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What is a Search Engine?

A search engine is a database system designed to index internet addresses (URL's, usenet, ftp, image locations etc). The typical search engine contains a special program often called a spider (also sometimes called a "bot" or "crawler"). The spider is given a URL. It then finds the website and retrieves a copy of the file found there. Sometime later, it will process that copy of the file, distilling it down to the bare essential data it needs for its listing database. While most search engines request both a URL and an email address, the search engine decides what data end up in the database. In short, an automated process occurs which results in your site being included in the index of web sites.

What is a Directory?

A directory is basically a manual-entry database system. You, as the person submitting your URL, will supply the directory with all of the needed information during the submission process. At a minimum, this information includes the URL, title and a short summary of your web site. Rarely will the directory have any program capable of visiting your web site, although a few directories do have a simple spider capable of verifying that the URL you provided was valid. The most popular search directory, Yahoo!, uses real people to review and evaluate site submissions. These "judges" have the authority to rewrite or edit your descriptions, select the category or categories in which your site will be placed, and ultimately reject submissions which they feel have been submitted incorrectly.



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What's the Difference?

While both systems have elements in common -- such as the ability to search the database and use boolean expressions -- the primary distinction lies in how the they obtain their data. One does it automatically (a search engine) and the other does it manually (a directory).

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