Getting started with I2P

This search engine is reachable in two places: this website, and the same service on the I2P network, where sites are called eepsites and their addresses end in .i2p. The steps below are free and work for any eepsite.

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Step 1: an I2P router

I2P needs a router running on your own machine before any .i2p address opens. The two usual choices are the Java I2P bundle and i2pd; both are free, and the bundle is the easier start.

  1. Open the I2P website and choose the download page.
  2. Pick the package for your system: the Java I2P bundle if you want the console and the bundled browser profile, or i2pd if you prefer a small daemon.
  3. Install it and start the router. The bundle adds a menu entry; i2pd runs as a service or from a terminal.
  4. Open the console at http://127.0.0.1:7657 and wait until a few tunnels are built; on a fresh install that takes a few minutes.
  5. Point your browser at the HTTP proxy on 127.0.0.1:4444, or use the browser profile the bundle ships, and .i2p addresses will load.

Download it from the I2P project itself. Packages from other sites, including ones that promise a "faster I2P", are regularly modified to spy on you. The only safe download is https://i2p.net/en/

Step 2: opening an eepsite

Once the proxy is set, paste a .i2p address into the address bar. There is no registration and no plugin.

A new router is slow for the first minutes, and an eepsite can be unreachable because its owner is offline. If an address does not load, give the tunnels time or try another eepsite before you assume your setup is wrong. We test the addresses we index, but an eepsite can disappear between two crawls.

Our own addresses

This site is reachable inside I2P and on the clearnet: the same search, the same results. The address for each network is in the footer of every page.

What I2P does, and what it does not do

I2P routes your traffic through other people running the same software, so the sites you visit do not see your IP address, and it is hard to block at the level of a network provider. It does not make you anonymous if you log in, give personal details or pay on a site, and it cannot protect a device that is already compromised. We do not store your searches and we do not ask who you are.

Most eepsites are run anonymously, so nobody can be held responsible when something goes wrong. Do not install software an eepsite offers you, do not give personal details, and do not pay anything you cannot afford to lose. If an eepsite or a search is about harming people, our moderation pages explain what we do and where help is.

If a search worries you or you need help, these pages say where to find it: Self-Help & Support, Help after sexual violence, Drug help & treatment.