Click the address bar (or press Ctrl+L to jump straight to it) and type either a web address or a search.

HTTPS-first

If you type a bare domain (like example.com) without specifying http://, Vodou loads it over HTTPS first.

Search vs. navigation

A bare word with no dot in it (like weather) is treated as a search; anything that looks like a domain or web address is treated as navigation. Vodou's Deceptive-site protection check only runs on an actual navigation.

Opening local files

You can also type a local file path — a Windows path like C:\Users\you\file.html, or a file:// URL — and Vodou opens it directly. A local page opened this way is sandboxed: it can't reach the network or read other files on your computer, and a web page can't link into your filesystem.

Choosing your search engine

By default, address-bar searches go to Vodou's local, private SearXNG instance. You can point searches at DuckDuckGo, Startpage, Brave, Google, or a custom search template instead — see Start page, startup page & search engine.