Ask.com and Jeeves Shut Down After 30 Years of Service

Mon, 04 May 2026 01:02:00 +0200

After almost 30 years, Ask.com, once a pioneer in search engines, has officially shut down, marking the end of an era for its famous mascot, Jeeves. The company, which began as Ask Jeeves in 1996, was designed to answer questions in natural language, mimicking the persona of a clever English butler. Despite its early success, Ask Jeeves struggled to maintain relevance against competitors like Google and Yahoo. After being bought by InterActiveCorp in 2005, it was rebranded as Ask.com and attempted to stay competitive by introducing features like hyperlocal search maps. However, it couldn't match the dominance of Google or newer platforms like Quora. The closure of Ask.com is part of a broader trend, as other once-popular services like AOL dial-up and AIM also fade into history. The death of Ask.com is a reminder of how quickly the internet evolves, and how even the most innovative platforms can become obsolete as technology progresses.