Web directories and Search engines are two very common words these days which are being used wrongfully in many places. Although being mistaken as the same thing sometimes, they are actually two entirely different search services available to the web community. In this article, the fundamental differences between web directories and search engines will be briefly explained.

Search engines have a number of indices set up by robots or crawlers whereas web directories build up their indices through manual (human) editors, not automated ones. Numerous search engines and directories contain both a human generated index and a computer generated index, and are usually referred to as hybrids. Web directories, on the other hand, use human editors to review sites that are submitted for appraisal. Web directories, unlike search engines, organize their database using a hierarchical tree-structure. Another common yet un-noticed difference is that a directory usually lists websites (the root directory of a homepage or site) whereas a search engine is most likely to list web pages (eg: individual pages of a Web site). DMOZ, Gimpsy are the best examples of web directories while Google, AltaVista are perceived as the leading search engines.

Web directories and search engines are very different in both technology and business practice. However, they both have the identical function of helping the end user locate a site of interest to them. While search engines use intricate algorithms to help the end user to find the desired answer, Web directories use a hierarchical tree-like structure to navigate the end user to the relevant information. Both are valid methods to search and both have their merits and demerits.

It is expected that one will now be able to discern between a web directory and a search engine after skimming through this article.