SearXNG

beginner

Privacy-respecting metasearch engine.

Overview

SearXNG is an open-source, privacy-focused metasearch engine that aggregates results from over 70 search engines including Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Wikipedia, and specialized sources without tracking users or storing personal data. Originally forked from the Searx project, SearXNG provides enhanced performance, additional features, and more active development while maintaining the core philosophy of private search. The application runs as a lightweight Python web service that proxies search requests through multiple engines and presents unified results without revealing user information to the underlying search providers. This containerized deployment simplifies the installation process by handling all Python dependencies and configuration requirements within an isolated environment. SearXNG serves users who prioritize digital privacy, system administrators setting up organizational search infrastructure, and anyone seeking an alternative to commercial search engines that collect user data. The Docker implementation makes it accessible for homelab enthusiasts and small organizations without requiring extensive Python or web server configuration knowledge.

Key Features

Aggregates search results from 70+ engines including Google, Bing, Wikipedia, Reddit, GitHub, and academic databases
Zero user tracking with no cookies, session storage, or IP address logging
Built-in search result filtering and ranking algorithms to remove duplicates and improve relevance
Customizable engine selection with per-category preferences for web, images, videos, news, and scientific content
OpenSearch XML support for easy browser integration as default search provider
Multi-language interface with support for 60+ languages and regional search preferences
JSON and RSS result output formats for programmatic access and integration
Real-time search suggestions and autocomplete functionality without external API calls

Common Use Cases

1Personal privacy-focused search engine for individuals avoiding data collection by commercial providers
2Corporate search infrastructure for organizations requiring confidential research capabilities
3Educational institution search portal for students and researchers needing academic source aggregation
4Homelab addition for tech enthusiasts building self-hosted service ecosystems
5Development environment search tool for programmers needing code repositories and documentation
6Public library or community center search service for patron privacy protection
7Journalist and investigative research tool for sensitive information gathering

Prerequisites

Docker and Docker Compose installed with minimum 512MB available RAM
Port 8080 available on the host system for web interface access
Reliable internet connection for accessing upstream search engine APIs
Basic understanding of YAML configuration for customizing search engine settings
Web browser with JavaScript enabled for full interface functionality
Optional: reverse proxy knowledge for HTTPS setup and domain configuration

For development & testing. Review security settings, change default credentials, and test thoroughly before production use. See Terms

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  searxng: 
3    image: searxng/searxng:latest
4    container_name: searxng
5    restart: unless-stopped
6    volumes: 
7      - searxng_config:/etc/searxng
8    ports: 
9      - "8080:8080"
10
11volumes: 
12  searxng_config:

.env Template

.env

1# No additional config needed

Usage Notes

1Docs: https://docs.searxng.org/
2Access at http://localhost:8080
3Aggregates results from 70+ search engines
4No tracking, no ads, no data collection
5Customize settings.yml to enable/disable engines
6Set as browser default search with opensearch.xml

Quick Start

terminal

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  searxng:
5    image: searxng/searxng:latest
6    container_name: searxng
7    restart: unless-stopped
8    volumes:
9      - searxng_config:/etc/searxng
10    ports:
11      - "8080:8080"
12
13volumes:
14  searxng_config:
15EOF
16
17# 2. Create the .env file
18cat > .env << 'EOF'
19# No additional config needed
20EOF
21
22# 3. Start the services
23docker compose up -d
24
25# 4. View logs
26docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

terminal

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/searxng/run | bash

Troubleshooting

Search results showing 'Engine timeout' errors: Increase timeout values in settings.yml or disable slow-responding engines in the engines section
No results returned for specific search types: Check that relevant engines are enabled in settings.yml and verify internet connectivity to upstream providers
Interface loading slowly or timing out: Reduce the number of enabled search engines or increase Docker container memory allocation above 512MB
OpenSearch integration not working in browser: Verify the public_instance configuration in settings.yml matches your actual domain or IP address
403 Forbidden errors when searching: Configure proper user-agent strings in settings.yml and ensure rate limiting settings don't conflict with engine requirements
Container fails to start with permission errors: Check that the searxng_config volume has proper write permissions for the container user

Community Notes

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