What are dark web search engines and how do I find them?

Let's take a closer look at what dark web search engines are, how to find them and what are the best dark web search engines out there.

The web is full of all kinds of information and in order to find it, you need search engines. The dark web is no different and dark web search engines are one of the best ways to find information that is not known to the public. There are many different dark web search engines and they all have their own specialties.

To understand how they work, what they're good at, and how to find them, you need to know a little about the dark web (also known as the hidden web). The dark web is a network of onion sites and services that can only be accessed through the Tor browser.

The dark web has many uses, but one of the most common uses is to find hidden information. This is where dark web search engines come in handy. They allow you to find sites that are not easily accessible to the general public, but are useful for finding information about hacks, leaked data and other activities, many of which may be illegal.

Let's take a closer look at what dark web search engines are, how to find them and which are the best dark web search engines.

What is a dark web search engine

A dark web search engine is a tool that allows you to find hidden information on the dark web. There are many different types of dark web search engines on the dark web, each with its own characteristics. For example, some dark web search engines have better search capabilities than others. Some can search specifically for securedrop, while some search engines will find dark web sites with illegal content such as drugs or cybercriminal activity. Others are more general and can find almost any content on the dark web.

How to find dark web search engines

There are many dark web search engines, but the dark web URLs are hard to remember. You can access common dark web search engines by using the "Dark Web Directory/Search Engines" category on "666 Dark Web Directory", which will provide you with a list of sites that allow you to search the dark web.

Here are the 5 best dark web search engines.

Best Dark Web Search Engines in 2022

As mentioned earlier, several dark web search engines have different search algorithms. We have listed the 5 best dark web search engines that are known for showing appropriate and desirable results.

Ahmia.fi

Ahmia.fi is still reliable and also has a policy against any "abusive material", unlike many other dark web search engines, which may index sites with child sexual abuse content. Ahmia is also accessible and usable on the table network and also supports searches on the i2p network. You can visit Ahmia's .Onion domain here.

Ahmia.fi's dark web v3 URL is as follows: http://juhanurmihxlp77nkq76byazcldy2hlmovfu2epvl5ankdibsot4csyd.onion/

The Hidden Wiki

The Hidden Wiki is not a literal search engine, but it is very useful. In general, whenever you do a search query on the dark web search engine, you are bound to see 20 spam links, and then maybe 1 legitimate link. This can make the search a time consuming process.

However, this Wiki helps to solve this problem by providing a list of web directories on the dark web so that you can easily access them. A tabletop version is also available, and other sites that provide similar content include TorLinks and OnionLinks. you can access The Hidden Wiki by clicking on the .Onion link here.

The Hidden Wiki's dark web v3 URL is as follows: http://zqktlwiuavvvqqt4ybvgvi7tyo4hjl5xgfuvpdf6otjiycgwqbym2qad.onion/

Haystak

Haystak claims to have indexed over 1.5 billion web pages, including over 260,000 sites, and Haystak will indeed be a resourceful engine on the list. It also has a paid version that offers some additional features such as searching using regular expressions, browsing the now defunct Onion site and access to its API.

However, considering that one of these features allows you to access a database of stolen credit card information and email addresses, you can't bet they'll have your best interests at hand. You can visit Haystak by clicking on the .Onion link here.

Haystak's dark web v3 URL is as follows: http://haystak5njsmn2hqkewecpaxetahtwhsbsa64jom2k22z5afxhnpxfid.onion/

Torch

This one is also one of those search engines that has lasted long enough (since 1996) but the search results are not impressive. For example, we wanted to know the Facebook onion URL, a very simple piece of information, yet it reported everything but that, which shows that these search engines have a lot of work to do in terms of improvement.

On the other hand, it's fast and can be useful anyway. However, you can access Torch by clicking on the .Onion link here.

Torch's dark web v3 URL is as follows.
http://torchdeedp3i2jigzjdmfpn5ttjhthh5wbmda2rr3jvqjg5p77c54dqd.onion/

DuckDuckGo

Google's arch-nemesis; you're sure to find it on almost every dark web search engine list. However, it reports more results from tabletop searches than from the dark web, so the only benefit we are left with is the anonymity it provides. However, with a few random queries, we were unable to find a single dark web search result.

DuckDuckGo therefore deserves an honorable mention for its focus on privacy rather than a business-oriented vision. You can access DuckDuckGo by visiting its .Onion link.

DuckDuckGo's dark web v3 URL is as follows.
https://duckduckgogg42xjoc72x3sjasowoarfbgcmvfimaftt6twagswzczad.onion/

How safe is the dark web search engine

Although dark web search engines are useful for finding information that is not available to the general public, they can also be dangerous. If you are going to use a dark web search engine, make sure you do not use it on a regular computer. You may accidentally put your passwords, cryptocurrency and other personal information at risk with these search engines.

In addition, some sites on the dark web may contain malware that can infect your computer and steal information. Worse, however, some results may lead to highly explicit and disturbing content that you may not be ready to accept, such as child abuse, gore, torture, violence, threats, terrorism or other types of illegal content.

Therefore, make sure your searches are legitimate and limited to the content you are looking for, and avoid using proxies as hackers can easily infect them with malware or use them to steal your cryptocurrency funds.

The safest way to access dark web search engines is through an anonymous browser such as Tor. This browser will help protect your identity and personal data while browsing the dark web. It is also recommended that you connect your device to a VPN along with the Tor browser.

Those who are not interested in the Tor browser can use other browsers, such as

12P
Whonix
Globus
Freepto
Disconnect

How to use the dark web search engine

Dark Web search engines use sophisticated software to crawl the dark web and index all the information they find. Once indexed, these search engines allow you to find that information through the search engine interface.

However, not all dark web search engines are created equal. To maximize your search capabilities, it is important to understand what each dark web search engine is best at finding. Some popular dark web search engines include Grams or The Hidden Wiki, each of which has its strengths and weaknesses.

For example, the Grams search engine is notorious for illegal drugs, while The Hidden Wiki is better suited for things like e-books and articles about privacy. Whichever dark web search engine you choose, it will provide you with access to sites that are not publicly known but are useful for finding specific types of information.

Summing up

To stay safe, be sure to avoid search results that could lead you to illegal sites. Always use a reliable VPN and keep your Tor browser up to date to avoid the prying eyes of cybercriminals.