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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ​

Table of Contents ​

What is Kagi ​

Kagi is a company created with the mission to humanize the web. Our goal is amplify the web of human knowledge, creativity and self-expression and provide the user tools to fight against the web of greed, ad-tech and user tracking. Read more in About section.

Kagi is currently Kagi Search, a fast, private search engine, and Orion Browser, a fast, zero-telemetry browser. We also have a growing number of services like the Universal Summarizer, free and commercial APIs and open source software available.

How do you pronounce Kagi? ​

Kagi is pronounced as Kah-gee. You can also listen to it here.

What is the name of Kagi mascot? ​

We simply call him ”doggo” for now. We have media assets of him available.

The logo is a "g" which is in the Google ballpark. Why not "k"? ​

Our designer insisted that Kagi logo is "anchored" in the letter "g" and we had to agree. Besides, can't let Google own letter "g" too, can we? 😉

Kagi Search is a highly accurate, lightning-fast, user-centric, 100% privacy-respecting search engine with results augmented by non-commercial indexes and personalized searches. Kagi features a clean, high-performance user interface with only the most relevant results and no telemetry, ads, or collection of private information. You can learn more about its unique features, including the use of Lenses and Personalized Results.

We are confident that Kagi will help you amplify your search abilities, become more creative in finding information, and accelerate your productivity.

The age of ads is over. With Kagi, users pay for searches and receive a superior product compared to "free," ad supported search engines.

Read our full article on why pay for search.

How do I get help with Kagi? ​

Beyond using this knowledge base, you have several options:

  • We have a feedback forum for bug reports and feature requests.
  • We have a Discord server where you can provide general feedback and directly communicate with our community.
  • You can email support@kagi.com for help. Before emailing, please see if your issue has been addressed in this knowledge base or the feedback forum.

How do I set Kagi as my default search engine? ​

You can install a free browser extension or manually configure your browser to use Kagi Search. Check out our documentation for details.

Why does Kagi return so few results? ​

Kagi only shows you actually relevant search results, so you may be confused when Kagi returns 57 results and another, ad supported, search engine returns 2.6 million results. This is, in part, because ad supported search engines have different incentives and want you to stay on their site longer, going through pages and pages of results, as every interaction is another opportunity to serve ads.

Kagi, conversely, strives to deliver the most relevant, unique results within the top three.

Can I use Kagi in private browser sessions or if I am deleting my cookies? ​

Yes, Kagi features a 'login token' which is simply a URL parameter that you can use to automatically log you into your existing Kagi session, from anywhere, including using search within private browser sessions. You can visit Account settings to get your login token.

This token is attached to the session it was copied from. You can log out of that session if you need to invalidate it for any reason.

You can use private session token manually, or through Kagi browser extensions.

Read more about Session Link.

Why does Kagi Search require an account? ​

Kagi Search requires an account only because it is a paid service which requires an account for the transaction. Kagi is a paid service because we want to show you high quality, unbiased search results that are in your best interest. Ad supported search engines will always bias towards what the advertisers (their real customers) demand.

Note that Kagi does not collect any personal information for billing and that you can even use an anonymous payment card such as Privacy if you want to.

What data does Kagi collect? ​

Only bare necessities to run the service. Please see our privacy policy and our documentation about privacy protection for more information.

I am still worried about my private information and searches being linked together. Why should I trust you? ​

Queries you type are never associated with your account. The reasons are:

  • There is no motive, only liability. Not only do we not tie searches to your account to operate the service, but it would require extra infrastructure and cost to do it plus be a large liability and attack vector on our business. All that with zero benefit to us or our users.
  • You can create a Kagi account with any email address including a fake one (we do not care or verify it, it is just an id for logging in)
  • We have transparent and user-friendly privacy policy
  • If you are still skeptical, you can pay anonymously using OpenNode. In combination with a random email id, this guarantees anonymity from a technical perspective.

Kagi’s business model is unlike any other search engine in the world. This means we don’t need or want your personal information (it would just be an unwelcome liability). By choosing this business model we know that we are going to have far less users than mainstream search engine for example, but we have also removed any incentive to misuse any information you have shared with us.

Why does Kagi Search require an email address? ​

We require an email address to be able to verify the account really belongs to you in the following cases:

  • To handle the account recovery (in case you lose your password)
  • In case you contact us via email with an account related questions (in particular requests to delete your account or change your subscription)
  • To occasionally send product updates, which you can disable in your Kagi settings or unsubscribe directly from the email

Note that you can use an anonymous email provider such as SimpleLogin with Kagi Search and it is up to you what email address you want to use.

