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The Hidden Wiki – Verified Guide to the Onion – Dark Web

You’ve reached The Hidden Wiki. If you’re here seeking a simple and truthful guide to the onion web, then you’ve come to the right place.

For over ten years now, The Hidden Wiki has been one of the most searched names associated with Tor. Yet it has also become one of the most copied, misused and misunderstood. If you search today for “the hidden wiki” you will come across numerous websites using that name. A number of them are out of date. Others contain dead links. Some are phishing scams designed to steal passwords or cryptocurrency, and a great many still direct visitors to content that no one should ever send people to.

We created this website with the aim of being the exact opposite of all that.

This Hidden Wiki is a clean and thoughtfully selected directory and guide. Each onion link that we list is verified against an official source before it is included. We only feature legal services such as news organisations, search engines, privacy tools, secure email, whistleblowing platforms, libraries and other resources which exist to protect people’s privacy and their right to information. We do not include marketplaces, we do not list anything illegal, and we never will.

Alongside the directory, you’ll also find simple guides written in plain English explaining how Tor works, how to stay safe, how to recognise fake onion links and how to protect your privacy in general. Whether you are a journalist, a researcher, a person living under internet censorship or just curious to find out what the onion web really is, we hope that this will be the first page you can trust.

This page was last updated on 5 October 2026.

What is the Hidden Wiki?

The Hidden Wiki is a directory containing links to onion services, which are websites that are only accessible via the Tor network. You can think of it as a kind of signpost pointing to a section of the internet that ordinary search engines such as Google and Bing are unable to see.

Unlike bbc.co.uk or wikipedia.org, onion site names are not easy to remember and consist of long sequences of seemingly random letters and numbers ending with .onion. These addresses are produced from the cryptographic key specific to each site, and as a result they are very secure, though almost impossible to remember or guess. Most people would have no means of finding anything at all without a directory.

The Hidden Wiki was set up to fill that gap. At first, it functioned in much the same way as Wikipedia: it was a site edited by a community in which people added links, sorted them into categories and included brief descriptions. Eventually, the name became so firmly established that “the Hidden Wiki” came to be used as a term meaning any large list of onion links.

Today, when people talk about the Hidden Wiki, they usually mean one of three things:

  1. The original community wiki from the early days of Tor.
  2. The many copies and clones that still use the name.
  3. Curated directories such as this one, which keep the idea of a shared list of links while adding verification, moderation and safety advice.

A short history of the Hidden Wiki

The Hidden Wiki emerged in the middle of the 2000s, shortly after Tor made it possible for anybody to set up an anonymous website. Back then the onion web was small, slow and difficult to navigate. A shared wiki, open for anyone to edit, was both simple and practical, so it provided a good way of keeping track of the sites that existed.

The fact that it was open was at the same time its greatest strength and its most serious weakness. Since anyone was allowed to add a link, the wiki soon ended up containing listings for illegal services as well as legitimate ones. Very little moderation took place, there was no real verification and it was impossible to tell whether a link was genuine.

In 2013 the company which at that time hosted a large number of onion sites was taken down by the authorities, and as a result many services vanished overnight, including the best known edition of the Hidden Wiki. Rather than a single wiki reappearing, dozens did. People made copies, reconstructed the lists from memory or just used the famous name for their own sites. Some of these copies were made with good intentions. Others were set up expressly to swap real links for fake ones.

In 2021 a major change took place when the Tor Project retired the old 16 character version 2 onion addresses and switched to the longer and considerably more secure 56 character version 3 format. A large number of old Hidden Wiki links suddenly stopped working, and many outdated lists have still not caught up.

By 2026, there is no single authoritative Hidden Wiki, and there hasn’t been for a long time. In its place you find a large number of sites that use the name, each with very different standards. A few of them are careful, while many are not. This is why, in our opinion, it has become more necessary than ever to explain how this system works rather than simply giving people a list of links.

In order to understand the Hidden Wiki, it helps to understand the difference between onion links and ordinary web addresses.

