How does a search engine work?

A search engine works by using a process called crawling and indexing to gather information from web pages. It starts by sending out automated programs called spiders or crawlers to visit and analyze web pages. These spiders follow links on web pages to discover new content and collect data about the pages they visit.

Once the spiders gather the information, it is stored in a database called an index. The index contains a copy of the web pages and their relevant information, such as keywords, titles, and links. This allows the search engine to quickly retrieve and display relevant results when a user enters a search query.

When a user enters a search query, the search engine uses algorithms to match the query with the indexed information. These algorithms consider various factors, such as the relevance of the content, the popularity of the web page, and the user's location and search history. The search engine then ranks the results based on these factors and presents them to the user in a list, usually starting with the most relevant ones.

Overall, a search engine works by crawling and indexing web pages, and then using algorithms to match and rank the indexed information to provide relevant search results to users.