </div> + <span id="sidebar-top"></span> + <div class="sphinxsidebar" role="navigation" aria-label="Main"> + <div class="sphinxsidebarwrapper"> + + + <p class="logo"><a href="index.html"> + <img class="logo" src="_static/searxng-wordmark.svg" alt="Logo of SearXNG"/> + </a></p> + + +<h3><a href="index.html">Table of Contents</a></h3> +<ul class="current"> +<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="user/index.html">User information</a></li> +<li class="toctree-l1 current"><a class="current reference internal" href="#">Why use a private instance?</a><ul> +<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="#how-does-searxng-protect-privacy">How does SearXNG protect privacy?</a><ul> +<li class="toctree-l3"><a class="reference internal" href="#what-are-the-consequences-of-using-public-instances">What are the consequences of using public instances?</a></li> +<li class="toctree-l3"><a class="reference internal" href="#i-see-what-about-private-instances">I see. What about private instances?</a></li> +</ul> +</li> +<li class="toctree-l2"><a class="reference internal" href="#conclusion">Conclusion</a></li> +</ul> +</li> +<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="admin/index.html">Administrator documentation</a></li> +<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="dev/index.html">Developer documentation</a></li> +<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="utils/index.html">DevOps tooling box</a></li> +<li class="toctree-l1"><a class="reference internal" href="src/index.html">Source-Code</a></li> +</ul> + + <h3>Project Links</h3> + <ul> + <li><a href="https://github.com/searxng/searxng/tree/master">Source</a> + + <li><a href="https://github.com/searxng/searxng/wiki">Wiki</a> + + <li><a href="https://searx.space">Public instances</a> + + <li><a href="https://github.com/searxng/searxng/issues">Issue Tracker</a> + </ul><h3>Navigation</h3> +<ul> + <li><a href="index.html">Overview</a> + <ul> + <li>Previous: <a href="user/about.html" title="previous chapter">About SearXNG</a> + <li>Next: <a href="admin/index.html" title="next chapter">Administrator documentation</a> + </ul> + </li> +</ul> +<search id="searchbox" style="display: none" role="search"> + <h3 id="searchlabel">Quick search</h3> + <div class="searchformwrapper"> + <form class="search" action="search.html" method="get"> + <input type="text" name="q" aria-labelledby="searchlabel" autocomplete="off" autocorrect="off" autocapitalize="off" spellcheck="false"/> + <input type="submit" value="Go" /> + </form> + </div> +</search> +<script>document.getElementById('searchbox').style.display = "block"</script> + <div role="note" aria-label="source link"> + <h3>This Page</h3> + <ul class="this-page-menu"> + <li><a href="_sources/own-instance.rst.txt" + rel="nofollow">Show Source</a></li> + </ul> + </div> + </div> + </div> + <div class="clearer"></div> + </div> + <div class="footer" role="contentinfo"> + © Copyright SearXNG team. + </div> + </body> +</html>
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