Split View — Transparency

How we classify domains

Last updated: June 2026

Split View shows the same search from two scales of the web — Mainstream on the left, Independent on the right. Neither column is "the truth." Neither is an endorsement. Both are the web. Here is exactly how a site ends up in each column.

Our rule is mechanical, not editorial. We classify by scale and ownership — never by viewpoint, politics, or whether we agree with a site.

What "Mainstream" means

A domain appears in the Mainstream column if it is on our published list of major platforms and outlets. The list is built from sites that share these traits:

Massive reach — among the most-visited domains on the internet
Corporate or institutional ownership — major media companies, big tech platforms, government health bodies
Large editorial or commercial operations — newsrooms, ad networks, global distribution

Examples: major newspapers and broadcasters, the big tech platforms, large commerce and entertainment sites, and official health institutions.

What "Independent" means

Everything else. That's the whole rule.

If a domain is not on the mainstream list, it appears in the Independent column — personal blogs, small publications, newsletters, niche communities, regional outlets, academic pages, and the long tail of the web that major-platform-first ranking usually buries.

Mainstream

On the published list of major platforms and outlets. Roughly 160 domains.

Independent

Every other domain on the web. No curation, no picking, no endorsement.

What we deliberately do NOT do

No hand-picked "alternative" list. We never select sites for the Independent column. Sites land there only by not being on the mainstream list. Appearing there is not a recommendation.
No viewpoint judgment. A site's politics, opinions, or controversies play no role in classification.
No personalization. The classification is identical for every user on Earth.
No paid placement. Neither column is for sale.

The honest limits of this approach

Mechanical classification means the Independent column contains the full range of the non-corporate web — brilliant primary sources, passionate hobbyists, and yes, sites with poor information. We do not filter the Independent column by quality, because doing so would require exactly the kind of editorial gatekeeping NeutralSpace exists to avoid. Read independently; think critically. That is the deal.

Disagree with a classification?

The mainstream domain list is published in our open-source backend repository on GitHub. If you believe a domain is misclassified — a corporate giant we missed, or a small site wrongly listed as mainstream — open an issue there and we will review it. Changes are made by humans and logged in the commit history for anyone to audit.