May 31, 2026, 3:41 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Google has long been synonymous with searching for content on the web. However, there are countless other search engines, and new ones are regularly emerging. Among the newer ones is Kagi Small Web, launched in 2023. This U.S.-based search engine specializes in finding niche sites. TECHBOOK spoke with the creators about why it feels like surfing in 1996 and the purpose behind it.
Before people started “googling,” web directories helped find interesting content on the new internet over 30 years ago. These were human-curated lists of websites, categorized by various topics. Such lists even existed in printed form as books. To visit a site, it was necessary to manually type the URL into the browser.
Long-gone times? Not at all. Such online gems still exist today, like Bellnet, “the oldest German-language internet directory,” as stated on the website. Bellnet went online in 1995.
Searching Like in the 1990s
Kagi has embraced this nostalgic way of exploring the web with its Small Web. Some visual interface elements strongly resemble the 1990s, but the displayed content is current.
Only Kagi Small Web finds these sites, as they are private, non-commercial websites. “We display content from a curated, growing index of personal blogs or pages by independent creatives. Currently, we offer about 35,000 pages,” a Kagi spokesperson told TECHBOOK.
Everyone can participate in this search engine, and it is even explicitly encouraged. The submitted URLs should only meet certain criteria to maintain the quality of the displayed content as high as possible.
The Kagi website lists the selection criteria:
- A blog should be online for at least three years.
- Currently, only English websites are accepted.
- The website should show a lot of individual personality and have high informational value.
- Additionally, the content should be family-friendly and not display violence or nudity.
The submitted blog or website should also be as up-to-date as possible, meaning it should regularly publish new content.
How Kagi Small Web Works
The functionality is simple. Upon accessing Kagi Small Web, the first content appears. I am shown the page of a programmer who, among other things, discusses computer technology and games from the early 1990s in his blog. It fits like a glove.
To view more content, just click “Next Post” at the top left. If you wish, you can also access the web directory sorted by topics via “Topics.” Keyword search is also possible, but it only works in English.
“Our search engine is not about advertising or reach at any cost, but about topics that someone truly finds exciting,” explains the Kagi spokesperson. “Content that doesn’t sound like marketing, but where someone shares their ideas and passions with genuine interest.”
It’s definitely worth it. Kagi Small Web truly brings small treasures to the web surface. There’s a lot to search for, but even more to discover.
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The Most Human Place on the Web
Google and other major search engine providers are not interested in such niche topics due to their business models. “A good blog post often struggles against content built just for clicks. Independent voices quickly disappear somewhere far back in the results or don’t appear at all,” says the Kagi spokesperson.
AI is a no-go in Kagi’s Small Web. Therefore, it’s worth visiting just to escape the flood of AI-generated uniformity for a while. Perhaps that’s why Kagi Small Web is the most human place on the web. “The most exciting and best content comes from people who write about their topics or hobbies out of curiosity, skill, or genuine enthusiasm. These are the kinds of sites we want to showcase,” the Kagi spokesperson explains why the company is taking a different path with its search engine.
Additionally, the alternative search engine wants to make a statement against a web that is becoming increasingly uniform and cluttered with advertising.
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Kagi Small Web as an App or Add-on
Thanks to the active community, Kagi Small Web grows a little more every day. The search engine operates via the web. There is now also an app for Android and iOS. Compared to the web version, these offer additional features. If you wish, you can also download Kagi’s Small Web as a browser add-on.