The engine is always running! Think of a search engine like a super-powered robot librarian for the internet. It uses a suite of software tools to browse and sort websites nonstop! Then, when you ask it to search for something, it references the information it has gathered to present to you (what it thinks are) the most relevant results.

Search engines keep an inventory of everything they can find on the internet (and they are searching almost continuously), then when you make a search, it references everything it has in catalog and gives you the results.

Search engines aren't quite to the point of being able to understand language the same way as people. So, often times, typing a search query in the form of a proper sentence is less relavent than making sure keywords are prioritized. Most search engines can utilize something called modifiers to help get more relevant results. For example, If you want to find a chocolate chip cookie recipe that doesn't use butter, you can use the "-" modifier to exclude all recipes that contain butter. That search might look something like this:

chocolate chip cookie recipe -butter

There are several different modifiers that can be used to help you find what you're looking for!

Having instant access to virtually all the information in recorded history dosen't come without risks. From objectionable/illegal material, to malware and privacy issues, using search engines without a little caution can get you into trouble. Here are some ways to avoid weird parts of the internet!