When you go to a normal website, your browser contacts the domain name system to find out where it is and then connects directly to that server. Your internet service provider is able to see which site you’re visiting, and the website can see your IP address.

Tor operates differently. It forwards your connection via three volunteer run computers, known as relays, wrapping the connection in layers of encryption as it goes, just as an onion has layers. Since each relay only knows the one that comes before it and the one that comes after it, no single point in the chain knows both your identity and your destination.

Onion services go a step further by ensuring that both you and the website remain within the Tor network at all times, so that neither of you finds out the other’s actual location. The address is generated from the site’s cryptographic key, which has two important implications.

It’s impossible for anyone to hijack a real onion address. When you enter the precise and correct address, you will be connected to whoever holds that key. There is no central registry that can be hacked and no domain that can be stolen.

It’s not easy to check an address just by looking at it. Since a modern onion address consists of 56 characters, fake addresses that resemble real ones are a serious issue, and that’s why verified directories are important.

A genuine version 3 onion address looks like this one, which belongs to the privacy focused search engine DuckDuckGo:

duckduckgogg42xjoc72x3sjasowoarfbgcmvfimaftt6twagswzczad.onion

Look at the length, the combination of letters and numbers, and the fact that the letter d appears just before .onion. All valid version 3 addresses end that way, and they only ever use the letters a to z and the digits 2 to 7.

How to access the Hidden Wiki safely

You don’t need any technical skills to visit onion sites, but you do need to set things up correctly. This is the method we suggest.

1. Get Tor Browser from its official website

The most secure way of accessing onion services is Tor Browser, which is developed by the nonprofit Tor Project. The browser is free and available for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android. You should only download it from torproject.org or from the official app stores, since fake versions do spread, particularly in countries where the official app has been removed from local stores.

2. Keep it updated

Tor Browser is based on Firefox and receives regular security updates. When the browser tells you that an update is available, install it. Phishing pages are sometimes accompanied by exploits which only work on outdated software.

3. Connect, with a bridge if you need one

When you open Tor Browser, click Connect. If Tor is blocked in your area, the browser can help you connect via a bridge, which is a hidden access point that is more difficult for censors to detect. You can also request bridges directly from the Tor Project’s bridge page.

4. Select a reasonable security level

Under the shield icon you can select Standard, Safer or Safest. Safer is a suitable option for the majority of people browsing onion sites. Safest completely disables JavaScript, which causes some sites to stop working but at the same time stops many kinds of attack.

Begin with a verified directory such as this one or, if possible, obtain an organisation’s onion address directly from its official website. Several websites also advertise their onion version automatically: when you browse them in Tor Browser, a purple “.onion available” label shows up in the address bar. This is known as the Onion Location feature, and it is one of the safest ways of finding the correct address.

6. Bookmark what you’ve verified

After you’ve verified an address, save it as a bookmark and use that from then on. Most people end up on a fake site because they keep searching for the same link.

7. Keep your habits private

If you wish to remain anonymous while using Tor, don’t log in to your personal accounts. You should also avoid resizing the browser window to odd dimensions, avoid installing extra add ons and think twice before downloading any files. When you need a greater degree of protection, Tails is a free operating system which runs from a USB stick, routes all your activity through Tor and erases everything when you switch it off.

The following are some widely known and legitimate onion services, illustrating what the clean part of the onion web is like. Each of these is operated by an organisation that makes its onion address publicly available. Nevertheless, we always advise you to verify the address against the organisation’s own website before using it, and to check every character rather than just the beginning.

