What Is the Deep Web?
Spoiler: You’re already using it
Sep 1, 2026 | Share 
Technology
The deep web is the part of the internet that isn’t indexed by search engines like Google. This is distinct from the dark web, which requires specialized software to access and is characterized by a high degree of anonymity.
While it might sound mysterious or exciting to explore the shady corners of cyberspace where not even Google dares to tread, you probably do it every day. Responding to email, submitting an assignment for class, checking your bank account, and uploading a file for your boss all involve the use of the deep web.
Confused? Don’t worry. We’re going to break down the terminology to make sure you know exactly what people are talking about when it comes to discussions of the deep web, the dark web, and the surface web.
What exactly is non-indexed content?
Most of our interactions with the broader internet are mediated by a search engine. If you want to buy a pair of sneakers, you search for sneakers on Google. If you want to find a Korean restaurant in your area, you search for one on Google. If you want to learn about the 410 Rescript of Honorius … you get the picture.
In order for all these sites to show up in a web search, Google and other search engines are constantly scanning through the internet using web crawlers—programs that follow links from page to page across the internet and catalog or index them. Google then looks through this indexed list of information every time someone performs a web search.
While web crawlers can reach almost every publicly available page on the internet, there are plenty of places they can’t go. For example, if a page requires users to login, a web crawler won’t be able to access it. Likewise, sites that use tools like CAPTCHAs to prove that visitors are human can’t be crawled. Additionally, site administrators can tell crawlers to exclude certain pages using a file on their server called “robots.txt” that lists the rules for crawlers that visit the site. All these barriers prevent pages from being indexed, thus making them part of the deep web.
While the distinction between the deep web and the surface web might seem highly technical at first, it’s pretty intuitive if you think about it for a bit. If someone searched for you on Google, they might find your blog, your LinkedIn profile, or a photo you posted on Instagram. No one is going to find your checking account, the email you sent to your best friend, or the dinner date you just added to your calendar in a Google search.
Is your internet connection keeping up with your online activity?
Enter your zip code to see if there are faster options in your area.
Deep web vs. dark web
Despite having similar-sounding names, the deep web and the dark web are quite different. The dark web is technically part of the deep web, since it’s not easily crawled by search engines, but it incorporates an additional layer of anonymizing software to ensure that neither the client nor the server can be identified.
As internet researcher Robert Gehl notes in his book, Weaving the Dark Web, people often use the term “dark web” colloquially as a moral distinction to indicate “the bad part” of the web. The anonymous nature of the dark web does, of course, make it useful for those looking to commit crimes. This does not, however, mean that all the activities on the dark web are criminal, nor does it mean that no crimes are committed on the clear web.
The distinction between the dark web and the clear web, then, is whether or not you need specialized anonymizing software to access a site.
The deep web, by contrast, is fairly mundane. While it does include the dark web, most of the deep web can be accessed with a normal browser. People will occasionally misuse the name “deep web” in a pejorative sense as they do with “dark web,” but remember that the deep web is the part of the internet where your email, your online classes, and your medical information live. In fact, TrendMicro has estimated that 90% of all content on the internet exists in the deep web.
It’s also important to remember that although the deep web is hidden from search engines, it does not have the anonymity of the dark web. Information you put out on the deep web can be found and tied back to you through data leaks and law enforcement requests. Your data could also be sold to advertisers or data brokers, so make sure that you’re aware of the privacy settings and policies of the platforms and websites you use.
Author - Peter Christiansen
Peter Christiansen writes about telecom policy, communications infrastructure, satellite internet, and rural connectivity for HighSpeedInternet.com. Peter holds a PhD in communication from the University of Utah and has been working in tech for over 15 years as a computer programmer, game developer, filmmaker, and writer. His writing has been praised by outlets like Wired, Digital Humanities Now, and the New Statesman.
Editor - Jessica Brooksby
Jessica loves bringing her passion for the written word and her love of tech into one space at HighSpeedInternet.com. She works with the team’s writers to revise strong, user-focused content so every reader can find the tech that works for them. Jessica has a bachelor’s degree in English from Utah Valley University and seven years of creative and editorial experience. Outside of work, she spends her time gaming, reading, painting, and buying an excessive amount of Legend of Zelda merchandise.
Related Posts
