Directories are organized listings of web sites that are created manually by people.
A directory is similar to the telephone Yellow Pages. To become listed in a directory, a web site must be submitted to the directory's editors, who will decide whether to list the entry, and will then assign the entry to an appropriate category. Directories are more suitable for casual browsing, and when you know the category your topic is likely to be found under. Directories are also easier to use, since there is no need to learn the particular query format of a search engine. Yahoo and others also allow you to search for keywords in their own catalog, which can speed up your search of the directory.