Search Directories Search directories on the other hand are different from search engines. A search engine finds Web sites on their own, automatically, but a search directory depends on people who operate the site to submit Web sites manually. But that's not all, other people are then required to classify them, and then, you get to select from the listing. The only downfall for directories is that search engines find Web sites automatically that directories might not know about. Directories may also suffer from outdated or broken links, but usually more often turn up excellent and relevant helpful search results.
Most people think that it is a search engine because it's a major guide to the Web.
In reality, Yahoo is a directory that contains more than a million listings, categorized far more efficiently than a search engine could ever do.