Google doesn't exist in China. Well, technically it does, but you've gotta jump through some serious hoops—like a VPN—just to check your Gmail. For the 1.1 billion people living in mainland China, the "Google of China" is a title that belongs to one giant, but the reality is way messier than a single search bar.
If you're asking what search engine do they use in China, the short answer is Baidu. But honestly? That answer is kinda outdated.
The digital landscape there has fractured. People aren't just "Googling" things anymore; they're searching inside apps that weren't even designed for search. It’s a world where social media, e-commerce, and AI have eaten the traditional web.
Baidu: The Reigning King (With a Few Gray Hairs)
Baidu is the big dog. It has been for decades. As of early 2026, it still commands over 50% of the total search market. If you want to find a local hospital, look up a government regulation, or find the lyrics to a pop song, you "Baidu it."
But here’s the thing: Baidu is struggling.
While it’s still the default, especially on mobile where it holds about 70% of the market share, its desktop presence is being eaten alive. Its search results are often criticized by locals for being too "ad-heavy." You’ll often find the first five or six results are sponsored content or links to Baidu's own properties like Baidu Baike (their version of Wikipedia) or Baidu Tieba (a massive forum).
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Why Baidu Still Wins (For Now)
- Linguistic Nuance: It understands Mandarin better than any Western engine. It handles slang, dialects, and the complex grammar of Simplified Chinese with a level of "cultural vibes" Google never mastered.
- The Ecosystem: Like Google, Baidu has everything—Maps, Cloud, and now ERNIE Bot, their massive AI play that has over 200 million users.
- Government Compliance: It plays by the rules. This means it stays accessible when others don't.
The Desktop Surprise: Why is Bing Popular?
This is the part that usually shocks people. Microsoft’s Bing is actually a huge player in China.
Wait, Bing?
Yep. On desktop computers, Bing often captures 30% to 40% of the market. There are two big reasons for this. First, it comes pre-installed on every Windows machine. Most office workers in Shanghai or Beijing just use what’s there.
Second, and more importantly, Bing is the "clean" alternative. It offers a way to search the global web (mostly) without the heavy ad-clutter of Baidu. For researchers, academics, and people looking for English-language information, Bing is the go-to. It’s the only major Western search engine that operates legally within the Great Firewall.
The Rise of "In-App" Search
The most important trend in 2026 isn't a search engine at all. It’s the "Super App."
In the West, we go to a browser. In China, you never leave the app you’re already in.
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1. WeChat (The Everything App)
Tencent’s WeChat is basically an operating system. People use the search bar inside WeChat to find news, "Mini Programs" (apps within the app), and articles. Since WeChat content isn't indexed by Baidu, you have to search inside WeChat to find it. It's a closed garden.
2. Douyin (The TikTok Search)
For Gen Z and younger millennials, Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) is the new search engine. Want to know how to cook spicy braised pork? You don't read a blog; you search Douyin. Want to see if a hotel is actually good? You look at the short-form video reviews. ByteDance has poured billions into making Douyin's search functionality fast and incredibly accurate.
3. Xiaohongshu (The "Little Red Book")
Think of this as a mix of Instagram and Pinterest, but with a hardcore search focus. It’s the ultimate "vibe check" engine. If someone wants to buy a new lipstick or plan a trip to Europe, they go here. The search results are highly aesthetic and driven by "KOCs" (Key Opinion Consumers)—basically regular people giving honest reviews.
The Specialized Players You've Never Heard Of
Beyond the giants, there are a few niche engines that keep the lights on for specific groups:
- Sogou: This one is owned by Tencent now. Its big claim to fame is the Sogou Pinyin keyboard. Almost everyone in China uses this keyboard to type, and it has a search bar built right into the typing interface. Talk about a "captive audience."
- Shenma: This is Alibaba’s mobile-only search engine. It’s usually bundled with the UC Browser. If you’re shopping on Taobao or Tmall, Shenma is often the engine working behind the scenes to help you find products.
- 360 Search (Haosou): Owned by a big cybersecurity firm. It’s the default for people who use the 360 Security Browser. It’s seen as the "secure" option, though its market share has been sliding for a while.
AI is Changing the Game (Fast)
We can't talk about what search engine they use in China without mentioning the AI pivot. 2025 and 2026 have been the years of "Generative Search."
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Baidu’s ERNIE Bot (Wenxin Yiyan) is now baked into the main search experience. Instead of a list of blue links, you often get a full, synthesized answer at the top. Alibaba has Tongyi Qianwen, and Tencent has its own models.
This shift is actually making the traditional search engine market share numbers a bit deceptive. If an AI gives you the answer directly, did you "search" or did you "chat"? In China, the line is gone.
Practical Insights: How to Exist on the Chinese Web
If you’re a business or a creator trying to be found in China, you can't just "do SEO" the way you do for Google. It's a different beast.
Localization is non-negotiable. Baidu won't even look at your site if it’s not in Simplified Chinese. Don't use Google Translate; it looks like a mess and the bots will flag it.
Host locally. If your site is hosted in Virginia, it will load at a snail's pace behind the Great Firewall. You need a server in mainland China or at least a CDN (Content Delivery Network) that has "near-China" nodes like Hong Kong or Singapore.
Get an ICP License. This is the "Internet Content Provider" license. Without it, you can't legally host a website in mainland China, and search engines will treat you with suspicion.
Forget JavaScript. This sounds like 1999 advice, but Baidu’s spiders aren't as smart as Google’s. They struggle with heavy JS frameworks. Keep your core content in plain HTML if you want it indexed.
Focus on "The Trinity." To truly "rank" in the eyes of a Chinese consumer, you need a presence in three places:
- Baidu (for authority/official info)
- WeChat (for trust and community)
- Douyin/Xiaohongshu (for discovery and hype)
The Chinese internet is a series of walled gardens. To be seen, you have to plant seeds in every single one of them. It's more work, sure, but with over a billion people searching every day, the scale is too big to ignore.
Your Next Steps:
Check your website's loading speed from inside China using a tool like ChinaZ or Boce. If it takes more than 3 seconds to load, no amount of SEO will save you on Baidu. Once that's fixed, register a Baidu Webmaster Tools account to see how the engine actually sees your content.