# Project pack: SearXNG @ 8137186

Facts about **SearXNG** for an AI following the [BespokeAI handover guide](https://handoff.bespokeai.software/guide/v4.md). Pinned to one version; never changes after publication.

> SearXNG is a search engine you run yourself. When you search, it asks many search engines at once (Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Wikipedia and over 200 more), mixes the results and shows them without ads, profiling or tracking. It is also the private web-search engine behind many self-hosted AI helpers, such as Vane (Perplexica), Khoj, LibreChat and AnythingLLM, which can use it to look things up online.

## Setup path (checked 2026-11-03)
- **Needs Docker.** Tell the person before any setup work; no light non-Docker route is documented upstream. Docker Desktop on Windows may need a computer restart and an admin-only Windows feature (virtualisation); say so and let the person decide.
- Verdict source: https://docs.searxng.org/admin/installation-docker.html
- You may be unable to download source archives or run commands in this session. The person downloads and runs things; if you cannot fetch something, give any changed file in full in chat with its path.

## Version and source
- Repository: https://github.com/searxng/searxng
- Pinned commit: `81371861f67226091d1c4df2e3908a11d3b54eb9`. Use exactly this version.
- Zip the person can download in a browser: https://github.com/searxng/searxng/archive/81371861f67226091d1c4df2e3908a11d3b54eb9.zip
- Fresh checkout (only if you have a shell and git): use the commands below in an empty folder. If this exact source is already checked out, keep your branch and use the development command; do not clone again or reset local changes.
- Official docs: https://docs.searxng.org
- Licence: **AGPL-3.0-or-later**. Free to use and change. If you run a changed version that other people use over the internet (not just your own household), you must offer them your source code under the same licence. Private use has no extra obligations.

## Commands from the pinned source
- Developer commands (they may use Docker):

  ```sh
  git clone https://github.com/searxng/searxng bespoke-searxng
  cd bespoke-searxng
  git checkout --detach 81371861f67226091d1c4df2e3908a11d3b54eb9
  # Prepare development requirements and local configuration first.
  # Setup notes: developer instance on http://127.0.0.1:8888
  make run
  ```

- Separate trial of the current upstream release (not your changes; sample data and a separate data directory only):

  ```sh
  mkdir -p ./searxng/core-config/ && cd ./searxng/ && curl -fsSL -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/searxng/searxng/81371861f67226091d1c4df2e3908a11d3b54eb9/container/docker-compose.yml -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/searxng/searxng/81371861f67226091d1c4df2e3908a11d3b54eb9/container/.env.example && cp .env.example .env && docker compose up -d # then open http://localhost:8080 (settings.yml appears in ./core-config/ on first start)
  ```
- Tools these commands use: Docker with Docker Compose, Very light, runs happily on a Raspberry Pi or small home server, For development, Python 3, Node.js and make (the Makefile sets up a virtualenv)
- Develop: `make run   # developer instance on http://127.0.0.1:8888`
- Test: `make test`
- Check/lint: `make test.pylint test.black`
- Stack: python, typescript (Flask, Jinja2, Granian, Vite). Difficulty for a non-developer with an AI: **easy**. Almost everything (name, engines, categories, safe search, theme, blocked or preferred websites) is a line in settings.yml, with no code changes. Code is a mature Python/Flask app with Jinja templates; changing it needs the repo's Makefile tooling and a careful eye on privacy.
- The project's own AI instructions, in the repository: `AI_POLICY.rst`, `CONTRIBUTING.rst`.
Personal data: **no**. Stored in: Settings in ./core-config/settings.yml; cache in the core-data and valkey-data volumes. SearXNG does not keep a search history. Secrets are entered by the person, never in chat.

---
Later, only when a step needs it: [reference.md](https://handoff.bespokeai.software/p/searxng/8137186/r3/reference.md) (customisation points, must-keep-working, data and costs, coding conventions) · [hosting.md](https://handoff.bespokeai.software/p/searxng/8137186/r3/hosting.md) (long-term hosting; hosts are paid third parties) · [bespoke.yaml](https://handoff.bespokeai.software/p/searxng/8137186/r3/bespoke.yaml) · [SKILL.md](https://handoff.bespokeai.software/p/searxng/8137186/r3/SKILL.md)