Kagi does not need your personal information and the above requirements are just bare minimums needed in order to be able to operate a subscription product business.

Where are your results coming from? ​

Please refer to Kagi search sources.

We are --- ahem --- fast.

How do Kagi's features compare to other search engines? ​

Kagi has key features you won't find in other search engines.

Can I use my Kagi account on multiple devices? ​

Yes, you can use your Kagi membership on all your devices, as long as you don't share your account. You can also log in on multiple web browsers on the same device.

How are searches counted? ​

  • Bangs and search suggestions (while typing) are never counted as searches.
  • Reloading the same search within a short time (~2 minutes) does not count as an additional search.
  • Each lens and content type (e.g. images, news) is considered a separate search.
  • Loading more results counts as an additional search.

Why is Kagi focusing on AI and Orion Browser as well? ​

Kagi has zero marketing budget and spends zero on marketing, we see Orion and AI as customer acquisition channels for Kagi. Orion is already providing about 20% of our customers, people find Orion first and then find out about Kagi. Instead of spending money on marketing we are spending money on the products because we want to holistically solve the problem of consuming information on the web, not just search. There is a wonderful synergy between Orion and Kagi as well as the Universal Summarizer technology that we are investing in.

Kagi is in the business of search, not in the business of selling AI; our philosophy is that AI is there to enhance the experience, not create it. We are excited by the possibilities that AI will bring - the initial demonstration shows the expansion of search backed by AI, for example the ability to chat with any document on the web. And currently only 10% of searches that can be made are actually being made, which is because current engines cannot cover the remaining 90%.

Will you expose the Search API? ​

Check our currently available APIs.

How do I check my usage? ​

You can check your usage here. This can also be accessed by clicking Check Usage from the Settings -> Billing page.

How can I change the name or other billing details that my subscription is being billed to? ​

Go to Kagi Settings -> Billing (or click here) and then click "Manage Billing".

This will bring you to the billing portal where you are able to update your billing information.

We are very careful not to introduce a precedent with any type of non search quality related bias (including moral, political on any other type of bias).

Some results from traditional sources we use may reflect inherent biases beyond our control.

What we maintain is a strict search-quality bias. We downrank web pages that contain ads and trackers, as this has empirically proven to improve search result quality for our members.

We also empower our members with powerful tools like domain preferences and lenses to help them shape their search results in any way they prefer.

Read more about our approach to information access.

How does Kagi help protect my privacy? ​

”Free” search engines have two ways to make money – get more users or sell more ads per user. The easiest, fastest way is to mine more data to sell ads more effectively. Many search-engine companies have buckled under investor pressure, leading us to the online privacy issues we have today.

Paid models like Kagi only make money when users pay us, and users only pay when they receive great value. We offer superior result quality, features, speed and, of course, privacy. If we compromise on any of these points, we lose users. Therefore we have to offer a better product that includes the best possible privacy.

We designed our product to give you a good answer and get you on your way instead of forcing you to wade through a swamp of results that have leeches lurking under the surface.

Are you affiliated with the legendary Kagi shareware platform? ​

No. That Kagi went bankrupt in an unfortunate turn of events. We liked the name and acquired it when we got the chance.

Are you hiring? ​

Yes, see here.

What if I find a security issue? ​

If you discover potential security issues on our platform, please notify our security contact.

How do I join Kagi’s Discord server? ​

The Kagi Discord server is a great way to provide feedback and have direct communication with our team.

You can join this server at kagi.com/discord.

For feature requests and bug reports, please visit kagifeedback.org instead.

Where can I find examples of Custom CSS created by other users? ​

Please check out Custom CSS. Users looking for more could also ask in the Kagi Discord.

Does Kagi support crypto / anonymous payments? ​

We officially support OpenNode as a cryptocurrency payment option.

For more information, please read this blog post.

Does Kagi have any student discounts? ​

We do not.

See the discussion here for more details.

Can I expense Kagi and Orion at work? ​

The circumstances may vary (check with your workplace manager) but in general both Kagi and Orion subscriptions can be expensed when you are using these products for work.

Upon purchasing the product subscriptions you will receive a standard invoice that you can use to expense these items.

How do I sign up? ​

Click here to become a member.

I do not have a credit card. Can I also pay for Kagi with PayPal or crypto? ​

Yes. We have recently added new payment options to allow payment through credit card, PayPal and crypto through OpenNode.

How can I switch all my browsers and devices to Kagi? ​

We have several options available, from easy to full manual. See here for instructions.

