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- Why OpenSearch?
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The web is a big place, and search engines that crawl the surface of the web are only picking up a small fraction of the great content that is out there.
Beyond that—the richest content can’t be adequately indexed by one engine alone.
Different types of content require different types of search engines;
most of the time, the best search engines for a site are the ones written by those that know the content the best.
Unfortunately, that often means that users need to know where that site is and how to find, and use, the search engine once they are there.
By supporting OpenSearch, that search engine can be exposed to the world and the results made available everywhere.
Even small, specialized websites can now have the same visibility and distribution as the major search engines.
Since the search results can point anywhere, including back to the content itself, the sites supporting OpenSearch have total control over where the user goes.
- Where can I see and use it?
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OpenSearch is a technology, pioneered by A9.com, and also used by others.
You can see it in action right now at A9.com.
- I have a website. How do I support OpenSearch?
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Visit the OpenSearch How-To.
You’ll need to produce RSS or Atom formatted search results with some small additions, and then write a simple OpenSearch Description file.
You’ll probably want to submit your site to A9.com and other OpenSearch™ aggregators.
Really, it‘s that easy.
- My favorite website doesn’t support OpenSearch—what can I do?
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Talk to them—recommend that they add OpenSearch results.
If they are agreeable, but don’t have the resources themselves, consider offering to write an OpenSearch wrapper for them.
However, please be respectful other people’s copyright and intellectual property.
If someone doesn’t want their search results syndicated, that is their choice.
- Where can I find a list of search engines that support OpenSearch?
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See the full list of searches available on A9.com.
A listing of those with the “open” syndication right are available in OpenSearch format.
- Why don’t all OpenSearch feeds have a “more info” link on the Column Chooser page?
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OpenSearch allows websites to list their OpenSearch feeds as ‘open’ or ‘limited’ on A9.com.
‘Limited’ means they are allowing A9.com to display results, but not further distribute them.
Therefore, only websites listed as ‘open’ have a link to more information on the Column Chooser page.
- Where can I find a list of software that supports OpenSearch?
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See OpenSearch Readers and OpenSearch Writers for software
(including Open Source software), written by A9.com and others.
- How can I get involved with OpenSearch?
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By joining the public mailing list.
You can also send feedback to A9.com.
See also the Developer FAQ.
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