Search the Web

For comprehensive searching, use an assortment of search engines and subject directories.

Web Subject Directories | Web Search Engines

Web Subject Directories
Web subject directories result from actual human use and review, whereas search engine databases are often only the product of spiders or robots. Therefore, subject directory links tend to be higher quality and more stable. They organize web material by subject or type, and often allow searching.

Web Search Engines
Search Engines are powerful tools which match search terms against large databases of Web pages. No one search engine covers the entire Web. Even the largest only include about 15% of the Web. This page describes search engines of various sizes and types.

Searching Multiple Engines
This page describes and links to many Parallel Search Services. These tools are most effective for one or two word searches which do not require special search syntax. Because the tools run searches across many engines, they cannot fully utilize each engine's unique capabilities. In contrast, Search Engine Collectors do not run searches simultaneously, but they facilitate use of multiple search engines by including search forms, linking to different engines, or retaining search terms.