It always surprises people when I tell them I use DuckDuckGo instead of Google Search. They assume I’m making a privacy statement. I’m not. It’s about control. And I want to note that this post is not an ad for DuckDuckGo (although after reading it whole, it seems like it), it just happens to be the search engine that better suits my needs.
Google is great at giving people exactly what they think they want. But that’s the problem. It thinks for you. If you keep clicking on certain types of results, it reinforces that pattern. It decides what’s important based on your past behavior, shaping your view of the web.
I don’t want that.
I want to choose how I search. And using DuckDuckGo makes me better at it.
The problem with personalized search
When you search on Google, you’re not really searching the internet. You’re searching your version of the internet.
Google personalizes results based on past searches, location, and browsing history. In theory, that should be helpful. And for most people it is. In practice, it creates a feedback loop where you only see content that reinforces your existing interests and biases.
It’s great for quick, convenient searches but terrible for expanding knowledge. For example:
- If you frequently search for a specific coding framework, Google will prioritize results about it over competing options—even if those alternatives are better suited for your needs.
- If you often click on a particular news site, you’ll see more articles from that site and fewer from others, even if a wider perspective would give you a better understanding.
Search becomes easier, but shallower. And if you’re in a field where information accuracy matters (like technical writing, research, or development) you don’t want the search engine deciding what’s important for you.
That’s why I turned to DuckDuckGo.
Why I use DuckDuckGo (and when I still use Google)
DuckDuckGo isn’t perfect. Its index isn’t as deep as Google’s. But here’s the thing: I don’t have to choose between them.
DuckDuckGo has bang shortcuts, which let me jump straight into Google (!g), Stack Overflow (!so), or even Wikipedia (!w) when I need them.
- Need a raw Google search? Just type
!g your search. - Want to search Google Images?
!gi query. - Searching Stack Overflow for an obscure DevTools issue?
!so error message. - Need a fast translation?
!gt where is the bathroom?
I’m not stuck in Google’s filter bubble, but I can access its power on demand. That’s real control.
And I know Chrome offers something similar (I work in the Google Chrome team), but I’ve grown used to my bang shortcuts and use it even without thinking. And somehow they seem more convenient and already integrated in the search engine.
The myth of AI replacing search skills
People assume AI will make search skills obsolete. Why bother learning advanced queries when you can just ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot to do the work for you?
But that’s exactly why search skills will matter more than ever.
When you search on Google, at least you see different sources. With AI, you don’t even get that. You get a single, synthesized answer, shaped by whatever biases exist in the model’s training data.
AI search removes friction, but it also removes transparency.
- If you don’t know how to search, you’ll trust AI blindly.
- If you do know how to search, you’ll question AI, cross-check sources, and bypass it when necessary.
AI is another layer between you and raw information. If you don’t know how to search manually, you’ll never know what’s missing.
Learning how to search properly
Most people don’t think about search. They type in a few keywords and hope for the best. But good search is a skill, and DuckDuckGo forces me to be better at it.
Instead of relying on Google’s personalization, I refine my queries manually. DuckDuckGo has its own powerful search operators that let me cut through the noise:
- Exact phrases →
"technical writing best practices" - Exclusion →
API documentation -swagger(removes Swagger-related results) - Filetype filtering →
API guidelines filetype:pdf(great for finding whitepapers) - Site-specific search →
site:developer.chrome.com DevTools API
These aren’t just tricks, they’re habits that make me a better researcher. The better I get at crafting precise searches, the less I need any search engine to think for me.
I am aware that some of this search operators are even better in Google Search, but I can use Google Search if I feel I need those. Versatility!
So, does search personalization make you weaker?
If you care about efficiency, personalization is great. It gets you results faster. And I reckon that 90% of people would probably want that over control.
But if you care about being a better researcher, a better technical writer, or just someone who understands the systems shaping what they see online, it’s a crutch.
DuckDuckGo makes me better at search because it forces me to be intentional. It makes me craft better queries. It makes me understand how information is retrieved. It forces me to question results instead of just trusting them.
That’s why I don’t rely on Google Search. Not because I don’t trust Google, but because I don’t want to outsource my thinking. I want to keep (at least a little bit) of control.
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