View source for Infoseek

{{Short description|Search engine}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2025}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Infoseek
| logo = Infoseeklogo.png
| screenshot = 
| caption = A known logo
| url = {{URL|infoseek.com}}
| commercial = Mixed
| type = [[Search engine]]
| language = 
| registration = 
| programming_language = 
| successor = [[Go.com]]
| area_served = Worldwide
| owner = [[Disney Interactive]]
| launch_date = {{start date and age|1994|1|}}
| current_status = Closed as of 1999
| revenue = 
| alexa = 
}}

'''Infoseek''' (also known as the "'''big yellow'''"<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thehistoryofseo.com/The-Industry/Short_History_of_Early_Search_Engines.aspx|title=Short History of Early Search Engines – The History of SEO|website=www.thehistoryofseo.com|access-date=February 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190121213229/http://www.thehistoryofseo.com/The-Industry/Short_History_of_Early_Search_Engines.aspx|archive-date=January 21, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>) was an American internet [[search engine]] founded in 1994 by [[Steve Kirsch]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kirschfoundation.org/who/about.html|title=Kirsch Foundation About the Founders|website=www.kirschfoundation.org|access-date=March 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171102015638/http://www.kirschfoundation.org/who/about.html|archive-date=November 2, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Infoseek was originally operated by the '''Infoseek Corporation''', headquartered in [[Sunnyvale, California]].<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/19970702014416/http://info.infoseek.com/doc/contact.html Contacting Infoseek]." Infoseek. July 2, 1997. Retrieved on January 20, 2010.</ref> Infoseek was bought by [[The Walt Disney Company]] in 1999,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/1999/07/12/deals/disney/|title=Disney absorbs Infoseek – Jul. 12, 1999|website=money.cnn.com|access-date=March 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180308025022/http://money.cnn.com/1999/07/12/deals/disney/|archive-date=March 8, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and the technology was merged with that of the Disney-acquired [[Starwave]] to form the [[Go.com]] network.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.internethistorypodcast.com/2016/09/mike-slade-on-80s-microsoft-next-starwave-and-steve-jobs-return-to-apple/|title=Mike Slade on 80s Microsoft, NeXT, Starwave and Steve Jobs' Return to Apple|work=Internet History Podcast|access-date=March 11, 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606091705/http://www.internethistorypodcast.com/2016/09/mike-slade-on-80s-microsoft-next-starwave-and-steve-jobs-return-to-apple/|archive-date=June 6, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

==History==
Infoseek launched in January 1994 as a pay-for-use service.<ref name=":2" /> The service was dropped in August 1994 and Infoseek was relaunched as Infoseek search in February 1995.<ref name=":2" />

In 1995, Infoseek struck a deal with [[Netscape]] to become the default search engine on [[Netscape Navigator]].<ref name=":2" />

On June 11, 1996, Infoseek's [[initial public offering]] started trading on [[Nasdaq]] (under the name SEEK) at $12 per share.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/infoseek-hits-wall-street/|title=Infoseek hits Wall Street|website=CNET|access-date=January 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190122051037/https://www.cnet.com/news/infoseek-hits-wall-street/|archive-date=January 22, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

In coopertion with Aptex Software (then a division of HNC Software), Infoseek was the first search engine company to develop and launch [[behavioral targeting]], via its UltraMatch targeting algorithms. The developmental partnership with Aptex was announced in 1996<ref>{{Cite web |title=Press Release: HNC Software and Infoseek Partner |url=http://info.infoseek.com/doc/PressReleases/aptex.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970702015254/http://info.infoseek.com/doc/PressReleases/aptex.html |archive-date=1997-07-02 |access-date=2025-11-14 |website=info.infoseek.com}}</ref> and the technology was released the following year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Press Release: INFOSEEK LAUNCHES ULTRAMATCH; ADVANCED BEHAVIORAL  TARGETING OF INTERNET ADVERTISING |url=http://info.infoseek.com/doc/PressReleases/ads.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970702014506/http://info.infoseek.com/doc/PressReleases/ads.html |archive-date=1997-07-02 |access-date=2025-11-14 |website=info.infoseek.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1997-05-27 |title=Technology Briefs - WSJ |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB864683326703087000 |access-date=2025-11-14 |work=Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> UltraMatch utilized Aptex's SelectCast neural networking software.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aptex Software Inc. - SelectCast Whitepaper - Delivering on the ROI Promise |url=http://www.aptex.com/products-selectcast-whitepaper.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980509085911/http://www.aptex.com/products-selectcast-whitepaper.htm |archive-date=1998-05-09 |access-date=2025-11-14 |website=www.aptex.com}}</ref>

