# Relay operator & onion services developer - Onion Search Engine
**URL:** https://forum.torproject.org/t/relay-operator-onion-services-developer-onion-search-engine/21307
**Category:** Relay Operator
**Created:** [March 5, 2026, 3:31pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/relay-operator-onion-services-developer-onion-search-engine/21307 "2026-03-05T15:31:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@onionsearchengine](https://forum.torproject.org/u/onionsearchengine)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 3:31pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/relay-operator-onion-services-developer-onion-search-engine/21307/1 "2026-03-05T15:31:43Z")
Hi everyone,
I’m the founder of Onion Search Engine ([onionsearchengine.com](http://onionsearchengine.com)), a search engine for .onion hidden services active since 2017, and Onion Mail ([onionmail.org](http://onionmail.org)), a free anonymous email service with native .onion access and automatic PGP encryption.
I currently operate 2 middle relays, 1 Guard relay and 1 bridge, all carrying the Stable flag, under the nicknames onionsearchengine01, onionsearchengine02 and onionsearchengine03 — verifiable on [metrics.torproject.org](http://metrics.torproject.org).
Our work is deeply tied to the Tor ecosystem:
- Onion Search Engine indexes .onion hidden services and provides a Threat Intelligence API for security researchers monitoring the dark web
- Onion Mail routes all traffic through Tor and offers a dedicated .onion address for users who need maximum anonymity
- Both services follow a strict no-logs policy and require no personal data to register
- We accept anonymous payments including Monero XMR
I’m here to connect with other relay operators, learn from the community, and contribute where I can. Happy to discuss onion service deployment, anonymous email infrastructure, or anything related to running privacy services at scale.
Looking forward to being part of this community.
— Onion Search Engine Team
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### Author:  [@ch1ffr3punk](https://forum.torproject.org/u/ch1ffr3punk)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/relay-operator-onion-services-developer-onion-search-engine/21307/2 "2026-03-05T18:03:06Z")
If I remember from the past your smtp onion relay does not accept connections from other MTAs, IIRC. Has that changed so that people using your service can send anonymous emails to registered users of your service?
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### Author:  [@onionsearchengine](https://forum.torproject.org/u/onionsearchengine)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2026, 7:10pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/relay-operator-onion-services-developer-onion-search-engine/21307/3 "2026-03-06T19:10:51Z")
Hi, over the past six months, we’ve revolutionized and rewritten many of our platforms, and we’re still implementing them. Specifically, for Onion Mail, I can tell you this: a user can create an account and set up an alias for the standard network, choosing from various domains we manage, not just @onionmail.org. They can also create an alias with our .onion domain.
To answer your specific question: yes, our SMTP relay — accepts inbound connections from external MTAs, both over the standard network and via our .onion address. This means external servers can deliver emails directly to our users, and our users can also connect from external clients to send mail. So a user can send and receive emails to other .onion domains, but can also send and receive emails from .com, .org, and other domains on the standard network.
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### Author:  [@ch1ffr3punk](https://forum.torproject.org/u/ch1ffr3punk)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2026, 7:28pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/relay-operator-onion-services-developer-onion-search-engine/21307/4 "2026-03-06T19:28:13Z")
Hi,
this sounds excellent and is much appreciated! Thank you!
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### Author:  [@monerobro](https://forum.torproject.org/u/monerobro)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2026, 11:04am UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/relay-operator-onion-services-developer-onion-search-engine/21307/5 "2026-03-10T11:04:15Z")
> - We accept anonymous payments including Monero XMR
Can you update the information in your FAQ page under “What payment
methods are accepted?”. Currently the answer doesn’t mention Monero
XMR.
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### Author:  [@onionsearchengine](https://forum.torproject.org/u/onionsearchengine)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2026, 3:09pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/relay-operator-onion-services-developer-onion-search-engine/21307/6 "2026-03-10T15:09:56Z")
Thanks for the report, we’ve updated the FAQ page and added Monero to the accepted cryptocurrencies.