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Ask.com, one of the earliest attempts at conversational search engines, has shut down 30 years after its debut.
“Every great search must come to an end,” reads the headline on the now-defunct website. “As IAC [parent company] continues to sharpen its focus, we have made the decision to discontinue our search business, which includes Ask.com. After 25 years of answering the world's questions, Ask.com officially closed on May 1, 2026."
Ask.com was founded in 1996 as Ask Jeeves by Garrett Gruener and David Warthen in Berkeley. The website allowed users to post full questions, not just keywords, and receive answers in natural language. The website’s mascot was a butler named Jeeves, who later became the site’s identity.
In 2006, Ask.com was acquired by its current parent, InterActiveCorp. A year later, Jeeves was phased out, and the website was redesigned to appear like Google and Yahoo.
In 2010, Ask also tried generating its responses from a community of real humans, rather than algorithms. Still, it couldn’t withstand competition and gradually lost its relevance. With search now evolving further in the era of AI chatbots, Ask.com has officially joined AOL Dial-Up and Alta Vista in the digital graveyard.
“We are deeply grateful to the brilliant engineers, designers, and teams who built and supported Ask over the decades. And to you—the millions of users who turned to us for answers in a rapidly changing world—thank you for your endless curiosity, your loyalty, and your trust.” Ask.com now says on its website, adding: “Jeeves’ spirit endures.”