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Why use a private instance?
Is running my own instance worth it?
...is a common question among SearXNG users. Before answering this question, see what options a SearXNG user has.
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.
To gain more insight on how these instances work, let's dive into how SearXNG protects its users.
How does SearXNG protect privacy?
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:
- Removing private data from requests going to search services
- Not forwarding anything from third party services through search services (e.g. advertisement)
- Removing private data from requests going to the results pages
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. Result proxy is supported, too.
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.
What are the consequences of using public instances?
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.
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.
I see. What about private instances?
If users run their own instances <installation>, everything is in their control: the source code, logging settings and private data. Unknown instance administrators do not have to be trusted.
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.
Conclusion
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.
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.