DuckDuckGo Settings Explained: A Simple Overview

DuckDuckGo's search settings live at duckduckgo.com/settings, split across four tabs: General, Appearance, Privacy and AI Features.

This page explains what each group of settings does, how the DuckDuckGo browser and extension settings differ from them, and how to keep your choices after cookies are cleared.

Accessing DuckDuckGo Settings

Search Settings belong to the DuckDuckGo website. They are separate from any setting inside your browser.

1. Open duckduckgo.com/settings in any browser.
2. Select the tab you need: General, Appearance, Privacy or AI Features.
3. Change the options you want.
4. Select Save and Exit at the bottom of the page.

The page reloads DuckDuckGo search with the new settings applied.

Desktop browser, mobile browser or extension: which settings screen you need

What you want to change	Open this	Why
Search results, region, Safe Search, appearance	duckduckgo.com/settings in a desktop browser	These belong to the search site, not to any browser
Fire Button behaviour, Fireproof Sites, Sync & Backup	Settings inside the DuckDuckGo browser	Browser features are not listed on the search settings page
Mobile browser tabs and app data	Settings inside the DuckDuckGo app on Android or iOS	Fire Tabs and app permissions are device-level controls
Tracker blocking and Global Privacy Control in Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Opera	The DuckDuckGo Search & Tracker Protection browser extension	The extension carries those protections, on by default
Which engine your address bar uses	Your own browser's search engine setting	No DuckDuckGo page can change another browser's default for you

Introduction to DuckDuckGo and Its Core Philosophy

The privacy design decides how settings are stored, which is why the settings page has no account and no sign-in.

Principle	What it means for your settings
No account	Search Settings are kept in non-personal browser cookies, not in a profile tied to you
Anonymous backup	Cloud Save stores a settings file under a key derived from your passphrase, and the passphrase never leaves the browser
No personal identifiers	Cloud Save and Sync & Backup store no usernames and no personally identifiable information
Optional AI	Every AI feature can be turned off or tuned down from the AI Features tab
Ads are a toggle	Advertisements on the General tab turns result ads off

Core DuckDuckGo Settings Explained

Setting group	Where it lives	What it controls
Search privacy and security settings	Privacy tab	Redirect, HTTPS, whether the address bar sends GET or POST, and video playback
Personalization and filtering options	General tab	Region, Display Language, Safe Search, Blocked Sites and Hide AI-Generated Images
Search customization and appearance	Appearance tab	Theme, text size, page width, placement, link and text fonts, and colours
Connection settings and proxy options	Not on this page	Search Settings documents no proxy option; connection privacy comes from the HTTPS setting, and a full proxy needs the separate DuckDuckGo VPN
Search engine default settings	Your browser's own settings	Each browser decides its default engine; DuckDuckGo publishes per-browser steps for Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Brave and Vivaldi

Set your region, Safe Search and suggestions on the General tab

1. Open duckduckgo.com/settings and stay on the General tab.
2. Set Region to the country whose results you want, or leave it on All regions.
3. Set Safe Search to Strict, Moderate or Off.
4. Turn Autocomplete Suggestions off to stop suggestions appearing under the search box.
5. Turn Instant Answers off if you do not want them opening automatically.
6. Select Save and Exit.

Append !safeoff to a query to drop Safe Search for that one search. Searches run from safe.duckduckgo.com are always strict.

Block sites and hide AI-generated images in your results

1. Run a search, then select the ••• icon next to a result from the site you want gone.
2. Select Block this site from all results.
3. Repeat for up to five domains; the list is managed under Blocked Sites in Search Settings.
4. Select Show all results at the top of the results page to see blocked sites again temporarily.
5. Select Hide blocked sites from results to put them back out of sight.
6. On the General tab, turn on Hide AI-Generated Images to filter known AI spam sites out of image results.

To exclude a domain from a single search without blocking it, add -site:example.com to the query.

Turn off Duck.ai and Search Assist

1. Open duckduckgo.com/settings and select the AI Features tab.
2. Turn off Duck.ai.
3. Set the Search Assist dropdown to Never.
4. Select Save and Exit to reload search with both disabled.
5. In the DuckDuckGo browser, also go to Settings > AI Features and turn off Duck.ai there.

Searching from noai.duckduckgo.com gives results with no Search Assist answers, no Duck.ai entry points and AI images filtered out.

Change the theme, fonts and layout on the Appearance tab

1. Open duckduckgo.com/settings and select the Appearance tab.
2. Choose a Theme: Default, Contrast, Retro, Dark or Terminal.
3. Set Size to Small, Medium, Large, Larger or Largest.
4. Set Width to Normal, Wide or Super wide, and Placement to Middle or Left.
5. Pick a Link font and a Text font from the list, such as Georgia or Verdana.
6. Select Save and Exit.

Header, URL, background, text and link colours accept a named colour or a hex code such as 395323.

