Frequently Asked Questions

Fringe Index is an indexed archive of alternative media content covering topics like UFOs, UAPs, alternative history, high strangeness, consciousness, and the unexplained. We curate and index episodes from various podcasts and channels, making them searchable and discoverable.

Our search uses vector embeddings to understand the meaning behind your queries, not just keyword matching. You can search by concept or topic and find relevant episodes and PURSUE Files even if they do not contain your exact search terms. Your query is compared with the titles and AI summaries of each item; search does not look inside transcripts. Weak matches are dropped rather than shown.

We index content from a variety of alternative media podcasts and channels. Each source is carefully selected based on the relevance of their content to fringe topics. You can browse all indexed sources on the Sources page to see the full list of podcasts and channels in our archive.

Each new episode is collected from its RSS feed or YouTube channel. An AI model reads the episode description (or the video captions) and writes a short summary, key takeaways, topic tags, glossary terms and a Fringe Score. We then create vector embeddings of the title and summary to power search. Transcripts are shown only as the short excerpt on episode pages and are not used for search. The one exception is YouTube captions, which the AI model reads to write the summary.

The Fringe Score is a rating from 1 to 10, assigned by an AI model, of how unconventional an episode's subject matter is: 1-2 is mainstream science and history, 3-4 alternative but grounded, 5-6 conspiracy adjacent, 7-8 deep conspiracy, and 9-10 interdimensional or paranormal extremes. It is not a judgment of whether any claim is true. See the methodology for how it is produced and its limits.

The Glossary is a comprehensive directory of terms, concepts, people, places, and phenomena referenced across episodes in the archive. Each glossary entry includes a definition and links to related episodes, helping you explore topics in depth and discover connections between different pieces of content.

We regularly update the archive with new episodes from our indexed sources. The frequency depends on how often the original creators publish new content. Check the Recent Additions section on the homepage to see the latest indexed episodes.

Yes! We are always looking to expand our archive with quality alternative media content. If you know of a podcast or channel that would be a good fit for Fringe Index, please reach out through our Contact page with your suggestion.

No. Fringe Index is an archive and search platform. All original content belongs to the respective creators and podcast hosts. We index, transcribe, and summarize their work to make it more discoverable, but we do not create or claim ownership of the original content.

The best way to support creators is to visit their original platforms, subscribe to their channels, and support them through their preferred methods (Patreon, merchandise, etc.). Each source page includes links to the original website and RSS feed where available.