> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://wiki.darknetsearch.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Searching DarknetSearch

> Three ways to search dark-web and breach intelligence — broad, source-by-source, or live — and which to reach for.

Search is how you ask DarknetSearch a question *now*: give it a term — a domain, email, IP, brand, or query — and get back what's exposed. There are three ways to search, and they differ in **how wide they cast** and **whether they hit the index or the live web**.

<Info>
  Not sure where the exposure is yet? Start with a **quick search** — it fans your term across every source at once. Narrow to **expert** or **live** once you know what you're chasing.
</Info>

### Pick your approach

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Search across all data sources" icon="magnifying-glass" href="/api/guides/wide-search">
    **Broad, one call.** One term, fanned across every relevant indexed source, returned as a single merged result. The natural first move.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Search individual data sources" icon="bullseye" href="/api/guides/expert-search">
    **Deep, one source.** Pick one of 14 indexed sources — Telegram, credit cards, cloud storage, and more — each with its own filters and result shape.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Live search" icon="satellite-dish" href="/api/guides/live-search">
    **Real time, off-index.** Query hacker forums, Tor & I2P, pastes, and social media live, for exposures the index hasn't collected yet.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Which one fits

| You want to…                                                       | Use                                        |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ |
| See everything on a term fast, without choosing a source           | **Quick search** (across all sources)      |
| Dig into one source on its own terms, with source-specific filters | **Expert search** (individual data source) |
| Catch fresh exposure the index hasn't picked up yet                | **Live search**                            |

Every search returns findings you can then **[assess and report on](/api/guides/assess-overview)** or hand to **[monitoring](/api/guides/alerts)** to watch continuously.