About MetaCrawler

MetaCrawler was developed in 1995 by Erik Selberg at the University of Washington as a metasearch engine. It gained popularity by aggregating search results from various engines like Yahoo!, AltaVista, and Lycos, giving users a broader view of search results from across the web. It was acquired by InfoSpace in 1997, marking the start of its commercial phase.

MetaCrawler does not maintain its own index of web pages but aggregates search results from multiple other engines. Its algorithms filter duplicate entries and present a unified list of search results from several sources. By pulling from different engines, MetaCrawler aimed to provide users with more comprehensive and diverse search results than any individual search engine could offer.

MetaCrawler continues to function as a metasearch engine, though its popularity has significantly waned since its peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It is still operational, providing aggregated results from other search engines, but it is considered more of a legacy tool in the modern search ecosystem. It no longer holds a significant share of the search market.

MetaCrawler Timeline

• 1995: MetaCrawler was created by Eric Selberg, a student at the University of Washington. Unlike traditional search engines, MetaCrawler was a metasearch engine that fetched results from multiple search engines, including Yahoo, Lycos, and AltaVista, combining them into a single list.
• 1997: MetaCrawler gained popularity as a convenient way to access the best results from multiple search engines. It was known for its simplicity and effectiveness in pulling together diverse search results, providing users with a more comprehensive view of the web.
• 1999: Go2Net, an internet network company, acquired MetaCrawler, aiming to enhance its suite of online tools and services. The acquisition helped MetaCrawler improve its capabilities and maintain a competitive edge during a rapidly evolving internet era.
• 2000: Infospace acquired Go2Net, including MetaCrawler, as part of a larger strategy to expand its portfolio of online properties. MetaCrawler continued to operate, but its brand and technology began to blend with other search tools under the Infospace umbrella.
• 2005: MetaCrawler remained a popular choice for users looking for a metasearch option, but it struggled to keep up with the rise of Google as the dominant search engine. Google’s advanced algorithms and vast index made many traditional and metasearch engines less relevant.
• 2010: As metasearch engines lost their appeal in the age of Google, Infospace redirected MetaCrawler’s focus towards niche audiences and specific search needs, but its user base dwindled significantly. By now, MetaCrawler was more of a legacy tool than a competitive player in the search market.
• 2014: MetaCrawler was rebranded as Zoo.com under Infospace’s restructuring efforts, effectively ending its identity as MetaCrawler. Zoo.com aimed to appeal to families with filtered search results, but it did not achieve significant traction.
• 2021: System1, a company focused on online advertising and search, acquired InfoSpace’s assets, including Zoo.com, further cementing MetaCrawler's status as a piece of internet history.
• Legacy: MetaCrawler is remembered as a pioneering metasearch engine, offering a unique way to access the early web. Its concept of aggregating search results from multiple engines influenced the development of future metasearch technologies, even though it couldn’t compete with the power and reach of Google.

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