---
title: "SearchRequest"
description: "one metasearch query through the self-hosted SearXNG, fanned out across engines"
section: concepts
address: /concepts/searchrequest
contract: 0476e35e6e275db5
---

# SearchRequest

one metasearch query through the self-hosted SearXNG, fanned out across engines

[figure: SearchRequest is a value at none scope. The drawing shows its fields and the objects that they point at.]

| property | value |
|---|---|
| kind | value |
| scope | none |
| key | none |
| store | none |
| family | sources |



## Fields


| field | type | required | note |
|---|---|---|---|
| `query` | `text` | yes |  |
| `engines` | `[text]` | no | empty means the rows' default set |
| `categories` | `[text]` | no | general, news, science, social, code, images, videos, files, maps |
| `time_range` | [Window](/concepts/window) | no |  |
| `language` | `text` | no |  |
| `safe_search` | `one of off \| moderate \| strict` | yes |  |
| `count` | `count` | yes |  |
| `page` | `count` | yes |  |
| `as_identity` | `id` | no | a held identity, lent by a grant |
| `credit_cells` | `[id]` | no |  |



## Routes that use it
- [`/v1/ask/search`](/reference/ask/search) takes it as input