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Yohaan Dsouza edited this page Feb 1, 2026 · 1 revision

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Last Updated: February 1, 2026


General Questions

What is Indexa?

Indexa is a privacy-first search engine built to provide Google-level search quality without surveillance advertising or user tracking.

Key Features:

  • Independent search index (not a Google proxy)
  • Semantic search with AI understanding
  • Dufus AI assistant for conversational search
  • Image and shopping search
  • 100% anonymous - no user tracking
  • Self-hostable and open-source friendly

How does Indexa differ from Google?

Feature Indexa Google
Privacy Anonymous searches, no tracking Tracks behavior across web
Ads None (contextual in future) Behavioral ads everywhere
Data Selling Never Builds profiles to sell
AI Integrated Dufus local AI ChatGPT partnership
Self-Hosted Available Not possible
Business Model Privacy-first premium tiers Surveillance capitalism

Is Indexa free?

Yes! Core search is completely free:

  • Unlimited searches
  • Image search
  • Shopping search
  • Basic API access

Optional paid features (coming soon):

  • Dufus AI Premium
  • Advanced search analytics
  • API higher rate limits

Is Indexa safe to use?

Yes, absolutely:

  • HTTPS encryption on all connections
  • No malware or tracking scripts
  • Passwords hashed with bcrypt
  • Regular security audits
  • Cloudflare DDoS protection
  • Bug bounty program available

Search & Features

How does search work at Indexa?

Indexa uses a hybrid ranking system combining:

  1. Full-Text Search (FTS5) - Traditional keyword matching (60%)
  2. Semantic Search - Understanding query meaning using AI (20%)
  3. PageRank - Authority based on link analysis (10%)
  4. Domain Authority - Trust score per domain (10%)

What does "Did you mean?" mean?

If Indexa detects typos, it suggests corrections:

  • "javascrpt" → "Did you mean: javascript?"
  • "machne learning" → "Did you mean: machine learning?"

How do autocomplete suggestions work?

As you type, Indexa suggests:

  • Popular searches
  • Auto-complete terms
  • Related queries
  • Product names (shopping)

All anonymous - suggestions don't track who searches.

What is Dufus AI?

Dufus (Data-Unified Functional Understanding System) is Indexa's conversational AI assistant.

Current Status: Coming Soon

Features (when available):

  • Chat with AI about search topics
  • AI summarizes search results
  • Code generation and explanation
  • Multi-turn conversations
  • Runs on local LLaMA model (privacy-preserving)

What is Shopping Search?

Shopping Search finds products across indexed e-commerce sites:

  • Price filtering and comparison
  • Rating/review filtering
  • Brand filtering
  • Category browsing
  • Trending products

Current Coverage: Croma, Vijay Sales, Myntra (India)

Can I use API for commercial purposes?

Yes! Our API is available for developers.

Tier Price Queries/Month
Free $0 1,000
Starter $29/mo 10,000
Growth $99/mo 50,000
Scale $299/mo 250,000
Enterprise Custom Volume-based

Privacy & Security

Does Indexa track me?

No. We explicitly don't track:

  • Your IP address (except rate limiting)
  • Your search history
  • Your location
  • Your device fingerprint
  • Your browsing behavior
  • Your identity

Can I search anonymously?

Yes! All searches are anonymous by default:

  • No login required
  • No search history stored
  • No tracking cookies
  • No analytics
  • No personal data collected

Is my password safe?

Yes:

  • Passwords hashed with bcrypt (industry standard)
  • Never stored in plaintext
  • Salted with 12-round iterations
  • Even our admins can't see your password

Does Indexa sell my data?

No. We explicitly do NOT:

  • Sell personal data
  • Sell search queries
  • Share data with advertisers
  • License data to third parties

Is Indexa GDPR compliant?

Yes:

  • GDPR rights implemented
  • Data Protection Officer appointed
  • Right to access, delete, export
  • No tracking without consent

What about CCPA (California)?

Yes:

  • CCPA rights honored
  • Right to know what we collect
  • Right to delete
  • Right to opt-out of sale (we don't sell)

Accounts & OwlGuard

Do I need an account?

