"Venus Onion Search Engine," or simply "Venus," is one of several dark web search engines designed to locate hidden onion services. While it is known that Venus search engine was launched in 2020, the exact date of when began operating remains unknown.
User interface
The user interface of the Venus search engine is very simple. You will find an input field for your search term and a search button right below it. At the top of the page, where the navigation bar is located, you can see hyperlinks leading back to the search page, a link to add your own onion services URL to the search results, a link for information regarding advertising banner ads on the homepage, and a link to the about us page.
Search results
Once you submit your search query, you will be directed to the search results page. Each results page of the Venus search engine contains up to 10 different links. It is worth noting that Venus is slow in deindexing some of the dead onion services, which means that some links might be deprecated and send you to 'dead' onion services.
Advetising on Venus search engine
Almost anyone can advertise their website on the Venus search engine. The monthly price is currently set at $50, but buying a 6-month advertising plan will give you a small discount - buy 5 months and get the 6th for free. Advertisers will receive a 468x60 pixel banner ad on the homepage, as well as 30 keywords of their choice in the top search results. It is worth noting that banner positions on the homepage of Venus are displayed randomly. All in all, it looks like a pretty good deal. However, the major inconvenience is that there is no automated system to submit an advertisement, and those wanting to advertise on Venus must contact the search engine administrators via email. Another downside is that only the cryptocurrency BTC (Bitcoin) is accepted.
Word of caution while using this dark web search engine
Such search engines are often a useful tool for discovering new dark web websites or communities. However, as anyone can submit their website to this search engine, you might come across scam or phishing pages. It is always a good idea to exercise common sense and verify PGP where possible. The advertisements on the home page should also be approached carefully. Good luck and happy searching.