Search Engine Default Settings: make DuckDuckGo the default in Microsoft Edge

DuckDuckGo publishes the same three-step route for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Brave, Vivaldi, Samsung Internet and UC Browser.

1. Open Microsoft Edge on your computer.
2. Open the browser menu (three dots) and select Settings.
3. Select Privacy, search, and services, then Address bar and search.
4. Set the default search engine for the address bar and new tabs to DuckDuckGo.

On Edge for Android, open the menu, select Settings, then under General tap Select search engine. On Edge for iOS, open the menu (three lines), then Settings > General > Select search engine.

Advanced Settings and Features

Custom search URL parameters set any option without touching the settings page. Add them after the query, as in https://duckduckgo.com/?q=search&kp=-1&kl=us-en.

Setting	Parameter	Values
Region	kl	us-en, uk-en, de-de, wt-wt for no region
Safe Search	kp	1 strict, -1 moderate, -2 off
Autocomplete	kac	1 on, -1 off
Theme	kae	d dark, c contrast, r retro, t terminal
Advertisements	k1	1 on, -1 off
Favicons	kf	1 favicons only, -1 off
Open results in a new window	kn	1 on, -1 off
Address bar method	kg	g for GET, p for POST
Instant Answers	kz	1 on, -1 off

A !bang is a search alias that runs your query on another site: !a bags lands on the Amazon results page. Over a thousand exist, and the region you set decides which national site a bang opens.

Select Show Bookmarklet and Settings Data to open the settings box holding your settings as one web address. Save that address as a bookmark or homepage and the settings travel with it.

Save your settings so cleared cookies do not wipe them

Deleting cookies resets Search Settings. Cloud Save stores only the settings you changed, under a passphrase.

1. Open duckduckgo.com/settings and scroll to Cloud Save.
2. Enter a passphrase, or take a suggestion of four or five random words at least 18 characters long.
3. Select Save Settings.
4. On another computer or browser, open the same page, enter that passphrase and select Load Settings.

The passphrase never leaves your browser, and DuckDuckGo cannot recover it. To change it, delete the stored data, then save again under the new passphrase.

In the DuckDuckGo browser, settings are backed up inside the browser and survive both cookie clearing and the Fire Button.

Mobile App Settings

The DuckDuckGo Private Browser is on Google Play for Android, and the browser also ships for iOS, Mac and Windows.

Setting in the app	What it does
Fire Button	Deletes cookies, website caches, favicons, open tabs, back-button history, visited URLs and site permissions, for every tab or just the current one
Fire Tabs	Browses in an isolated session; closing those tabs deletes their data and leaves regular tabs untouched
Fireproof Sites	Keeps first-party cookies for chosen sites so the Fire Button does not sign you out
Clear tabs and data on restart	Burns browsing data automatically every time the app starts
Sync & Backup	Pairs devices with a QR code or a typed alphanumeric code, with no email address and no charge
AI Features	Turns Duck.ai off and turns on Hide AI Images inside the app
Location access	On Android, long-press the app icon, tap the app info icon, then Permissions > Location

The Fire Button never deletes bookmarks, downloaded files or your DuckDuckGo Search settings.

Privacy Features Enabled via Settings

Feature	How it is turned on	What it does
Global Privacy Control	On by default in the DuckDuckGo browser and the browser extension	Signals sites a preference against selling or sharing your data, under CCPA and GDPR
HTTPS	Privacy tab	Keeps result links on the encrypted version of a site
Address bar POST	Privacy tab	Sends your query in the request body instead of in the URL
Network-wide Safe Search	An administrator maps duckduckgo.com to safe.duckduckgo.com	Forces strict Safe Search for everyone and disables the client controls
Anonymous settings storage	Automatic	Settings ride in non-personal cookies with no identifier attached
Search without AI	Use noai.duckduckgo.com	Drops Search Assist answers, Duck.ai prompts and AI-generated images

How to check your settings actually saved

1. Select Save and Exit and watch the results page reload.
2. Reopen duckduckgo.com/settings and confirm each option shows the value you set.
3. Select Show Bookmarklet and Settings Data; only the settings you changed appear in the address it shows.
4. Close the browser, reopen it and load the settings page again. Values still in place were stored in cookies successfully.
5. If they reverted, enter your Cloud Save passphrase and select Load Settings.

Tips for Optimizing DuckDuckGo Settings

Goal	Change this	Where
Keep settings after a cookie wipe	Cloud Save, or bookmark the settings address	Bottom of Search Settings
A quieter results page	Turn Advertisements, Page Break Lines and Homepage Privacy Tips off	General tab
Stop install and newsletter prompts	Turn off the reminder toggles under Install DuckDuckGo and Privacy Newsletters	General tab
Scan results from the keyboard	Leave Keyboard Shortcuts on, then use j, k, / and Enter	General tab
Results written for another country	Set Region, which also redirects !bangs to that country's site	General tab
No AI anywhere	Turn off Duck.ai and set Search Assist to Never	AI Features tab
Start clean	Reset All Search Settings	Bottom of Search Settings

Reset All Search Settings only touches DuckDuckGo. It is unrelated to resetting all settings in Windows 11, which is a system-wide operation.

