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Hey everyone!

I wanted to share a small open source project I’ve been working on: Searloc.

Searloc is an open source lightweight, client-side web tool (pure JavaScript, no server-side code) that helps you search via a random public SearXNG instance, directly from your browser. The goal is to decentralize search and improve privacy without requiring you to host your own instance.

How it works

There are currently around 50 public SearXNG instances in the pool. Each time you search, Searloc randomly chooses one. This means no single instance sees all your queries — just about 1 in 50, statistically. The more public instances there are, the better the decentralization and privacy.

Who is this for?

If you already self-host your own SearXNG instance, you probably don’t need this.
But if you want private, decentralized search without hosting anything yourself, Searloc might be a great fit.

Key Features

  • Automatic quality checks to filter public instances from searx.space
  • Use !! to retry your search on a different random instance
  • Bangs (!!bang syntax) fully handled in-browser
  • Light/Dark mode support
  • English and French localization
  • Autocomplete for bangs on the homepage
  • Automatically forwards your theme and localization preference to the selected SearXNG instance
  • Add your own custom instances via the settings page

This is still an early-stage project, but I use it daily and it’s been ok for regular use.
Feedback, bug reports, and ideas are always welcome! Check out the Projects tab on Codeberg to see the current "roadmap".

Give it a try, and let me know what you think.

Have a great day!

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[-] wazaby@piefed.social 4 points 22 hours ago

Yes! I already have an issue for that: https://codeberg.org/wazaby/searloc/issues/21

I have limited time, so at the moment I am more focused on features, but I will definitely do it. I also want to create a self hosted guide in the repo wiki.

[-] lilith267 2 points 9 hours ago

Ay thats really nice to hear! Ofc no pressure with getting anything released, as the project stands right now is already something I'm excited to use

this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2025
102 points (100.0% liked)

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