Reference
Reference operated Ask.com, a consumer internet search engine and digital publisher owned by IAC Inc., serving general users seeking answers to questions and everyday useful content for 30 years until closure in May 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Reference does
Reference operated Ask.com (formerly Ask Jeeves), a consumer-facing internet search engine and digital publisher that answered questions and surfaced everyday useful content for general web users. Founded in 1996 and operated for approximately 30 years, the business was conducted through Ask Media Group LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IAC Inc. (NASDAQ: IAC), with operations cited in Oakland, California and corporate domicile at 555 West 18th Street, New York. The service served a horizontal segment of general consumer search users with no enterprise or vertical specialization.
The platform was architected as a browser-based search and content delivery system using cookies, pixel tags, beacons, and SDK tracking technologies. Core technical components included a Browser ID system assigning a unique identifier per browser per site, IP-based geolocation to deliver regionally relevant results and ads, and a cookie-based tracking infrastructure supporting both session and persistent cookies for cross-visit recognition. Distribution spanned direct web access, browser extensions, and mobile applications available on Google Play and Amazon Appstore, providing global reach.
Revenue was generated through advertising, including interest-based and retargeted display ads, third-party ad network placements, and promotional campaigns run by external marketing agencies. Top-of-funnel acquisition relied on paid social/display and retargeting networks, with social sharing features (e.g., Facebook Like/Share) embedded on the Sites. The privacy policy disclosed collection of IP addresses, Browser IDs, third-party cookie data, and mobile app identifiers, shared with vendors, agencies, and parent IAC. On May 1, 2026, IAC discontinued the search business and Ask.com officially ceased operations after three decades.
Reference firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Reference
- Legal name
- Ask Media Group LLC
- Website
- https://reference.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Reference operated Ask.com, a consumer internet search engine and digital publisher owned by IAC Inc., serving general users seeking answers to questions and everyday useful content for 30 years until closure in May 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Reference industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Web Search Engine
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (51929), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Search Engines (BPAMAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Vertical/Specialty Search (e.g., jobs, real estate, travel, products) (BPAMAAAD)
Keywords
Where Reference is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Reference business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Reference product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Reference.com was the domain for Ask.com, a web search engine and question-answering service operated by Ask Media Group LLC (a subsidiary of IAC Inc.). The platform allowed consumers to ask natural-language questions and receive answers drawn from web search results, complemented by browser extensions and mobile apps. After approximately 30 years of operation, IAC discontinued its search business and Ask.com officially closed on May 1, 2026.
Product overview
Reference.com was the domain for Ask.com, a search and question-answering service operated by Ask Media Group (a subsidiary of IAC). After 30 years of operation, IAC discontinued the search business, including Ask.com, with official closure on May 1, 2026. The service previously operated as a search engine where users could ask questions and receive answers. No active product offerings are currently available as the service has been fully shut down.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ask.com Search Engine Web search engine and question-answering service that allowed consumers to ask natural-language questions and receive answers drawn from web search results; included regional search result customization based on IP geolocation. Service officially closed on May 1, 2026.
- Ask Browser Extensions Browser extensions offered by Ask Media Group that created installation IDs tied to Browser IDs for tracking and extended functionality across browsing sessions.
- Ask Mobile Applications Mobile applications for Ask.com distributed through major app stores, with unique device identifiers tied to user accounts for search and content delivery on mobile.
Companies that use Reference
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Reference technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Reference partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves2 records
Reference competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Google Search: Google is the dominant global web search engine and the primary competitor that displaced Ask.com's market share. Both companies operated general-purpose consumer search engines with ad-supported monetization models.
- Microsoft Bing: Bing is Microsoft's web search engine, a direct competitor in the consumer search space. Both Bing and Ask.com operated within larger parent company portfolios (Microsoft and IAC respectively) and monetized through search advertising.
- Yahoo Search: Yahoo Search is another legacy web search engine that lost share to Google. Yahoo and Ask.com were both early-internet search brands that ultimately were operated within larger media conglomerates (Apollo/Oath and IAC respectively).
Direct peers
- DuckDuckGo: DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused web search engine competing for the same general consumer search audience. Both companies emphasized a differentiated search experience—Ask.com via Q&A and DuckDuckGo via privacy—against Google.
Emerging players
- Brave Search: Brave Search is an emerging privacy-focused search engine from the Brave browser team. It competes in the same consumer web search category as Ask.com once did, with similar alternative-search positioning.
- Ecosia: Ecosia is a niche consumer search engine differentiated by its environmental mission. Like Ask.com, it targets users seeking an alternative to Google and operates on ad-revenue economics.
Regional players
- Yandex Search: Yandex is Russia's leading search engine. Like Ask.com, it is a general-purpose consumer search engine with ad-supported monetization, though operating in a different geography.
- Baidu Search: Baidu is China's dominant search engine. It is comparable to Ask.com as a consumer web search engine with ad-based revenue, though serving primarily the Chinese market.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
Reference social profiles
Digital presenceReference financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Reference leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Reference funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Reference M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Reference
What does Reference do?
Reference.com was the domain for Ask.com, a web search engine and question-answering service operated by Ask Media Group LLC (a subsidiary of IAC Inc.). The platform allowed consumers to ask natural-language questions and receive answers drawn from web search results, complemented by browser extensions and mobile apps. After approximately 30 years of operation, IAC discontinued its search business and Ask.com officially closed on May 1, 2026.
Is Reference a public or private company?
Reference is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently closed.
When was Reference founded?
Reference was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Reference based?
Reference is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Reference's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Google Search, Microsoft Bing and Yahoo Search. DuckDuckGo is listed as a direct peer. Emerging players are Brave Search and Ecosia. Regional players are Yandex Search and Baidu Search.
Does Reference have an API?
No public API is recorded for Reference.
What industry is Reference in?
Reference's product category is Web Search Engine. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAAAB, Search Engines, with a secondary code of BPAMAAAD, Vertical/Specialty Search (e.g., jobs, real estate, travel, products). Its NAICS code is 519.