yacy_search_server/help/index.md

page, help, title, package, access, kind, backend_java

page	help	title	package	access	kind	backend_java
htroot/index.html	help/index.md	Search Page	core-search-public	mixed	search-page	source/net/yacy/htroot/index.java

Search Page

Purpose

The start page is the usual entry point for searching and navigating YaCy.

Use it when a user first opens the peer in a browser.

What You Can Do Here

• The start page is the usual entry point for searching and navigating YaCy.
• Choose query, target, content type, or integration options according to the user intent.
• Keep ordinary read-only viewing separate from authenticated actions that alter stored data.

Page Architecture

Public search pages turn request parameters into result lists, previews, snippets, feeds, or integration fragments. They are mostly read-oriented, but some result actions can bookmark, recommend, blacklist, or delete references when authenticated.

Control	Meaning	Values or examples
query	Search text. Use ordinary search terms, quoted phrases where supported by YaCy query parsing, and optional YaCy modifiers such as collection filters when you intentionally need them.	Search terms, for example climate data or a more specific phrase.
Enter	Browser submit button. Omit it from direct API calls; YaCy uses the query and filter parameters, not the button label, to run the search.	Text value; use the page label and surrounding context to choose the exact content.
contentdom	Content domain filter: text, image, audio, video, application, or all depending on the page.	text = Text, image = Text, audio = Text, video = Text, app = Text
indexof	Text / only index pages.	only index pages
resource	Search resource selection such as local or global/network search.	global = the peer-to-peer network, local = only the local index
prefermaskfilter	Regular-expression URL preference. Matching results are favored without excluding all others.	Regular expression for preferred result URLs.
maximumRecords	Maximum number of records displayed or returned.	10, 50, 100
prefermask	Prefer mask. Options: yes = Prefer mask, no = Prefer mask.	yes = Prefer mask, no = Prefer mask
strictContentDom	Require the content domain filter strictly.	false = Extended, true = Extended

Correct Use

Start from the user's information need. Use query text, content type, collection, URL filters, and pagination to narrow results. Do not mix ordinary search with authenticated result actions unless the user explicitly asks to modify stored data.

Access And Safety

The page may be visible, but the backend performs authentication checks for protected actions.

Protected related endpoint(s): /yacysearch.html, /index.html.

Backend checks: built-in administrator authentication for protected search features.

Automation And API

Page backend: source/net/yacy/htroot/index.java.

Endpoint	Method	Access	Backend
/yacysearch.html	GET	mixed	source/net/yacy/htroot/yacysearch.java
/index.html	GET or POST	mixed	source/net/yacy/htroot/index.java

Parameter Guide

The table explains values that an agent or script must set deliberately. Parameters not relevant to a task should be omitted or left at the page default.

Parameter	Meaning and valid values	Care
query	Search text. Use ordinary search terms, quoted phrases where supported by YaCy query parsing, and optional YaCy modifiers such as collection filters when you intentionally need them.	Controls the scope or format of the result. Prefer the narrowest value that answers the request.
contentdom	Content domain filter. Common values are all, text, image, audio, video, and app; use it to ask for web pages, media, or application documents deliberately.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
indexof	Interprets the query as an index-of style request when supported.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
resource	Search source. local searches this peer index; global may use the YaCy network when the peer and configuration allow it.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
prefermaskfilter	Regular-expression URL preference. Matching results are favored without excluding all others.	Controls the scope or format of the result. Prefer the narrowest value that answers the request.
maximumRecords	Maximum number of results to return on one page. Use a modest value for interactive use; larger values are for controlled scripts.	Controls the scope or format of the result. Prefer the narrowest value that answers the request.
prefermask	Prefer mask. Options: yes = Prefer mask, no = Prefer mask.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
strictContentDom	When true, YaCy enforces the selected content domain more strictly instead of using it mainly for presentation.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
auth	Requests authentication-aware behavior when the endpoint supports user-specific or protected actions.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
callback	JSONP callback name for legacy script clients. Leave empty for normal HTML or JSON-style use.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
collection	Collection name. Use it to group crawled or imported documents and to search or manage that group later.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
constraint	Encoded YaCy bitfield constraint. Leave it empty unless you are replaying a URL generated by YaCy itself.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
count	SRU-style result count. It is an alternative to maximumRecords on search endpoints.	Controls the scope or format of the result. Prefer the narrowest value that answers the request.
deleteref	URL hash/reference selected for deletion from results. Use only with administrator intent and an exact known reference.	Can remove data, stop work, expose access, or make a broad operational change. Use only with explicit confirmation and an exact target.
focus	Browser presentation flag controlling whether the search input receives focus.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
lr	Language filter, usually a two-letter code such as de, fr, or en when the page supports language-restricted search.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
meanCount	Text.	Controls the scope or format of the result. Prefer the narrowest value that answers the request.
nav	Navigator/facet selection for search results. all requests the normal set; narrower values reduce displayed facets.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
offset	Zero-based result offset for pagination.	Read-only pagination control; use it to request later result pages.
recommendref	URL hash/reference selected for recommendation.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
resortCachedResults	Requests resorting of a cached search event instead of starting a fully fresh result event.	Controls the scope or format of the result. Prefer the narrowest value that answers the request.
resource-switch	Browser control for switching between local and global search. For direct calls use resource=local or resource=global.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
rows	Rows requested by API-style clients. It is another result-count alias on search endpoints.	Controls the scope or format of the result. Prefer the narrowest value that answers the request.
search	Alternative search text parameter accepted by some search endpoints; prefer query on browser search pages unless reproducing an existing URL.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
startRecord	First result record for pagination; accepted as an alternative to offset on search endpoints.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.
timezoneOffset	Client timezone offset in minutes. YaCy uses it for date display or schedule calculations.	Read-only request context for date handling.
urlmaskfilter	Regular-expression URL filter for search results. Use .* for no restriction; use a precise host/path expression to search inside a site or section.	Controls the scope or format of the result. Prefer the narrowest value that answers the request.
verify	Snippet/cache verification strategy. Typical values are iffresh, ifexist, cacheonly, nocache, and false; choose according to whether freshness or speed matters more.	Set only when this option is part of the intended request; otherwise omit it and let YaCy use the page default.

Example request shape:

GET /yacysearch.html?query=...&maximumRecords=...&resource=...&contentdom=...&Enter=...

What To Expect

Expect rendered search or content output: result lists, snippets, previews, redirects, widgets, or fragments. If output is empty, check whether the index contains matching documents before changing query syntax.

Related Pages

• CrawlStartSite.html
• ConfigBasic.html