What we collect

We collect four kinds of data, and only what the service needs to run.

• Account data. You sign in with an email and password. We store your email address and a securely hashed version of your password; we never store your password in plain text.
• API data. When you call the API we store the query text or URL you send, the results we return, and request metadata: the API key used, timestamps, status, and latency.
• Technical data. Standard server logs, including IP address and user agent, kept to operate and secure the service.
• Usage analytics. We use a privacy-focused, cookieless analytics provider to measure site traffic (pages viewed, referrer, approximate region, browser and device type). It sets no cookies and builds no cross-site advertising profiles.

How we use it

• To run the service: authenticate you, serve search and contents requests, and return results.
• To meter usage, enforce rate limits, and bill prepaid credits.
• To operate, maintain, and improve our search index and result quality.
• To secure the service: detect abuse, debug failures, and prevent fraud.

Sharing

We do not sell your data. We share it only with service providers that run our infrastructure (hosting, database, authentication, payments, and analytics) under contracts that limit them to processing it on our behalf, and where the law requires it, such as a valid legal request.

Retention

We keep account data for as long as your account is open. Query and result data is retained to operate and improve the index. Server logs are kept on a rolling basis for security and debugging. When you delete your account we remove your account data; aggregated or de-identified data that no longer identifies you may be retained.

Security

Connections are encrypted in transit with TLS. API keys are stored only as hashes, never in plaintext, so a key cannot be recovered from our systems once issued. Access to production data is limited to what operating the service requires.

Your rights

You can access, correct, export, or delete your personal data. Email hello@damngoodsearch.com and we will respond within 30 days. Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under the GDPR or CCPA, including the right to object to or restrict processing.

Cookies

We use a single session cookie to keep you signed in. We do not use advertising or third-party tracking cookies.

International transfers

Our servers are in the United States. If you use the service from outside the US, your data is processed in the US under appropriate safeguards.

Children

The service is for developers and is not directed at anyone under 16. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

Changes

We may update this policy. We will change the date at the top, and for material changes we will give notice through the site or by email.

Contact

Questions about privacy go to hello@damngoodsearch.com.

The service

Damn Good Search is a web search API. It has two endpoints: search returns ranked results as JSON, and contents returns the cleaned text of a page. Both are billed per request.

Accounts and keys

You sign in with an email and password and create API keys in the dashboard. You are responsible for keeping your keys secret and for all activity under them. If a key is exposed, revoke it in the dashboard and create a new one. You must give accurate account information and be old enough to enter a contract.

Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Use the service to break the law or to infringe anyone's rights.
• Send queries or fetch URLs targeting illegal content, malware, or material that violates others' privacy or intellectual property.
• Resell or redistribute raw API responses as a competing search product.
• Probe, scrape, overload, or otherwise abuse the service, or work around rate limits or quotas.
• Share, sublicense, or transfer your API keys to a third party.

Pricing and billing

Search and contents each cost $1.50 per 1,000 requests. The service is prepaid: you buy a credit balance and each request draws against it at the per-request rate, with no minimum and no tiers. Calling both endpoints on one result costs $3 per 1,000. Credits do not expire. Fees are exclusive of taxes, which you are responsible for. A failed request is not counted or billed. Credit purchases are non-refundable except where the law requires otherwise.

Availability

We work to keep the service available but do not promise uninterrupted access. We may change, suspend, or discontinue features. We will give reasonable notice of material changes that affect paid usage.

Warranty disclaimer

The service is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that results are complete, accurate, or fit for any particular use. You are responsible for how you use the results.

Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent allowed by law, we are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, or for lost profits or data. Our total liability for any claim is limited to the amount you paid us in the three months before the claim arose.

Termination

You can close your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate access if you breach these terms or use the service in a way that harms it or other users. You can also reach us at hello@damngoodsearch.com to close your account.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. We will change the date at the top, and for material changes we will give notice through the site or by email. Continued use after a change means you accept the updated terms.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules.

Contact

Questions about these terms go to hello@damngoodsearch.com.

Prepaid credits

Damn Good Search is prepaid. You buy a credit balance in US dollars, and each search or contents request draws against it at $1.50 per 1,000 requests. Credits do not expire.

All sales are final

The service is metered and delivered on demand, so credit purchases are final and non-refundable once the payment completes. This applies to both used and unused credits, except where a mandatory consumer-protection law gives you a right we cannot waive. Nothing here limits those statutory rights.

Failed requests

A failed request is never billed. The credit it reserved is returned to your balance automatically, so there is nothing to refund.

Unauthorized or duplicate charges

If you see a charge you did not authorize or a clear duplicate, email hello@damngoodsearch.com and we will investigate. We may reverse a charge at our discretion; any reversal reduces your credit balance by the corresponding amount.

If we discontinue the service

If we permanently discontinue the service, we will refund the unused portion of your credit balance to your original payment method.

How refunds are issued

Any refund we do issue is returned to the original payment method through our payment processor. We do not issue cash or credit to a different account.

Contact

Questions about billing or refunds go to hello@damngoodsearch.com.