Ask.com shuts down search business after nearly 30 years

Ask.com, one of the internet’s earliest search engine competitors, has shut down its search business after nearly 30 years, marking the latest contraction in a market dominated by a handful of major players.

Parent company IAC said the move reflects a broader strategic shift away from legacy search operations.

“As IAC continues to sharpen its focus, we have made the decision to discontinue our search business, which includes Ask.com,” the company said in a notice posted on its website. “After 25 years of answering the world’s questions, Ask.com officially closed on May 1, 2026.”

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Ask.com has shut down its search business after nearly 30 years. (Getty Images)

The shutdown underscores how the once-crowded search industry has consolidated over time, leaving smaller or legacy platforms unable to compete at scale.

The Ask Jeeves home page is seen in 2005. (Adam Berry/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The message thanks users and employees and concludes: “Jeeves’ spirit endures.”

Ask.com was founded in 1996 and launched in 1997 as Ask Jeeves, featuring a butler mascot and a question-based search format that allowed users to enter queries in plain language.

IAC acquired the company in 2005, and it was rebranded as Ask.com in 2006 as part of an effort to broaden its appeal.

An image of the Ask.com website. (Newscast/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The company stopped developing its own search technology around 2010 and later pivoted toward a question-and-answer format as competition intensified.

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Its closure marks the end of one of the web’s early search brands and reflects broader consolidation trends across the technology and digital advertising sectors.