Whoogle
A self-hosted Google search proxy that strips ads, JavaScript and tracking; no longer returns results.benbusby/whoogle-search
- Stars
- 11.6k
- Forks
- 1.1k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Python
- Last update
- 3 months ago
- Type
- App
This repository is archived and no longer maintained.
What it is
Whoogle was a self-hosted search page you ran on your own server or computer. It fetched Google results without JavaScript and showed them without ads, AMP links, or tracking tags, so you could use Google's results with more privacy. The README now says this project has ended: Google blocked the method Whoogle relied on, so it no longer returns search results and receives no further updates.
- Read the code as an example of a Flask-based, self-hosted proxy app
- Fork the repository under the MIT license as a starting point for a new project
Great for
- Historical reference: people studying how the project worked before it ended
- Developers who want to fork the MIT-licensed code for their own experiments
- Anyone looking for an ad-free search front end (note: this no longer works)
Not ideal for
- Anyone wanting a working search engine today: the README says it no longer returns results
- Anyone needing bug fixes or security updates: the README says no further commits or releases will happen
- People who need a paid-for, supported alternative: the README points to Kagi as a switch many users made
How to get it
- 1
Clone and build from source
You'll need: Python 3 · Docker (for the Docker option)
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/benbusby/whoogle-search - 2
Run it
- Read the notice at the top of the README before doing anything else.
- Do not expect the app to return search results; the README says it no longer works.
- If you want to experiment with the code, fork it and review the historical setup instructions.
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the code as reference rather than as a working service
- Check the README's historical Docker and pip sections only if you are studying the project
Downloads
Strengths
- MIT licensed, so the code can be reused and forked freely
- Designed to be easy to deploy with Docker or one-click hosting, according to its description
- Clearly documents its own end-of-life, so users are not misled
Trade-offs
- Does not return search results today, per the README notice
- Archived with no further commits, bug fixes, or support
- Install and setup docs describe how it worked before Google blocked it
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| whoogle-search (this) | 11.6k | App | intermediate | 3 months ago | Historical reference: people studying how the project worked before it ended |
| dokku | 32.2k | App | intermediate | 5 days ago | Developers who want Heroku-style deployment on a server they control |
| quivr | 39.6k | Framework | advanced | 5 days ago | Developers building a search or monitoring pipeline over a stream of documents |
| uptime-kuma | 93.2k | App | beginner | 5 days ago | People who want to monitor their own websites or services without paying a hosted monitoring service |
| memos | 64.2k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | People who want a private, self-hosted journal or quick-notes timeline |
| Vane | 38k | App | intermediate | 2 months ago | People who want AI-written answers with links to sources |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.