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Both https://duckduckgo.com and https://start.duckduckgo.com present as the first page of the search engine. I configure my browser to pass search queries to either of them.
I learnt about the start. domain when I stepped through a tutorial/infobox on the regular domain that suggested something like "never see this again".
What is the difference if I use one domain rather than the other? (I'd prefer official documentation that clarifies the goal rather than (just) the implementation.)
The redirect from the regular start page states:
Clear your cookies often? Try our homepage that never shows these messages: start.duckduckgo.com
...this implies that the regular homepage sets a cookie to hide messages the next time you visit, while the "start" page just never displays them.
According to an official DDG support representative on the DDG forum, start.duckduckgo.com was introduced in 2016 as a "cleaner start page". You'll notice there are fewer UI elements, such as tips or links to add-ons, at the start.duckduckgo.com domain. The search experience is exactly the same, though.