Service What it is Onion address Where to verify
DuckDuckGo Private search engine duckduckgogg42xjoc72x3sjasowoarfbgcmvfimaftt6twagswzczad.onion duckduckgo.com
Ahmia Search engine for onion sites that filters out abuse material juhanurmihxlp77nkq76byazcldy2hlmovfu2epvl5ankdibsot4csyd.onion ahmia.fi
BBC News Official mirror for readers in censored countries bbcnewsd73hkzno2ini43t4gblxvycyac5aw4gnv7t2rccijh7745uqd.onion bbc.co.uk
The New York Times Full news site over Tor nytimesn7cgmftshazwhfgzm37qxb44r64ytbb2dj3x62d2lnez7prd.onion nytimes.com
Proton Mail End to end encrypted email protonmailrmez3lotccipshtkleegetolb73fuirgj7r4o4vfu7ozyd.onion proton.me
Riseup Email and tools for activists vww6ybal4bd7szmgncyruucpgfkqahzddi37ktceo3ah7ngmcopnpyyd.onion riseup.net
Facebook Official mirror for blocked regions facebookwkhpilnemxj7asaniu7vnjjbiltxjqhye3mhbshg7kx5tfyd.onion facebook.com

You’ll see that some of these addresses begin with the organisation’s name. This is because the organisation created what’s known as a vanity address. While this is a helpful hint, it is by no means proof on its own, as fraudsters use the same method to produce fakes that begin in the same way.

These websites also have regular web versions. Using their onion addresses provides an additional degree of privacy, since your connection never leaves the Tor network and therefore there is no exit relay which could see or alter your traffic. It is also much more difficult for anyone watching your internet connection to block or monitor what you read.

The quality of a directory depends entirely on the care that goes into compiling it. Here’s what takes place before any link shows up on The Hidden Wiki.

We start with the official source. Each onion address we include must have been published by the organisation itself, on its own clearnet website, in an official announcement, via the Onion Location feature, or in a signed list. If we can’t trace an address back to its owner, it won’t be listed.

We compare the full address. Not just the first few characters, but all 56 of them.

We make sure the service is legal and safe. We include news sites, search tools, privacy tools, secure ways of communicating, whistleblowing platforms, libraries, educational resources and digital rights materials. We do not include marketplaces, gambling sites, hacking services, extremist content or anything that involves the exploitation of people. There are no exceptions to this.

We check that it works. Links are opened in the latest version of Tor Browser to make sure they load and behave as expected.

We carry out regular reviews. Since onion services tend to move, close down and change their addresses, we continuously check our listings and remove any that have gone offline or can no longer be verified. Each entry includes the date of the last check.

We never take payment for listings. It’s impossible for anyone to buy their way onto this page.

If you notice any broken links, an address that doesn’t match its official source, or anything that ought not to be included, please let us know. We always appreciate corrections.

How to spot a fake Hidden Wiki

The Hidden Wiki name is so well known that it is one of the most impersonated brands on Tor. Phishing clones copy the appearance of a popular directory before quietly replacing the genuine links with fake ones. The fake links take you to copies of real services, and whatever you type there, such as a password, a recovery phrase or a payment, goes directly to the scammer.

The warning signs that we most frequently see are as follows.

Old 16 character links. Version 2 onion addresses stopped working in 2021, so a “hidden wiki” that still lists them has not been updated for years, and its other links can’t be trusted either.

Addresses that only match at the beginning. Scammers use vanity address generators to produce fakes that start with the same letters as the genuine site, so make sure to check the middle and the end as well.

Impossible characters. Onion addresses never contain the digits 0, 1, 8 or 9. If you come across one of these digits, the address is either fake or has been mistyped.

No owner, no date and no policy. A reliable directory will tell you who is in charge of it, explain how the links are verified and state when they were last updated. A collection of links lacking that information should raise a warning signal.

Emergency mirror notices. Banners which say “the main address is down, use this new mirror” are a typical phishing trick.

Requests to download something. No directory requires you to install a plugin, an extension or an “updated Tor client”. Tor Browser is only available from the Tor Project.

Listings for illegal services. Not only are such listings harmful in themselves, but a directory that includes them is often operated by the same people who run fake versions of those services.

If you want a full walkthrough, see our guide on how to spot fake and phishing onion links.

In most countries, yes. Using Tor is allowed in the UK, the US, the EU, Canada, Australia and most of the world. Visiting a directory of links, reading the news via an onion mirror or sending encrypted email through Tor is no more illegal than doing so on the ordinary web.

