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Your own search engine
Hister is a private search engine for the pages you visit and the files you keep. It indexes their full contents so you can find information again from the web interface, terminal, or an AI assistant connected through MCP.
Try the demo · Download Hister · Read the quickstart · Documentation

Quickstart

Download the binary for your platform from the latest release, then rename it to hister (hister.exe on Windows).

On Linux or macOS, make it executable:
chmod +x hister

Start Hister on Linux or macOS:
./hister listen
On Windows, run .\hister.exe listen in PowerShell.
Keep this terminal open while using Hister. The server must be running to index pages and search them.

Open http://127.0.0.1:4433 and install the browser extension for Firefox or Chrome.

Visit a web page with the extension enabled, then return to Hister and search for a phrase from that page to find your first indexed result.

No configuration is required for a local personal setup. See the complete quickstart to choose what Hister indexes.
To search existing content, import browser history, index local directories, or import files.
Alternative installation methods include Homebrew (brew install hister), Docker, and Nix. See the installation guide for instructions.
Features

Privacy focused: No telemetry or mandatory cloud service. Run Hister locally or on infrastructure you control.
Full text indexing: Search the actual contents of visited pages and local files, not only titles and URLs.
Automatic browser indexing: Save newly visited pages with the Firefox or Chrome extension.
Powerful queries: Use field filters, phrases, wildcards, negation, aliases, and result priorities.
Optional semantic search: Find documents by meaning through an embeddings endpoint you configure.
Crawler and browser import: Index websites or bring in existing browser history.
Web, terminal, and MCP clients: Search from the browser, TUI, command line, or an AI assistant.
Multi user support: Keep each user's documents and search results separate on a shared server.

Privacy
By default, Hister has no telemetry and no cloud sync. The browser extension sends indexed page content only to the Hister server you configure, apart from downloading page favicons. The server stores documents and search indexes on that server.
Optional semantic search sends document text to the embeddings endpoint you choose. Review the privacy overview and semantic search configuration before enabling remote integrations.
Why Hister?
Unlike traditional search engines, Hister builds a personal search index from the web pages and files you choose to keep. Your content stays on your Hister server, making it useful for finding information you've already encountered without relying on a third-party search provider.
Development
Requirements are Go 1.26, npm, and a C compiler for CGO dependencies.
git clone https://github.com/asciimoo/hister.git
cd hister
./manage.sh build
To work on the web app with hot reload and automatic Go rebuilds:
npm run serve:app
This starts a Vite development server and the Go backend with automatic rebuilds through air.
Community and contributing
Join us on IRCNet in #hister or on Discord.
Read CONTRIBUTING.md before submitting a change. Bugs and suggestions belong in the issue tracker. For security reports, see SECURITY.md.
Sponsors

License
AGPLv3 or any later version
AboutYour own search enginehister.org/Topicsbrowser-historygogolanghistoryindexmcpmcp-serverpersonal-searchpersonal-search-engineprivacysearchsearch-enginesemantic-searchwebResourcesReadmeAGPL-3.0 licenseContributingContributingSecurity policySecurity policyActivityStars3.8k starsWatchers17 watchingForks182 forksReport repositoryReleasesSponsor this projectPackagesContributorsLanguages

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Hister is positioned as a private search engine designed to index the content of pages visited and files maintained by the user, offering an alternative to traditional, third-party search providers. The core functionality of Hister lies in its ability to perform full-text indexing of the actual contents of these documents, rather than relying solely on titles and URLs. This functionality allows users to retrieve information by searching through the content indexed from the web interface, a terminal, or through an integrated AI assistant connected via the MCP system.

The system emphasizes user control and privacy, operating on the principle that data remains local to the user's server. By default, Hister operates without telemetry or mandatory cloud synchronization, ensuring that indexed documents and search indexes reside entirely on the user-controlled infrastructure. This privacy stance is further reinforced by the optional nature of advanced features; for instance, semantic search, which finds documents based on meaning via an embeddings endpoint, requires explicit configuration and careful review of the privacy overview before enabling remote integrations.

The system supports robust indexing methods, including automatic browser indexing through extensions for Firefox or Chrome, allowing new pages to be saved automatically. Users possess powerful querying capabilities that extend beyond simple keyword searches, incorporating features such as field filters, wildcards, negation operators, aliases, and result priorities to facilitate highly specific information retrieval. Furthermore, Hister allows for data ingestion through crawler functionality or the import of existing browser history and local files, providing comprehensive means to build a personal index. The architecture is designed to support multi-user functionality, ensuring that each user maintains separate document collections and search results on a shared server.

From a development perspective, Hister is built using Go and requires specific development tools such as Go 1.26, npm, and a C compiler for CGO dependencies. The development workflow involves a backend implemented in Go, complemented by a frontend web application utilizing Vite for hot reloading and automatic Go rebuilds. The project structure includes files related to managing the server, configuration files like Docker settings, and necessary dependency files.

The distribution of Hister is flexible, offering various installation methods beyond the standard binary download, including alternatives like using Homebrew, Docker, or Nix. The system is actively maintained with community involvement spanning channels like IRCNet and Discord, with contributions managed through established guidelines concerning security and bug reporting. This dedication to an open-source approach is reflected in the project's license, which is AGPLv3 or a later version.