Search Result Providers

Search results and ads on Ecosia are provided by different search partners. This article explains where your results come from, how they’re ranked, and how you can adjust some settings that influence which provider’s results you see.

In this article:

Where do Ecosia search results come from?

Search results and related ads on Ecosia come from our partners Microsoft Bing, Google and EUSP (European Search Perspective). Which provider delivers your results depends on several factors, including:

  • Your location (country or region)
  • Your device type (desktop, mobile, app, browser)
  • The cookie and privacy permissions you’ve granted

In some countries or for some queries, your results may be powered mainly by Bing. In others, they may come from Google or EUSP. Over time, this mix can change as we improve our search stack and reduce dependency on a single provider.

To understand how ads themselves work, please see our separate article “Ads on Ecosia Search”.

All our search providers continually design and optimize their algorithms to provide the most comprehensive, relevant, and useful search results. To learn more about the privacy policies of each of our partners see:

While Bing results are available to all users, Google results are only available in specific regions and browsers, EUSP is currently only available in France. 

How can I see which search provider was used for my results?

You can see which search provider powered a specific search directly on the results page.

  1. Search on Ecosia as usual.
  2. On the results page, look for the three dots (…) or information icon next a search result link. 
  3. Click or tap it.
  4. A short message will tell you which provider (for example, Bing, Google, or EUSP) was used for that search.

A few things to keep in mind:

  • The provider may change between searches, even for the same user.
  • It can also change over time as we run tests or update our partnerships.
  • Ads can come from a different provider than the organic results on the page.

Which sources are used to enhance and enrich search results?

We’re always working to improve your search experience by adding helpful features and relevant information to your results. These features use data from specialised sources based on your search query. The availability of instant answers and features can vary depending on your location, device, and settings.

Here is the list of our current sources for instant answers and features:

  • Accuweather – for our weather feature
  • Banking on Climate Chaos – for our coal feature
  • BCorp – for our green leaf feature
  • Climate Accountability Institute – for our coal feature
  • Google Translate – for translations
  • Economy of Common Good – for our green leaf feature
  • Hilfswerft – for our green leaf feature
  • BNW – for our green leaf feature
  • The Global Coal Exit List by Urgewald – for our coal feature
  • The Guardian – for our coal feature
  • IPCC assessment – for our climate pledge feature
  • Mapbox – for maps
  • OpenAI – for our Ecosia chat feature
  • Omnio – for our sustainable travel feature
  • Open Exchange – for currency conversions
  • Oxford Languages – for our dictionary
  • Skyscanner – for our flights feature
  • Timeanddate – for the time feature
  • Tripadvisor – for restaurants, sightseeing and hotels
  • Multiple nonprofits – for our mental health feature

When possible, we show the source name next to the feature (for example, under a map, review box, or info panel), so you can see where the information comes from.

How are search results ranked by our partners (Bing, Google, EUSP)?

Ecosia does not manually reorder or override the organic results returned by our search partners. Each provider has its own ranking algorithms, which are complex and updated regularly.

Websites can advertise on Ecosia through Microsoft Advertising or Google AdSense for Search, but this has no impact on how organic (non‑paid) results are ranked.

Below is a high‑level overview of how our main partners rank results.

Microsoft Bing ranking

Below you will find an overview of the main parameters that Microsoft Bing uses to rank search results organically. The complex ranking system uses many criteria to deliver search results, and the relative importance of each of the parameters described below can vary from search to search and evolve over time.

Parameter Relevance for ranking
Relevance

Content is considered relevant when the content of the target page matches the intent behind the search query. This includes matching terms directly on the page, as well as terms used in links that point to the page.