What matters is the action you take, not the tool you use. It is illegal everywhere to buy illicit goods, access abuse material or commit fraud, whether such activities take place on the onion web or elsewhere, which is the reason this Hidden Wiki only includes legal services.

A small number of countries, such as China, Russia and Iran, actively block or restrict the use of Tor, and laws differ from one place to another. If you are uncertain what the rules are where you live, it is a good idea to check them before you begin. The information on this page is general in nature and not legal advice.

Is the Hidden Wiki safe?

Tor is a well tested, open source tool which is used every day by journalists, human rights organisations, researchers and millions of ordinary people. The dangers associated with the onion web come mainly from the sites you visit and the links you click on, not from Tor itself.

The greatest dangers facing new visitors are phishing websites, scam services, malicious downloads and unmoderated directories which lead to harmful content. You can stay safe from almost all of these by following a few simple rules.

  1. Use only Tor Browser downloaded from the official Tor Project website, and make sure it is kept up to date.
  2. Obtain onion addresses from official sources or a trusted directory, and then bookmark them.
  3. Do not enter your cryptocurrency recovery phrase, private key or personal password on a website you reached through a random link.
  4. Do not download and open files from websites you don’t trust, in particular documents, since these can connect to the internet outside of Tor when they are opened.
  5. Avoid anything illegal since, in addition to the obvious legal risks, that is where the most aggressive scams thrive.

Safety on the onion web has nothing to do with being a technical expert; it’s mainly a matter of patience and good habits.

What you’ll find in our directory

The Hidden Wiki is divided into clearly defined categories, so you can find what you’re looking for without having to go through hundreds of irrelevant links.

Search engines. Tools that allow information to be found privately, including onion search engines that index other onion sites and filter out harmful content.

News and journalism. Official onion mirrors operated by major news organisations, so that people in countries with strict censorship can still access independent reporting.

Email and messaging. Encrypted email providers and secure messengers which take privacy seriously, together with notes on what each one does and does not protect.

Whistleblowing. Secure submission systems that newsrooms and organisations use to receive tips and documents from sources without exposing them.

Privacy and security tools. Software, guides and projects which help people protect themselves online, from operating systems to password managers.

Libraries and education. Archives, reference materials and learning resources which are useful to researchers and students.

Digital rights. Organisations around the world that defend free expression, privacy and access to information.

All the categories follow the same rules: legal services only, verified addresses only, and regular checks to make sure the information stays up to date.

What’s new on Tor in 2026

The Tor network is constantly changing, and it’s necessary to keep up if you want to remain safe. Here is a summary of recent developments.

Tor Browser updates. Tor Browser 15.0.21 was released on 1 September 2026, and on 1 October an alpha version, 16.0a13, was made available with Firefox security updates and improvements to the way onion sites are handled. The Tor Project makes it clear that alpha versions are intended for testers, so most people should remain on the stable release.

Older Tor versions are being phased out. The Tor Project has asked all users to upgrade from version 0.4.8 to 0.4.9 by September 2026. If you run Tor outside the browser or use an application that includes it, make sure it is up to date.

Arti is still developing. Arti, the Tor Project’s version of Tor written in the Rust programming language, is no longer merely an experimental project. Arti 2.7.0 was released on 1 October 2026, as part of a long term initiative to make Tor safer and easier to maintain.

Stronger encryption for onion services. The Tor Project is introducing a new cryptographic protection called Counter Galois Onion to the network, covering onion services as well, to defend against certain types of attack.

Tails 7.14. Tails 7.14 was released on 30 September 2026.

Be careful about counterfeit apps. According to the Tor Project’s support report for July 2026, Orbot, the Tor app for Android, is no longer available on Google Play in India. Since fake apps tend to show up when an official one is removed from a store, you should always obtain the software from official sources.

These changes do nothing to eliminate phishing. While better encryption safeguards the connection to the address you enter, it cannot tell you whether you have typed the correct one. That responsibility remains with you, and with directories such as this one.

