SearXNG

SearXNG is a free metasearch engine that aggregates search results from multiple sources (search engines and content providers) and presents them through a single, configurable web interface. It is designed to reduce tracking by acting as an intermediary between users and upstream search services while remaining highly customizable.

Key Features

• Metasearch aggregation across many “engines” (general web, images, video, news, etc.) with per-engine enable/disable and weighting
• Privacy controls such as removing tracking parameters, proxying results, and configurable request behavior to upstream providers
• Multiple result/output formats (e.g., HTML UI plus machine-readable outputs such as JSON/RSS) and a documented search API
• Powerful configuration: categories, language/locale, safe search, time range, and UI theming/settings
• Extensible engine architecture: add/modify search connectors and result parsing
• Optional integration points for networking/privacy setups (e.g., reverse proxy, rate limiting, and instance-level protections)

Use Cases

• Provide a private search front-end for a household/organization without sending user queries directly to a single provider
• Offer a unified search portal that combines results from multiple sources and verticals
• Use the API/JSON output to integrate metasearch into tools, dashboards, or automations

Limitations and Considerations

• Result quality and availability depend on upstream providers; some engines may break or require maintenance when providers change
• Public instances can require careful anti-abuse controls (rate limiting, bot protection) to avoid being blocked by upstream engines

SearXNG is well-suited for users who want more control over how searches are performed and presented while minimizing reliance on any single search provider. Its configurability and extensible engine system make it adaptable from personal use to larger shared instances.