Microsoft also considers semantic equivalents, including synonyms or abbreviations that may not be exact matches of the query terms, but are understood to have the same meaning.
Quality and credibility Websites are evaluated on the basis of various factors. These include the reputation of the author, the reputation of the web page, and the level of discourse (e.g. an article with citations and references to data sources is considered higher quality than one that does not explain cited data sources; Microsoft may downgrade content that contains name calling, offensive statements, or derogatory language), the completeness of the content, and the transparency of authorship.
Commitment of the users To determine user interaction, Bing asks questions such as: Did users click through to search results for a particular query, and if so, which results? Did users spend time on those search results they clicked through to, or did they quickly return to the search results page? Did users customize or rephrase the query?
Timeliness The search engine prefers up-to-date content. In many cases, content produced today will be relevant in years to come. In some cases, however, content produced today will quickly become outdated.
Location In the ranking results, Microsoft takes into account the location of users (country and city), where the page is hosted, as well as the language of the document or the location of other visitors to the page.
Page loading time Slow loading times can cause users to leave a website, possibly before the content has even loaded. Microsoft may consider this a poor user experience and an unsatisfactory search result.

The nature of the products or services offered on a website does not influence how Microsoft ranks results, unless the content is potentially offensive or harmful to users.

For example, pages with adult content are excluded in strict Safe Search mode. Pages promoting harmful content, such as the sale of potential harmful substances may be ranked lower.

Google ranking

Below you will find an overview of the main parameters that Google uses to rank content organically. 

Parameter Relevance for ranking
Meaning of query First step Google tries to understand what the query intent is. Therefore language models are being built to decipher how the relatively few words you enter into the search box match up to the most useful content available.
Relevance of content Next, Google analyzes the content to assess whether it contains information that might be relevant to what you are looking for. This is based on keywords, They use aggregated and anonymized interaction data to assess whether search results are relevant to queries
Quality After identifying relevant content, Google systems aim to prioritize those that seem most helpful. To do this, they identify signals that can help determine which content demonstrates expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.
Usability  Google also considers the usability of content. When all things are relatively equal, content that people will find more accessible may perform better.
Context Information such as your location, past Search history, and Search settings all help to ensure your results are what is most useful and relevant for you at that moment.

EUSP ranking (high‑level)

EUSP uses its own independent systems to rank results. In general, it focuses on:

  • Relevance to your query
  • Quality and reliability of sites, with a strong emphasis on user‑friendly and trustworthy content
  • Supporting European content and websites
  • Privacy‑friendly search practices and an independent index

Because EUSP is a separate search index, you may see differences in the ordering and types of results compared with Bing or Google.

What is EUSP and how does it provide results on Ecosia?

EUSP (European Search Perspective) is a search index built by Ecosia and Qwant, based in Paris. The goal is to:

  • Build search engine infrastructure in Europe
  • Contribute to digital sovereignty within Europe
  • Provide a strong, independent alternative to existing technologies
  • Align with privacy‑friendly and environmentally conscious practices

When your Ecosia search is powered by EUSP:

  • Your query is sent to the EUSP search index.
  • EUSP returns web results.
  • Ecosia displays those results on our search page, together with our own features (such as instant answers or the tree counter).

For more details about EUSP, visit the EUSP website.

On Ecosia EUSP is only available in France. We’re aiming to make it available to more countries soon.

Can I change my search provider or market in Ecosia?

You can influence which results you see by adjusting your market (region) or, where available, your search provider preference in your Ecosia Search Settings.

Please bear in mind that Ecosia may still use other providers due to availability. You can check the source of a result by clicking on the 3 dots beside the result.

How do ads relate to search providers and rankings?

Ecosia shows ads because they generate the income we use to fund tree‑planting and climate projects.

  • Ads on Ecosia can be provided by Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads) and Google AdSense for Search. 
  • Ads appear in dedicated ad slots, which are clearly labelled as “Ad” (Microsoft)  or “Sponsored” (Google).
  • Ads do not affect how our partners rank organic search results. Paid listings do not improve a site’s position in the normal list of results.

For a full explanation of:

  • Where ads come from
  • How they are labelled and placed

Please see our dedicated article “Ads on Ecosia Search” on the Ecosia Help Center.

How can I request removal of specific content or ads?

If you’d like to request the removal of:

  • Specific search results or content that appear on Ecosia, or
  • Specific ads you find inappropriate or harmful,

please follow the process explained in our separate guide on the Ecosia Help Center: Content and ad removal requests.

That article explains:

  • When Ecosia can take action directly
  • When you may need to contact the website or underlying provider
  • What information you should include for us to review your request
Did this answer your question? Thanks for the feedback There was a problem submitting your feedback. Please try again later.