No. Accounts are optional:

  • Without account: Fully anonymous search
  • With account (OwlGuard): Optional features like search history

Can I delete my account?

Yes, anytime:

  • Settings → Account → Delete Account
  • Or email: support@indexa.site
  • All data deleted within 30 days

I forgot my password

  1. Click "Forgot Password" on login
  2. Enter email address
  3. Check email for reset link
  4. Create new password

Troubleshooting

Why did my search get no results?

Possible reasons:

  1. Spelling error - Check "Did you mean?" suggestion
  2. Too specific - Try broader terms
  3. New content - We update index regularly
  4. Not indexed yet - Some sites take time to crawl

Why is search slow?

Possible causes:

  1. Complex query - Semantic search takes time
  2. Network latency - Your connection
  3. Server load - High traffic (rare)

Typical response: 50-200ms

How do I report a bug?

Report issues:

  1. Email: support@indexa.site
  2. Include: What you did, what happened, expected result
  3. Attach: Screenshots if helpful

Security bugs: security@indexa.site


Technical Questions

What data is indexed?

Indexa indexes:

  • Page titles and URLs
  • Text content
  • Headings and subheadings
  • Metadata (author, date)
  • Images and alt text
  • Structured data (schema.org)

NOT indexed:

  • Private/password-protected pages
  • Pages blocked by robots.txt
  • Duplicate content (SimHash detection)

How often is the index updated?

Site Type Crawl Frequency
Popular sites Weekly
Medium sites Monthly
New sites As discovered

Can I block Indexa from crawling my site?

Yes, using robots.txt:

User-agent: Indexa
Disallow: /private/
Crawl-delay: 10

Does Indexa use my website for training AI?

No:

  • Your content not used for model training
  • Your content only indexed for search
  • You can opt-out via robots.txt

How can I submit my site?

Manual submission: Email crawl@indexa.site with URL and description

Automatic discovery: Submit sitemap.xml to crawl@indexa.site


Advertising & Business

Does Indexa have ads?

Current: No ads (completely ad-free)

Future plans:

  • Optional contextual ads (keyword-based, not behavioral)
  • Affiliate links in shopping search
  • Clear "Sponsored" labeling
  • Can be disabled for premium users

Can I use Indexa for my app/business?

Yes! Multiple options:

  • White-label search - Embed Indexa on your site
  • API access - Build custom applications
  • Data licensing - Access search data
  • Partnerships - Special integrations

Contact: business@indexa.site


Performance & Scaling

How fast is Indexa?

Query Type Response Time
Cached results 10-20ms
Fresh search 50-200ms
Complex semantic 200-500ms
Dufus AI <2 seconds (streaming)

Can I use Indexa on mobile?

Yes!

  • Full mobile browser support
  • Responsive design
  • Touch-optimized interface
  • App coming soon for iOS/Android

Can I host Indexa myself?

Yes! Self-hosting options planned:

  • Deploy on your PC/Mac/Linux
  • Docker containers
  • Kubernetes deployment

Interest? Email: enterprise@indexa.site


Legal & Terms

What are your Terms of Service?

See full Terms-of-Service

Key points:

  • Use license for personal/non-commercial use
  • Prohibited: Illegal activity, abuse, scraping
  • Delaware law governs

What is your Privacy Policy?

See full Privacy-Policy

Key points:

  • Queries not permanently stored
  • No tracking or profiling
  • GDPR, CCPA, PIPEDA compliant

Do you have a bug bounty program?

Yes!

  • Report security issues: security@indexa.site
  • Responsible disclosure required
  • Rewards available for valid vulnerabilities

Getting Help

How can I suggest a feature?

Feature requests:

How can I report inappropriate content?

Content reports:

For DMCA/Copyright:

Where can I learn more?

Resources:


Contact

Topic Email
General Support support@indexa.site
Privacy Questions privacy@indexa.site
Technical Support tech@indexa.site
Business Inquiries business@indexa.site
Feature Requests feedback@indexa.site
Security Issues security@indexa.site

Still have questions? Email support@indexa.site - we're here to help!

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