arrow_back Back to Search

How It Works

A privacy-respecting Fediverse search engine built on consent, not scraping

compare Why We're Different

bug_report

Traditional Crawlers

  • closeScrapes content without permission
  • closeNo consent required from users
  • closeDeleted content stays indexed for weeks
  • closeOpting out is difficult or impossible
  • closeOperates invisibly in the background
hub

Holos Discover

  • checkUses standard ActivityPub federation
  • checkOnly indexes users who opt in
  • checkDeletions happen instantly via ActivityPub
  • checkMultiple easy ways to opt out
  • checkVisible as a follower you can block

sync Real-Time Synchronization

Unlike crawlers that periodically scrape content, we receive ActivityPub activities in real-time. Your changes are reflected immediately.

add_circle

New Post

When you publish, we receive it instantly via Create activity

delete

Delete Post

When you delete, we receive Delete activity and remove it immediately

edit

Edit Post

When you edit, we receive Update activity and update our index

block

Block Us

When you block us, all your content is deleted from our index

alternate_email

Mention Us

Mention us with "follow" or "unfollow" to control your indexing

verified_user Consent Requirements

We only follow and index users who meet all these criteria:

toggle_on

Indexable Enabled

User has the "indexable" option enabled in their profile settings

lock_open

Public Account

Account is not locked (no follow approval required)

smart_toy

No Opt-Out Markers

Bio does not contain #nobot or #noindex hashtags

exit_to_app Easy Opt-Out

You have complete control. Any of these actions will remove all your content from our index:

toggle_off Disable the "indexable" option in your profile
tag Add #nobot or #noindex to your bio
lock Lock your account (require follow approval)
block Block @HolosDiscover directly
alternate_email Mention us with "unfollow"
auto_delete

We will unfollow you and delete all your indexed content immediately.

How to disable indexing

Mastodon Preferences → Profile → Privacy and reach → Include public posts in search results open_in_new
Pleroma / Akkoma Settings → Security → Allow search engines to index your profile open_in_new
Misskey / Firefish / Sharkey Settings → Privacy → Allow indexing open_in_new

alternate_email Mention Commands

You can control your indexing by mentioning us directly:

@HolosDiscover follow

follow

We will send you a follow request (if you consent to indexing)

@HolosDiscover unfollow

unfollow

We will unfollow you and remove all your content from our index

info Commands work in public posts or direct messages.

explore How We Discover Users

We don't crawl the web. We discover users organically through the Fediverse network:

1

Network Activity

We see users through boosts, mentions, and replies from accounts we already follow

arrow_downward
2

Consent Check

We verify the user has indexable=true, is not locked, and has no opt-out markers

arrow_downward
3

Follow Request

We send a standard ActivityPub Follow request — visible in their followers list

arrow_downward
4

Receive Posts

Once accepted, we receive their public posts via ActivityPub activities

shield What We Don't Collect

We respect your privacy. Here's what we never index or store:

mail_lock Direct messages or followers-only posts
group_off Your follower or following lists
location_off IP addresses or tracking data
analytics No analytics, cookies, or third-party trackers

code Open Source

Holos Discover is free software under AGPL-3.0. Audit our code, report issues, or contribute.

Our Actor @HolosDiscover@discover.holos.social
Protocol ActivityPub
License AGPL-3.0
open_in_new View Source Code