Guides from The Hidden Wiki

Links are only half of what we do. Our guides explain the ideas behind privacy in simple language, without jargon or frightening stories.

How to Spot Fake and Phishing Onion Links describes how onion phishing works, outlines the warning signs to watch out for, and provides a straightforward procedure for checking any address.

Encrypted Messaging Apps Compared examines Signal, Session, Briar, SimpleX Chat, Threema and Element, as well as where WhatsApp and Telegram stand, with all the information updated for 2026.

Metadata: The Privacy Leak Most People Ignore explains how information about your messages, photos and movements can reveal more than the messages themselves, and sets out what you can do about it.

We continually add new guides, including ones on the basics of Tor and Tails as well as browser fingerprinting and digital rights.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Hidden Wiki?

The Hidden Wiki is a directory of onion links, that is, addresses of websites which can only be accessed via the Tor network. It began as a wiki that was collectively edited during the early days of Tor, and today the name is used by a number of different sites, including this one, which is clean and verified.

Is The Hidden Wiki still working in 2026?

Websites using the Hidden Wiki name are still available in 2026, but there is no single, original version remaining. A number of the copies are out of date or unsafe. This particular site, however, is actively maintained, includes only legal services, and was last updated on 5 October 2026.

There is no single authentic version. The original Hidden Wiki vanished more than ten years ago, and anyone who says they are providing the one genuine official version ought to be regarded with caution. What you can rely on is a directory that is transparent about the way it checks links, keeps its listings up to date, and tells you where to verify each address yourself.

Do I need Tor to use the Hidden Wiki?

This guide will work on any web browser, but in order to open the onion links you will need Tor Browser or another Tor enabled app. Although a number of websites provide “gateways” which let you open onion sites in a standard browser, we do not recommend them, since the gateway sits in the middle and can therefore see or alter everything you do.

Can I access the Hidden Wiki from a phone?

Yes. On Android you can use the official Tor Browser for Android, and on iPhone and iPad the Tor Project recommends an app called Onion Browser. Download either app from the official app store page or from the developer’s own website.

Should I use a VPN with Tor?

Most people don’t need to. Tor already hides your IP address from the sites you visit. A VPN can hide the fact that you’re using Tor from your internet provider, but bridges built into Tor Browser do the same job and are usually the better choice. If you do use a VPN, pick a trustworthy one, because it can see all your traffic.

What’s the difference between the deep web and the dark web?

The deep web is simply anything search engines don’t index: your email inbox, your online banking, private company systems and so on. Most of the internet is deep web, and it’s completely ordinary. The dark web is a much smaller part that needs special software like Tor to reach. Onion sites are part of the dark web, and as this directory shows, a lot of it is perfectly legitimate.

Why don’t you list marketplaces?

The majority of them sell illegal goods, a great many of them are pure scams, and we do not want to lead anyone into harm. The purpose of this Hidden Wiki is to help people discover reliable and legal resources and to keep them safe. Listing marketplaces would go against both of those objectives.

How often is The Hidden Wiki updated?

We continuously check our listings and update this page whenever there is an important change, for example when a new version of Tor Browser is released, when a service changes its address or when a service closes. The date at the top of the page shows when it was last reviewed.

We welcome suggestions for legal and useful onion services. Please send us the address together with a link to the official place where the organisation publishes it. We will check the suggestion against our criteria before deciding whether or not to include it. We do not accept payment for entries.

A cleaner way to explore the onion web

The Hidden Wiki began with a simple idea: creating a shared map for a part of the internet which was difficult to navigate. Over time, however, that original idea was buried under clones, scams and links that ought never to be followed. We believe it is worth reclaiming.

The onion web hosts newsrooms which refuse to be censored, search engines which do not track you, email services which cannot read your messages and tools which enable people in difficult situations to speak freely. That is the side of it we would like to show you.

Take your time, verify every address, keep Tor Browser updated and bookmark what you trust. And whenever you’re unsure, come back here. We’ll keep doing the checking so you can browse with a little more confidence.