Definition
Baidu Search is the web search service operated by Baidu, letting users find pages and other information through keyword queries at www.baidu.com. Baidu was incorporated on January 18, 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu, with the stated mission “用科技让复杂的世界更简单” (making the complex world simpler through technology). This entry covers the search service itself, not the corporate entity.
How it works
Web search is the core; Baidu’s official product page also lists related services: video, image and reverse-image search, maps, news, academic search and translation, plus content communities built around search such as Tieba, Zhidao, Baike and Wenku. For developers and generative applications, the official product page separately lists “百度搜索 API”, described as “专为生成式AI提供检索服务” (a retrieval service built for generative AI).
Usage
The primary use is everyday information retrieval — web pages, news, images and maps — while the community services cover asking questions, looking up encyclopedia entries and reading documents. Application developers can connect generative apps to search results through search APIs; integration details follow the official pages.
Related and confusable terms
“百度搜索” (Baidu Search) is the service; “百度” (Baidu) is the company and brand, which also runs many businesses unrelated to web search such as Netdisk and input methods. Also distinguish the consumer-facing Baidu Search from the developer-facing Baidu Search API, which is a retrieval service for generative AI.
Discussed on Next Token
In episode 007, in the chapter “搜索 API：给个人 Agent 补上中文信息” (Chinese transcript), 歸藏 said “搜索是一个非常大的市场，搜索还有现在百度还搁那挺着呢” (episode 007 transcript), counting Baidu among the players still standing in the search market; 杨攀 followed that “搜索跟智能本身其实就是一体”. These are offhand remarks by the participants, not an assessment of Baidu Search as a product or of its market position (full chapter).
Frequently asked questions
What is the official entry point for Baidu Search?
The main entry is www.baidu.com; mobile and vertical service entries are listed on the official product page.
What services does Baidu Search include?
The official product page lists web, video and image search, Baidu reverse image search, maps, news, academic search and translation, plus communities such as Tieba, Zhidao, Baike and Wenku.
Does Baidu offer a search API for AI?
Yes — the official product page lists “百度搜索 API”, described as a retrieval service built for generative AI. Interface and integration details follow the official page.