Openverse

Openverse
Website type
Search engine
Available inMultilingual
OwnerWordPress Foundation
Websiteopenverse.org Edit this at Wikidata
Current statusActive
Written inJavaScript, Python

Openverse is an open-source search engine for open content developed as part of the WordPress project.[non-primary source needed] It searches Creative Commons licensed and public domain content from dozens of different sources. The software is open-source and is licensed under the MIT License.

Openverse indexes over 700 million items as of 2023.[non-primary source needed]

History

After acquiring Flickr, Yahoo! launched a creative commons search engine in 2005.

Journalism.co.uk recommended CC Search in 2013 for journalists.

In February 2017, Creative Commons announced a new version of CC Search, an open-source search engine for open content, and released a beta version.[non-primary source needed] As of 2018, the search pulled from 13 different sources. A stable version of CC Search appeared in April 2019.[non-primary source needed]

In December 2020, after Creative Commons staff changes, CC Search and a few other projects no longer had the necessary staff capacity. Those services went into maintenance mode, with the services remaining available while development was suspended.[non-primary source needed]

In April–May 2021, Catherine Stihler (Creative Commons) and Matt Mullenweg (WordPress Foundation, Automattic Inc.) announced that CC Search joined the WordPress project. Automattic hired key members of the CC Search team and sponsors their contributions to the project as part of the Five for the Future initiative.[non-primary source needed] A new name was also introduced, Openverse.[non-primary source needed] Openverse is the successor to CC Search, and is developed from the same code base of CC Search. It aims to be a broader open content search engine, continue development work and expand features.[non-primary source needed] The WordPress Foundation owns the Openverse trademark and its other intellectual property rights.[non-primary source needed] In December 2020, the CC Search domain name was redirected to Openverse.[non-primary source needed]

In January 2022, Openverse launched a redesigned user interface and support for searching audio files.[non-primary source needed]

In February 2023, Openverse moved to the domain https://openverse.org and refreshed the user interface: adding a search history for recent searches.[non-primary source needed] In September 2023, Openverse won the OE Awards for Excellence in Open Infrastructure.[non-primary source needed]

Search engine sources

Openverse searches content from over 45 different media sources, including Wikimedia Commons, Europeana, and Flickr.[non-primary source needed]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Trademark Policy". WordPress Foundation. 2010-09-09. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  2. ↑ "About | Openverse". Retrieved 2023-09-16.
  3. ↑ "Make Openverse – Openverse is a search tool for CC-licensed and public domain content across the internet. – WordPress.org". Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  4. ↑ "Handbook – Make Openverse – WordPress.org". 11 May 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  5. 1 2 Roth, Emma (2022-08-22). "How to search for images you can (legally) use for free". The Verge. Retrieved 2026-05-11.
  6. 1 2 "Sources | Openverse". Retrieved 2023-09-16.
  7. ↑ "Openverse, WordPress Git repository". GitHub. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  8. ↑ "Post-iNaturalist Data Refresh Status – Make Openverse – WordPress.org". 21 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  9. ↑ Stokes, Jon (2005-03-24). "Yahoo returns to its roots with Flickr acquisition, CC search engine". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2026-05-11.
  10. ↑ Marshall, Sarah (2013-08-07). "20 search tips and tools for journalists". Journalism UK. Retrieved 2026-05-11.
  11. ↑ "Announcing the new CC Search, now in Beta". Creative Commons. 2017-02-07. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  12. 1 2 3 "History of Openverse – Make Openverse – WordPress.org". 11 May 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  13. ↑ Franklin, Jill (September 25, 2018). "WLinux Distro for Windows Subsystem for Linux Now Available, openSUSE Call for Hosts, New Firefox Bug, Firefox Collecting Telemetry Data and Creative Commons Releases Significant CC Search Update | Linux Journal". www.linuxjournal.com. Retrieved 2026-05-11.
  14. ↑ "CC Search is out of beta with 300M images and easier attribution". Creative Commons. 2019-04-30. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  15. ↑ "Upcoming Changes to the CC Open Source Community". Creative Commons. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  16. ↑ "CC Search to Join WordPress". Creative Commons. 2021-05-03. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  17. 1 2 "CC Search to join WordPress.org". Matt Mullenweg. 2021-04-27. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  18. ↑ "Creative Commons Search to Relaunch on WordPress.org". WP Tavern. 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  19. 1 2 "Welcome to Openverse". WordPress News. 2021-05-11. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  20. ↑ "Dear Users of CC Search, Welcome to Openverse". Creative Commons. 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  21. ↑ "Everything You Need to Know About Openverse and the WordPress Photo Directory – Make Openverse". 25 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  22. ↑ "Openverse.org is live – Make Openverse – WordPress.org". Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  23. ↑ "Openverse". OE Awards for Excellence. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  24. ↑ "openverse/catalog/dags/providers/provider_api_scripts at main · WordPress/openverse". GitHub. Retrieved 2023-09-16.