Documentation

Complete guide to using GovSearch for maximum privacy and security

🚀 Getting Started

Welcome to GovSearch, the most secure and private browser available. This documentation will guide you through installation, setup, and advanced usage to maximize your online privacy.

🎯 What Makes GovSearch Different?

  • Zero Data Collection: We don't track, log, or store any of your browsing data
  • Built-in Privacy Protection: Advanced tracker blocking and fingerprinting protection
  • Military-Grade Security: End-to-end encryption and secure DNS
  • Completely Free: No ads, no premium features, just pure privacy

System Requirements

🪟 Windows

  • Windows 10 (version 1903 or later)
  • Windows 11 (all versions)
  • 4 GB RAM minimum
  • 500 MB available disk space

🍎 macOS (Coming Soon)

  • macOS 10.15 Catalina or later
  • 4 GB RAM minimum
  • 500 MB available disk space
  • Intel or Apple Silicon processor

🐧 Linux (Coming Soon)

  • Ubuntu 18.04 LTS or later
  • Debian 10 or later
  • Fedora 32 or later
  • 4 GB RAM minimum

📥 Installation

Windows Installation

  1. Download GovSearch-Setup.exe from our official website
  2. Right-click the installer and select "Run as administrator"
  3. Follow the installation wizard prompts
  4. Choose your preferred installation directory (default recommended)
  5. Wait for the installation to complete
  6. Launch GovSearch from the desktop shortcut or Start menu

⚠️ Security Warning

Always download GovSearch from our official website only. Never download from third-party sources as they may contain malware or modified versions that compromise your privacy.

Installation Troubleshooting

Issue Solution
"Windows protected your PC" message Click "More info" then "Run anyway"
Installation fails Run as administrator and disable antivirus temporarily
Missing .NET Framework Install .NET Framework 4.7.2 or later from Microsoft

⚙️ First Setup

When you first launch GovSearch, you'll be guided through a quick setup process to configure your privacy preferences.

Welcome Screen

The welcome screen will ask you to choose your privacy level:

  • Maximum Privacy (Recommended): Blocks all trackers, ads, and analytics
  • Balanced: Blocks most trackers while maintaining site compatibility
  • Minimal: Basic tracking protection only

Default Search Engine

Choose your preferred search engine:

  • DuckDuckGo (Default): No tracking, unbiased results
  • Startpage: Google results without tracking
  • SearX: Open-source, decentralized search
  • Brave Search: Independent search index
Screenshot

🛡️ Features Guide

Privacy Protection Features

🚫 Ad & Tracker Blocker

Automatically blocks advertisements, tracking scripts, and analytics tools. Can be disabled for specific sites if needed.

🔒 HTTPS Everywhere

Automatically redirects to secure HTTPS versions of websites when available.

🕵️ Anti-Fingerprinting

Prevents websites from creating unique fingerprints of your browser and system.

🍪 Cookie Management

Automatically deletes tracking cookies while preserving essential login cookies.

Browsing Features

  • Private Tabs: Browse without saving history or cookies
  • Tab Management: Organize unlimited tabs efficiently
  • Quick Bookmarks: Save and organize your favorite sites
  • Download Manager: Secure file downloads with virus scanning
  • Password Manager: Securely store login credentials locally

🔐 Privacy Settings

Access privacy settings through Menu → Settings → Privacy & Security

Tracking Protection

  • Strict: Block all trackers (may break some sites)
  • Standard: Block known trackers and third-party cookies
  • Custom: Configure individual protection settings

Data Collection

GovSearch doesn't collect any data by default, but you can verify these settings:

  • Usage statistics: Always OFF
  • Crash reports: Always OFF
  • Telemetry: Always OFF
  • Location sharing: Blocked by default

🛡️ DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH)

Enable DNS-over-HTTPS for additional privacy. GovSearch supports:

  • Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) - Default
  • Quad9 (9.9.9.9)
  • OpenDNS
  • Custom DNS providers

🔍 Search Engines

Configure search engines in Settings → Search

Recommended Privacy-Focused Search Engines

Search Engine Privacy Level Results Source Special Features
DuckDuckGo Excellent Multiple sources !bang shortcuts, instant answers
Startpage Excellent Google (anonymized) Anonymous view, proxy
SearX Excellent Aggregated Open source, customizable
Brave Search Very Good Independent index Ad-free, fast results

Adding Custom Search Engines

  1. Go to Settings → Search → Manage Search Engines
  2. Click "Add" button
  3. Enter name, keyword, and URL template
  4. Use %s as the search term placeholder

📚 Bookmarks & History

Bookmark Management

  • Adding Bookmarks: Ctrl+D or click the star icon
  • Bookmark Bar: Show/hide with Ctrl+Shift+B
  • Organize: Create folders and organize by category
  • Import/Export: Backup or transfer bookmarks

History Settings

History is stored locally only and never synchronized:

  • View History: Ctrl+H
  • Clear History: Choose time range and data types
  • Private Browsing: No history saved automatically
  • Auto-Clear: Set automatic history clearing schedule

⚠️ Privacy Note

Even though history is stored locally, remember to regularly clear it if using a shared computer. Consider using private tabs for sensitive browsing.

🧩 Extensions

GovSearch supports privacy-focused browser extensions to enhance your browsing experience.

Built-in Extensions

  • Privacy Badger: Automatically blocks trackers
  • HTTPS Everywhere: Forces secure connections
  • ClearURLs: Removes tracking parameters from URLs
  • Decentraleyes: Protects against tracking via CDNs

Recommended Additional Extensions

uBlock Origin

Advanced ad and content blocker with extensive filter lists.

Install

NoScript

Blocks JavaScript, Flash, and other potentially harmful content.

