Does DuckDuckGo log IP addresses, search queries, or click-throughs on its servers?
Executive summary
DuckDuckGo’s published privacy policy says it does not save IP addresses or unique identifiers to disk and that search queries are stored only in an anonymous, disconnected form for improving search [1]. Independent guides and third‑party writeups repeat the “no logs” stance, while critical pieces note exceptions where third‑party services (ads, maps, external sites) can receive IPs when you click through [2] [3].
1. DuckDuckGo’s official claim: “we don’t log IPs or unique identifiers”
DuckDuckGo’s own privacy policy states directly that the company “doesn’t save your IP address or any unique identifiers alongside your searches or visits to our websites” and that it “never log[s] IP addresses or any unique identifiers to disk that could be tied back to you or to your search and browsing history” [1]. The policy also explains that some temporary information (used to deliver content and for bot/security checks) may be used transiently but is not retained in a way that ties back to users [1].
2. What DuckDuckGo says about search query handling
DuckDuckGo’s policy says it saves “anonymous search queries — completely disconnected from any unique identifiers like IP addresses — to improve our search indexes” [1]. Other explainers echo this: DuckDuckGo “keeps no logs of searches” and “no user‑identifiable data is stored” according to privacy guides that summarize the company’s stance [2]. That framing positions DuckDuckGo as separating query content from identifiers before any longer‑term storage.
3. Click‑throughs, ads and third parties: the common caveat
Critics and analyses highlight that while DuckDuckGo may not log IPs on its servers, click‑throughs to external sites or ad providers can expose your IP to those third parties. One critical piece notes that when users click ads or access map/shopping results, requests may be directed to third‑party servers where the user’s IP is logged [3]. DuckDuckGo itself warns that external websites’ privacy practices apply when you navigate away from its results [1]. Those are separate entities outside DuckDuckGo’s stated no‑log promise.
4. Security, temporary data and technical exceptions
DuckDuckGo’s policy acknowledges using certain connection information temporarily “to deliver content to you and, for security, to ensure you’re not a malicious bot” and asserts these are not saved in a way that links to search/browsing history [1]. Independent writeups summarize this as “no user‑identifiable data is stored, even temporarily,” though that language is a paraphrase of the company’s position rather than a verbatim policy line [2]. Available sources do not mention specific retention windows, exact ephemeral logs, or whether any non‑disk transient data could be subpoenaed while in memory.
5. Agreements with providers and potential tracking gaps
Third‑party partnerships matter: DuckDuckGo shows ads via partners and its results sometimes rely on external data providers; critics have pointed to past examples where Microsoft content or trackers interacted with DuckDuckGo’s ecosystem [3]. That creates a practical gap: even if DuckDuckGo does not log IPs, partner services involved in rendering results or serving ads may see and log IP addresses independently [3]. DuckDuckGo’s policy explicitly directs readers to external sites’ policies when those sites are visited [1].
6. Competing viewpoints and caveats in reporting
Most summaries and guides accept DuckDuckGo’s no‑logging claim at face value and praise its “zero‑logging” posture [2]. Critical coverage does not assert DuckDuckGo is dishonest about server logs; instead it emphasizes downstream exposures (ads, external content) and past technical issues on certain clients that could leave traces [3]. Available sources do not present forensic evidence that DuckDuckGo persists IPs or tied search logs on its production servers; they present policy statements and third‑party analysis [1] [2] [3].
7. Practical implications for users who want greater privacy
If you rely on DuckDuckGo to avoid server‑side logging, its published policy and multiple guides support that the company separates identifiers from queries and avoids writing IPs to disk [1] [2]. If you are concerned about IP exposure when clicking results or seeing ads, use additional protections (VPN, privacy defaults) because third‑party servers can and do receive IPs outside DuckDuckGo’s control [1] [3]. Available sources do not mention whether DuckDuckGo offers an auditable third‑party verification or public transparency report proving absolute absence of IP logs.
Summary conclusion: DuckDuckGo’s stated and widely reported position is that it does not log IP addresses or save unique identifiers tied to searches, and it stores search queries only in an anonymized, detached form for product improvement [1] [2]. The main, repeatedly cited exception is that click‑throughs and external content are handled by other servers that may log IPs, a limitation documented by critics and acknowledged by DuckDuckGo’s guidance to users [3] [1].