Ask.com, One of the Internets' Earliest Websites, Has Shut Down

After almost 30 years of operation, Ask Jeeves, the popular search engine and questions-and-answer platform, has officially closed its virtual doors. 

The Shutdown and Website Message 

The platform was founded in 1996 (launched on June 1, 1997) and was the precursor not only to AI chatbots like ChatGPT today, but even Google, which launched in 1998. 

In 2005, the company was acquired by the holding company IAC, but dropped the “Jeeves” portion of the name, making it just Ask.com. Then, in 2010, it focused more on questions and answers. 

“As IAC continues to sharpen its focus, we have decided 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,” the message reads on the now-defunct site. 

"To the millions who asked…

“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.

“Jeeves’ spirit endures,” it finishes.

Ask Jeeves Background

The concept was created and developed by Garrett Gruener and David Warten in Berkeley, California (USA). The mascot of the company, Jeeves, was named after the valet in P.G. Wodehouse’s fictional novels. He was one of the most recognizable characters on the early internet. 

Ask Jeeves was a massive part of the dot-com boom in the late 1990s, going public on the Nasdaq and raising $42 million in the process. It was the third-best stock debut at the time, going from $14 to over $80. That said, at the time, the company had only $800,000 in revenue while losing $4.26 million over the same period. 

However, when Google came onto the scene, it began to take over. Ask Jeeves acquired Teoma, a search technology firm, in 2001 to improve its ranking credibility. 

Based on the message, there’s no indication that Ask.com/Ask Jeeves will ever return.