Syndicated search

[HondaMan983]

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum.
Since upgrading toi a Mac Studio, I have been plagued by searches in Safari beginning with "syndicated search.... " and then a message that the site cannot be found. A number of questions:
1. What is this all about
2. Can it be turned off
3. Can anyone please help and I feel like throwing the computer away

 

[ferrarr]

What have you tied doing to troubleshoot this issue? Is this a brand new Mac Studio, or is it a new to you Mac Studio?

As far as:
1 I don't know have you tried a different browser?
2 Depends on what it is and how it got there.
3 We shall attempt to help, but we will ask a lot of questions, unless you provide more information.

Start with is this an M1, M2 or M3?
What macOS is installed/ Give the specific # version in System Settings -> General -> About?

More questions to come.

 

[MacInWin]

Also, what websit are you searching for? What is your default search engine in Safari?

 

[HondaMan983]

Also, what websit are you searching for? What is your default search engine in Safari?

Sorry for the delay but other things took priority. The computer is a new Mac Studio M4 Max running MS Sequoia 15.4. I have just done a search in Duck-duck go and obtained a link but when I try to open it I get the message (copy attached - A step-by-step guide to creating a bootable macOS Catalina installer - all I get is

"How to create a bootable installer for macOS Catalina"

and a message saying Safari can't find the server. The above is an example but it happens with multiple sites. Interestingly it does NOT happen on my old iMac

Any ideas?

 

[ferrarr]

See if this Apple Support article helps,

How to download and install macOS - Apple Support On that page there is also a link to create a bootable installer.

 

[MacInWin]

Sorry for the delay but other things took priority. The computer is a new Mac Studio M4 Max running MS Sequoia 15.4. I have just done a search in Duck-duck go and obtained a link but when I try to open it I get the message (copy attached - A step-by-step guide to creating a bootable macOS Catalina installer - all I get is

"How to create a bootable installer for macOS Catalina"

and a message saying Safari can't find the server. The above is an example but it happens with multiple sites. Interestingly it does NOT happen on my old iMac

Any ideas?

Both of those websites appear to be from google, not from DDG. Are you certain you did the searching in DDG?

 

[MacInWin]

ALso, have you set DDG as the default search engine in Safari? If not, and if you search using the URL bar in Safari, the default engine that Apple sets is Google, which may explain why you are getting back google results and not DDG.

 

[HondaMan983]

ALso, have you set DDG as the default search engine in Safari? If not, and if you search using the URL bar in Safari, the default engine that Apple sets is Google, which may explain why you are getting back google results and not DDG.

I have tried using various search engines. If I search - apple uk - and then click on the link I almost always get the syndicated search response

 

[MacInWin]

Ah, so you are not actually searching at DDG, but at Apple? If so, I think Apple uses Google to perform the search function of their site(s). Google is the default engine for Apple, after all. But what is it you are actually searching for? You gave examples of installers, but what is it you are looking to find?

 

[HondaMan983]

Ah, so you are not actually searching at DDG, but at Apple? If so, I think Apple uses Google to perform the search function of their site(s). Google is the default engine for Apple, after all. But what is it you are actually searching for? You gave examples of installers, but what is it you are looking to find?

Just to clarify what is happening: On my new Mac Studio running Sequoia 15.4 and using Safari Version 18.4 (20621.1.15.11.10) and Startpage as my HomePage, I search for Hobby Shops in Truro. This brings up a list of possibilities. When I select one from the list I get the Syndicated search message.

This does not happen with other browsers, e.g. DDK or Brave.

 

[Jimmysb]

Just to clarify what is happening: On my new Mac Studio running Sequoia 15.4 and using Safari Version 18.4 (20621.1.15.11.10) and Startpage as my HomePage, I search for Hobby Shops in Truro. This brings up a list of possibilities. When I select one from the list I get the Syndicated search message.

This does not happen with other browsers, e.g. DDK or Brave.

Not sure what this message actually is, as I use Safari until recently (a Brave convert) and have never seen it, please provide a screenshot.

 

[ferrarr]

Both of those websites appear to be from google, not from DDG. Are you certain you did the searching in DDG?

Why do you believe those websites are from google?

 

[ferrarr]

@HondaMan983, quit out of Safari, hold down shift before you click on Safari to open it. See if that helps. Make sure you properly Quit out of Safari, and don't just close the open window.

 

[HondaMan983]

Why do you believe those websites are from google?

DDG is set as my default search engine

 

[ferrarr]

DDG is set as my default search engine

I was asking Jake specifically why he believed they were results from Google? Thye didn't seem like that to me.

Did you try my suggestion above?

 

[MacInWin]

I think they are google results because in the link it implies so. Hover over the first of the two links in post #4 and you get this:
"https://syndicatedsearch.goog/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiQ3N..."

I think the"goog" is from google. I also note in the very long string a reference to "startpage," which the OP said is the homepage. I don't know "startpage" but I wonder if it is over-riding the default search engine if the OP starts the search while on startpage?

 

[ferrarr]

Ok, I see that now. When I clicked on both links, they didn't have anything to do with google, just MacPaw the developers of Clean My Mac.

I hope the OP uses my suggestion in post #13 as that should clear Safari. Maybe this will explain it better; Control which windows Safari reopens on Mac - Apple Support (IS).

 

[Rod]

This is the Start Page, essentially "Favourites";



As you can see, Home page is set as "Start Page".

 

[Rod]

HondaMan983 ensure you settings show DDK as your preferred Search Engine in Safari settings as below;

 

[MacInWin]

Well, I read that Startpage does searches, apparently anonymously for the user, but does go to Google, so if the search is entered from Startpage, which it seems to be from reading the URL details, then it will override the DDG setting.

So, if the OP doesn't want Googles searches, don't search from Startpage.