Install

Privacy Possum

Monkey wrench for tracking by altering data sent to trackers.

Install

Extension Security

🔒 Extension Safety Tips

  • Only install extensions from trusted developers
  • Review permissions carefully before installing
  • Regularly audit your installed extensions
  • Remove extensions you no longer use

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues & Solutions

Website Not Loading Properly

  • Try disabling tracker blocking for the specific site
  • Clear cookies and cache for the problematic website
  • Disable extensions temporarily to identify conflicts
  • Check if the site requires JavaScript

Slow Performance

  • Close unused tabs to free up memory
  • Clear browsing data (cache, cookies, history)
  • Disable unnecessary extensions
  • Restart the browser
  • Check for system updates

Login Issues

  • Allow cookies for the login site
  • Disable private browsing mode
  • Clear cookies for the specific website
  • Check if third-party cookies are needed

Reset & Recovery

⚠️ Factory Reset

If you're experiencing persistent issues, you can reset GovSearch to default settings:

  1. Go to Settings → Advanced → Reset
  2. Choose "Reset to original defaults"
  3. Confirm the reset action
  4. Restart the browser

Warning: This will remove all bookmarks, history, and custom settings.

Getting Help

If you can't resolve an issue using this guide:

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Navigation Shortcuts

Action Windows/Linux macOS (Coming Soon)
New Tab Ctrl + T Cmd + T
New Private Tab Ctrl + Shift + N Cmd + Shift + N
Close Tab Ctrl + W Cmd + W
Reopen Closed Tab Ctrl + Shift + T Cmd + Shift + T
Switch Between Tabs Ctrl + Tab Cmd + Tab
Refresh Page F5 or Ctrl + R Cmd + R
Hard Refresh Ctrl + F5 Cmd + Shift + R

Bookmarks & History

Action Windows/Linux macOS (Coming Soon)
Add Bookmark Ctrl + D Cmd + D
Show Bookmarks Bar Ctrl + Shift + B Cmd + Shift + B
Show History Ctrl + H Cmd + H
Show Downloads Ctrl + J Cmd + J

Privacy & Security Shortcuts

Action Shortcut Description
Clear Browsing Data Ctrl + Shift + Delete Quick access to clear history, cookies, cache
Toggle Tracker Blocking Ctrl + Shift + P Enable/disable tracker blocking for current site
Privacy Dashboard Ctrl + Shift + D View blocked trackers and privacy stats

🔄 Updates

Automatic Updates

GovSearch automatically checks for and installs security updates in the background to ensure your browser stays secure.

🛡️ Update Security

  • Updates are downloaded over HTTPS
  • Digital signatures verify authenticity
  • No user data is transmitted during updates
  • Critical security patches install automatically

Manual Update Check

  1. Go to Menu → Help → About GovSearch
  2. The browser will check for updates automatically
  3. If an update is available, click "Update Now"
  4. Restart the browser when prompted

Update Types

  • Security Updates: Critical patches (automatic)
  • Feature Updates: New features and improvements
  • Stability Updates: Bug fixes and performance improvements
  • Filter Updates: Updated ad/tracker blocking lists

Release Channels

🟢 Stable (Recommended)

Thoroughly tested releases with proven stability.

🟡 Beta

Preview upcoming features with some risk of instability.

🔴 Nightly

Cutting-edge features for developers and testers only.

🔬 Advanced Settings

Network Configuration

Proxy Settings

Configure proxy settings for additional privacy:

  1. Go to Settings → Advanced → Network
  2. Choose proxy type (HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5)
  3. Enter proxy server details
  4. Test connection and save settings

DNS Configuration

Advanced DNS settings for maximum privacy:

  • DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH): Encrypt DNS queries
  • DNS-over-TLS (DoT): Alternative encryption method
  • Custom DNS: Use your preferred DNS provider
  • Local DNS: Use system DNS settings

Content Filtering

Custom Filter Lists

Add custom ad/tracker blocking lists:

  1. Go to Settings → Privacy → Content Blocking
  2. Click "Add Custom Filter List"
  3. Enter the filter list URL
  4. Enable the new filter list

Site-Specific Settings

Configure permissions for individual websites:

  • Camera and microphone access
  • Location sharing permissions
  • Notification settings
  • Cookie exceptions
  • JavaScript permissions

Developer Tools

Access developer tools with F12 or right-click → Inspect Element

  • Console: JavaScript debugging and logging
  • Network: Monitor network requests and responses
  • Security: Analyze site security and certificates
  • Privacy: View blocked trackers and privacy metrics

⚠️ Advanced Settings Warning

Modifying advanced settings may impact your privacy and security. Only change these settings if you understand the implications. When in doubt, keep the default settings.

Command Line Options

Launch GovSearch with additional privacy options:

# Maximum privacy mode
GovSearch.exe --max-privacy

# Disable JavaScript globally
GovSearch.exe --disable-javascript

# Use custom user agent
GovSearch.exe --user-agent="Custom Agent String"

# Enable additional logging
GovSearch.exe --enable-logging --log-level=1

Configuration Files

Advanced users can modify configuration files directly:

  • Windows: %APPDATA%\GovSearch\
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/GovSearch/
  • Linux: ~/.config/govsearch/

🔧 Power User Tips

  • Use multiple profiles for different privacy levels
  • Configure custom search engines for specialized searches
  • Set up automatic bookmark backups
  • Create custom keyboard shortcuts for frequently used features
  • Use portable mode for enhanced privacy on shared computers

Need More Help?

This documentation covers the most common use cases, but if you need additional assistance, don't hesitate to contact our support team.

Visit Support Center Email Support WhatsApp Support