Search the Internet

Internet search websites, also called search engines, are websites that help search, by words, phrases, or preset categories, for pages on the Internet. There are hundreds of search websites.

Search engines use various methods for choosing which pages match your query. Some are directories maintained by people; others do totally automated searches; others do a meta-search, searching only other search engines. Some search based on the meaning of words, others search for your exact words only. Some accept nominations for pages to be included in other people's searches, and others include only pages they find by jumping from link to link. Some charge a fee to include pages anywhere or at the beginning of other people's search results. Some search only specific topics or specific websites. Each uses any combination of those methods.

The current Internet is not searched when you use a search website. Search results might reflect the state of pages as they were over a month before. Exceptions are some search websites dedicated to finding only news stories. Some of those refresh their information daily. They are able to use more recent information due to their limited search target scope.

All the following links go outside this website.

Internet search website directories

Where did Oingo's meaning-based search engine go? It returned a list of sites related to a given meaning, not just words. For example, one could search Oingo for "search engine", and get a list of search engines, and not pages with that phrase or those words but not directly related to the subject.

Internet search websites (a few of the web's many)

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