By September 1997, Infoseek had 7.3 million visitors per month.<ref name="source">{{Cite web|url=http://www.clubi.ie/webserch/engines/infoseek/history.htm|title=Infoseek – a history (from WebSerch)|date=May 1, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501140446/http://www.clubi.ie/webserch/engines/infoseek/history.htm|archive-date=May 1, 2009|access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref> It was the 7th most visited website that year (5th in 1996) and 10th in 1998.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://tech.co/news/top-20-popular-websites-1996-present-infographic-2014-12 |title=Infographic: Top 20 Most Popular Websites (1996–2013) |date=December 26, 2014 |access-date=January 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110014326/https://tech.co/news/top-20-popular-websites-1996-present-infographic-2014-12 |archive-date=January 10, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Infoseek acquired the [[WebChat Broadcasting System]] in April 1998.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-apr-15-fi-39335-story.html|title=Infoseek to Buy WebChat Broadcasting|agency=Reuters|date=April 15, 1998|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=November 28, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090911203913/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/apr/15/business/fi-39335|archive-date=September 11, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1998, Disney purchased a 43% stake of Infoseek, and incorporated the site into its various media businesses. Around the same time, Disney acquired the [[Starwave]] Corporation, which included ESPN.com and ABCNews.com.<ref name=":2" /> In 1999, Disney acquired the remaining Infoseek stock it didn't own. Disney bundled its Starwave properties and Infoseek and formed the GO.com portal.<ref name=":0" /> That year, Infoseek engineer [[Li Yanhong]] moved to Beijing, China and co-founded the search engine [[Baidu]].<ref name=":2" /> 

In February 2001, Disney decided to cancel the service and lay off all staff. Also in 2001, Bernt Wahl, Andy Bensky and 15 software engineers, all Infoseek employees, led a management buyout attempt from Disney but were ultimately rebuffed.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thehistoryofseo.com/The-Industry/Short_History_of_Early_Search_Engines.aspx|title=Short History of Early Search Engines – The History of SEO|website=www.thehistoryofseo.com|language=en|access-date=March 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323123112/http://www.thehistoryofseo.com/The-Industry/Short_History_of_Early_Search_Engines.aspx|archive-date=March 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Post-demise===
Infoseek's Ultraseek Server software technology, an enterprise search engine product, was sold in 2000 to [[Inktomi]].<ref name=":2" /> Under Inktomi, Ultraseek Server was renamed "Inktomi Enterprise Search". In December 2002 (prior to the [[Yahoo!]] acquisition of Inktomi), the Ultraseek product suite was sold to a competitor Verity Inc, who re-established the Ultraseek brand name and continued development of the product.

[[Rakuten]] agreed in November 2000 to acquire Infoseek Japan for $81&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB975606603552906144|title=Rakuten Agrees to Acquire Infoseek Japan for $81 Million|first=Nikkei Net|last=Interactive|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=December 2000 |access-date=January 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110014339/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB975606603552906144|archive-date=January 10, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

In December 2005, Verity was acquired by [[Autonomy Corporation|Autonomy PLC]]. Under Autonomy, Ultraseek ceased to be a stand-alone product and became a modular component under the IDOL platform. It continued to be developed and marketed as Autonomy's entry-level keyword-based site search offering until after [[Autonomy Corporation|Autonomy]] was acquired by [[Hewlett-Packard]] (HP) in October 2011.

==Domain name==
The "infoseek.com" [[domain name]] redirects to "go.com" and the Infoseek brand name is no longer used in North America.<ref name=":2" /> However, the Australian domain and the Japanese domain still operate with the Infoseek name.<ref name=":2" /> The Japanese domain name now operates as a web portal known as "Rakuten Infoseek".

==See also==
{{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area|Companies}}
*[[List of search engines]]
*[[List of assets owned by Disney]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.infoseek.com Infoseek] (Archive)
*[http://www.infoseek.com.au/ Infoseek Australia]
*[http://www.infoseek.co.jp/ Infoseek Japan]

{{Web search engines}}

{{Dot-com Bubble}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Defunct internet search engines]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 1994]]
[[Category:Internet properties disestablished in 2001]]
[[Category:Companies based in Sunnyvale, California]]
[[Category:Disney acquisitions]]
[[Category:Dot-com bubble]]
[[Category:1998 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:1994 establishments in California]]
[[Category:1996 initial public offerings]]