Search engine

Ecosia

European search engine using revenue for climate action and combining several result providers.

Service publisher : Ecosia

Open the official service

What the documentation explains

Ecosia lists Bing, Google and EUSP with varying availability. Its help explains how to identify a result provider; the Ecosia name therefore does not imply one fixed index for every search.

Ecosia · Search result providers
Documentation consultation :
Readable reference

This consultation covers public documentation, not a service trial with an account. Features, modes and access conditions evolve; check those displayed when you conduct your research.

A focused research exercise

On a target query, open the result information and record the indicated provider. Compare URLs and content with another search, retaining the region and settings used.

The decisive check

Observe results actually shown for target queries separately from the environmental promise.

Observe and distinguish the results

  1. Write the exact query and record language, region, filters, date and settings affecting results.
  2. Separate organic links, ads, maps and summaries. Open the final URL and identify its author, date and supporting data.
  3. Compare another discovery route, then return to the primary document. Absence from one query does not necessarily mean absence from the index.

What to retain

  • Exact query or prompt; date, time and time zone.
  • Service, mode, model or bot if indicated; language, region and settings.
  • Final source URL; title, author, date and relevant passage.
  • Claim checked; supporting evidence, contradiction or lack of evidence.
  • Accessible scope and files; conditions needed to repeat the observation.

Method questions

Are two agreeing services two pieces of evidence?

Not when they trace back to the same document or reuse the same data. Count independent issuers and evidence, and retain the provenance chain.

Does a citation validate a fact?

The inspected passage must support the precise claim with the correct object, date and scope. A related page or topic mention is insufficient.

How can platforms be compared fairly?

Use the same question, recorded settings and several dated observations. Assess discovery, accuracy, provenance and usefulness separately; one example cannot rank a service.