Fix DuckDuckGo settings when they will not open or will not stick

"Why can't I find DuckDuckGo settings?"

The search settings are on the website, and readers usually look inside the browser's own settings instead.

1. Type duckduckgo.com/settings into the address bar and press Enter.
2. Use the General, Appearance, Privacy and AI Features tabs to find the option.
3. For Fire Button, Fireproof Sites or Sync & Backup, open Settings inside the DuckDuckGo browser instead.

The settings page will not open or shows nothing

The page depends on JavaScript. Some browsers are served the HTML or Lite results versions, which lack JavaScript features.

1. Allow JavaScript for duckduckgo.com in your browser or extension settings.
2. Load duckduckgo.com/settings directly rather than from a bookmark to html.duckduckgo.com or lite.duckduckgo.com.
3. If JavaScript must stay off, set options with URL parameters such as ?q=test&kp=-2&kl=us-en instead.

Settings reset every time the browser closes

Something is clearing cookies for duckduckgo.com, so the cookies holding the settings go with them.

1. Add an exception for duckduckgo.com in whatever clears your cookies.
2. Or save the settings with a Cloud Save passphrase and reload them when needed.
3. Or select Show Bookmarklet and Settings Data, then bookmark the address it shows and start searches from it.
4. Install the DuckDuckGo browser if you want settings stored outside cookies entirely.

Searches go to DuckDuckGo and you want them removed

An unofficial extension is redirecting searches, or DuckDuckGo is set as the browser default.

1. Open your browser's extensions page and remove any extension you did not install deliberately.
2. Follow Google's own instructions for removing extensions from Chrome.
3. Change the default engine back under Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Address bar and search in Edge, or the matching page in your browser.
4. Report an extension you believe is malicious to [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why can't I find DuckDuckGo settings?

Search settings are not inside your browser's settings. Open duckduckgo.com/settings directly, then use the General, Appearance, Privacy and AI Features tabs. Fire Button and Sync options live in the DuckDuckGo browser's own Settings screen instead.

Where is the DuckDuckGo settings page?

At duckduckgo.com/settings. It opens in any browser, needs no account, and ends with a Save and Exit button that reloads search with your changes applied.

Is there a DuckDuckGo settings login?

No. There are no usernames and no sign-in. Cloud Save uses a passphrase that never leaves your browser, and DuckDuckGo stores no personally identifiable information alongside your saved settings.

How do I change DuckDuckGo settings for Edge?

Search options still come from duckduckgo.com/settings. To make Edge use DuckDuckGo, open the menu, select Settings, then Privacy, search, and services, then Address bar and search.

How do I remove my DuckDuckGo settings?

Select Reset All Search Settings at the bottom of the settings page. If you used Cloud Save, delete the stored data first, because resetting the browser copy leaves the cloud copy in place.

Why do my DuckDuckGo settings disappear when I clear the cache?

Settings are stored in non-personal cookies for duckduckgo.com, so clearing cookies removes them. Add an exception for the domain, use Cloud Save, or use the DuckDuckGo browser, which backs settings up internally.

Are DuckDuckGo browser settings the same as the website settings?

No. The website settings control search results and appearance. The browser settings control tracker blocking, the Fire Button, Fireproof Sites, Sync & Backup and app permissions. Each is changed in its own place.

What are the recommended DuckDuckGo browser settings?

Leave Global Privacy Control and tracker blocking at their defaults, since both are already on. Add Fireproof Sites for accounts you stay signed in to, and turn on Sync & Backup so bookmarks survive a lost device.

Can I change DuckDuckGo settings without cookies?

Yes. Append URL parameters to the search address, as in ?q=search&kp=-1&kl=us-en. Save that address as a bookmark or homepage and every search started from it carries those settings.

How do I stop DuckDuckGo popup reminders to install the browser?

On the General tab, turn off the reminder toggle under Install DuckDuckGo. The matching toggle under Privacy Newsletters stops the sign-up prompts, and Homepage Privacy Tips removes the homepage messages.

Does the DuckDuckGo toolbar have its own settings?

DuckDuckGo publishes a browser extension called DuckDuckGo Search & Tracker Protection, not a toolbar. Any other toolbar claiming the name is unofficial, and DuckDuckGo asks that suspected malicious extensions be reported.

How do I change DuckDuckGo cache settings?

There is no cache setting in Search Settings. In the DuckDuckGo browser, the Fire Button clears website caches, cookies, favicons, tabs and site permissions, and Fireproof Sites keeps chosen sites out of that sweep.

Bottom line

Set Region, Safe Search and the AI Features tab first, then save the result with a Cloud Save passphrase. Those three cover the settings that change results the most, and Cloud Save is the only way a browser that clears cookies keeps them.