What GuessTheSearch is
Every day we collect the search predictions that appear when you begin typing sentences like “why are Germans so”, “why do cats” or “will Dubai ever”. We turn the most-typed endings into five multiple-choice questions. You pick the one you think the world searches for most, see the real ranking straight after, and share a spoiler-free grid of your result.
The headline theme is Stereotypes — nationalities, generations, star signs, tribes and family roles — and there are seven more: countries, cities, companies, food and drink, animals, jobs and tech. You can play each against a different slice of time: last week, last month, last year or all time. There are live 1v1 duels, challenge links and private group leagues too, and none of it needs an account.
Why we built it
Search predictions are an accidental record of what people wonder about when they think no one is listening. They are funny, surprisingly specific and occasionally unfair. We think guessing them is a good way to notice how stereotypes work: how quickly a whole country becomes one adjective, how often a group searches about itself, how a “fact” everybody repeats turns out to be a question everybody asks.
We want people to laugh at the questions, not at the people they are about. That is why the answer set is filtered by hand and why we publish our editorial standards. It is also why we write the blog: articles on where stereotypes come from, how autocomplete actually works and what the data says about star signs, generations and nations.
How the game is made
- Real data only. Every correct answer is a real prediction we captured. Wrong options come from the same subject’s lower-ranked predictions or from other subjects — never from words we made up to sound plausible.
- Filtered by people. Predictions about race, skin colour, religion, party politics, sex, health, self-harm and borders are removed, along with slurs and name collisions. Stereotype captures are read in full before they go live.
- Anonymous first. You can play without signing up. Your streak and history live in your own browser. Read the privacy policy for the details.
- Independent. GuessTheSearch is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Google or any other search engine. We simply read the same public suggestions anyone sees when they type.
Who we are
GuessTheSearch is made by a small independent team of developers and writers based in Europe who like data, language and games you can finish in two minutes. We publish as The GuessTheSearch team rather than as individuals. The site is funded by advertising, which is how it stays free for everyone; ads are never placed inside a quiz round.
Get in touch
Found a prediction that should not be in the game, a factual error in an article or a bug? Email hello@guessthesearch.com or use the contact page. We read everything and usually reply within a few working days.