I notice that Ultimate plan is also 10% off for annual payments now. I previously had 15% off. Do I remain locked in? ​

Yes, as long as you do not cancel you will have the previous discount applied.

How can I get the new Ultimate plan level features in the Family or Duo plans? ​

If you have a Family or Duo plan, you can upgrade family members to the Ultimate plan features from the Family Members page for an additional $15 per month, per upgraded family member.

I’m keen to support Kagi but concerned about its longevity given the history of search startups. How can I be assured Kagi is here to stay before making a commitment? ​

What sets Kagi apart is our fundamentally different, user-centric approach that prioritizes the interest of our members and alignment of incentives. It’s worth noting that all of Kagi’s growth has been organic, without any expenditure on marketing or customer acquisition, attesting to the inherent value and trust our user base places in us. We invite you to review our live stats for a transparent view of our steady progress.

How can I use the credit I added to my account to purchase one of the plans? ​

Please visit Billing Settings and choose one of the plans. You will be redirected to Stripe and your available credits will be used to cover the plan price.

I subscribed to Kagi Duo or Family Plan, how can I add family members to the plan? ​

Adding family members is easy, you can invite them via email from the Family Plan Dashboard.

If I upgrade my plan before my renewal date will I have to pay the full amount of the new plan? ​

At anytime you upgrade, the unused portion of the previous plan will be prorated as credit towards your new plan.

If a user is part of a family plan, is there any potential for either the plan holder or the other family plan sub-users to potentially access user data from another account? ​

There is no potential for users to see each other's search history or any other data. That stands even for kids' accounts as we want to keep their privacy (you should still have parental controls though).

Can someone who is part of my family plan leave the family plan and subscribe independently? ​

Yes, they can leave the family plan at any time and subscribe to one of the individual plans.

Can I pay for outstanding invoices using the credit I added to my account? ​

Yes, please go to Settings > Billing > Manage Billing and then locate the outstanding invoice and trigger payment for it. If you have credit on your account balance, Stripe will use it first.

What are the limitations of the Trial plan? ​

The Trial Plan has a limit of 100 searches and 50 interactions with Kagi AI tools (quick answer or summarize page).

I'm having issues staying logged in or searching occasionally doesn't work ​

There are a few things you can try:

  • Do you have your browser configured to clear cookies when closed? Kagi relies on cookies to keep you logged in, however you can use our extension which can store your session details when visiting Kagi, including when using private browsing.
  • Verify that any browser extensions you have installed are not causing conflicts. We have received reports of some extensions causing issues with our cookies. If this is the case, you may need to disable the incompatible extension or switch to an alternative extension that provides similar functionality.

Is using Kagi Assistant better in terms of privacy than using one of the LLM models directly? ​

Yes, that’s because Kagi acts as a proxy between you and the LLM (both from an internet connection and payments perspective). Additionally, because Kagi is using the API access rather than the frontend, the provider does not use the data for training the LLM models. Note that during beta, Kagi will store conversations for 7 days in order to handle bug reports, however we plan to reduce this window to 24 hours when Assistant officially launches.

I get "Error: Forbidden" when trying to visit Kagi ​

If you are using a VPN, try changing to a different VPN server or disable the VPN to see if that resolves the issue. Unfortunately, our hosting provider (GCP) is known to block some VPN IP addresses, and this is out of our control.

Why do I get better results for local searches with Google? ​

Google often returns personalized results because it tracks your location, identity, and search history across apps and devices. For example, a search for 'dog and pony' might return your local pub if you've searched for it before or if Google has recorded your presence there via your phone. Kagi, on the other hand, doesn't track this information and therefore returns more generic results, such as those related to animals.

Can I use my personal account for work? ​

Yes, you can use your individual account for any kind of work. However, only you may use your personal account; you may not share it with others.

Do you have a warrant canary? ​

Yes, our warrant canary is included in our privacy page.

Why is the Giropay payment option not available? ​

PayPal announced that Giropay has been deprecated as a payment method. It is no longer available as of July 1st, 2024.​ If you relied on Giropay to add funds to your account, please explore our other payment options.

I am trying to purchase a subscription, but the field to input my billing address is grayed out and I'm unable to type in it ​

This is because you are using Stripe's "Link" feature for fast payments. You can update your address by visiting Stripe's "Link" management page.

After updating your address, you can return to the Kagi sign-up page to complete your subscription purchase.

Note: Remember we only need your country (and zip code if in the US) to determine the appropriate sales tax or VAT.

If you are experiencing issues, please open a ticket with as much detail as possible, and we will review it ASAP.

For other inquiries or simply to connect, you can email support@kagi.com.