qamer javedChina’s super-app economy is not disappearing. AI is adding a new layer to the way consumers search, compare brands and make decisions.
For years, international businesses have been told that Chinese consumers do not use websites in the same way as people in Britain, Europe or North America. That is broadly true, although the reality is more complicated than the usual claim that “China does not use websites”.
Chinese users visit websites for work, research, education and specialist tasks. What differs is where everyday online life takes place. In Britain, a consumer might move from Google to a company website, then to an online shop, email and a separate customer-service platform. In China, many of those functions sit inside a small number of large apps.
WeChat combines messaging, company content, payments, shopping, bookings, customer service and Mini Programs. Alipay brings together payments, transport, public services and retail. RedNote, known domestically as Xiaohongshu, combines recommendations, search, reviews and commerce. Douyin mixes short video, livestreaming and shopping.
This concentration of services is commonly described as the super-app model. It means Chinese consumers do not need to move constantly between independent websites because so much of the journey can take place inside platforms they already use every day.
Generative AI is now changing that behaviour, but it is not dismantling the super-app economy. Instead, tools such as Doubao, DeepSeek, Qwen, Yuanbao and Kimi are becoming another point of entry into it.
China had 1.125 billion internet users by the end of 2025, according to official figures, with 602 million people using generative AI services. Commercial data published in 2026 suggested that AI-native apps had already reached close to 500 million monthly active users.
The speed of adoption matters because AI changes the way users begin a search. Rather than typing several keywords and opening a list of pages, a consumer can ask for a recommendation, comparison or explanation in ordinary language.
A student might ask which British universities offer a particular course. A parent might compare boarding schools. A traveller might request a European itinerary. A consumer might ask for skincare, overseas property or logistics recommendations.
The AI assistant is becoming a new front door to the internet.
AI has revived the browser, but not the old web
The growth of AI has also brought some Chinese users back to desktop browsers. DeepSeek, Kimi and similar tools are widely used for programming, document analysis, translation, academic research and long-form writing. These tasks are often easier on a computer than on a mobile phone.
That does not mean China is returning to a website-centred internet.
The more accurate picture is a split between different kinds of activity. Mobile super apps remain central to communication, entertainment, shopping and everyday services. Browser-based AI tools are becoming more important for research and productivity.
For international brands, that distinction is important. A company website may not always be the first place a Chinese consumer visits, but it can still provide the clearest and most stable account of who the company is, what it offers and whether its claims can be trusted.
RedNote is now part social network, part search engine
RedNote shows how far China’s internet has moved beyond the conventional division between social media and search.
The platform began as a shopping guide but has developed into a major source of recommendations, reviews and consumer research. Users search for restaurants, skincare, travel, universities, schools, overseas property and professional services.
The results often feel very different from those of a traditional search engine. Instead of mainly returning company websites and media articles, RedNote offers personal experiences, creator posts, photographs, videos and comments.
That makes it particularly influential when consumers are deciding whether a product or service feels credible.
It also makes the platform easy for overseas companies to misunderstand.
RedNote places strict controls on contact details and attempts to move users outside the platform. Businesses cannot assume that they are free to place a telephone number, website, WeChat ID or QR code in ordinary posts, comments or private messages. Depending on the industry, an account may also require professional verification, supporting qualifications and approved advertising or lead-generation tools.
“RedNote is one of the first platforms we discuss with many clients, but it is also one of the most misunderstood,” said Ann Zhu, founder of Gogetop Marketing.
“An overseas company cannot simply copy an Instagram campaign, add a website or WeChat number and expect it to work. The correct route depends on the industry, the account, the qualifications and the advertising setup.”
That is particularly relevant to education, property, employment and financial services, where content can easily cross from general information into professional advice.
WeChat is becoming part of China’s information infrastructure
WeChat remains the clearest example of the super-app model. Its ecosystem includes messaging, Official Accounts, Video Accounts, Mini Programs, search, payments, commerce and business communication.
For companies, those functions can replace parts of a website, email newsletter, customer-service platform, booking system and online shop.
AI is expanding that role. Tencent reported that Weixin Search queries rose by more than 25% year on year in the first quarter of 2026, while use of Video Accounts also increased. Tencent is also developing Yuanbao and other AI functions across its wider ecosystem.
This means company information published through WeChat may increasingly be found through search and AI-assisted discovery, not only by existing followers.
There is no guarantee that a WeChat article will be quoted by Yuanbao or another AI service. But a business with little accurate public information in Chinese gives both consumers and search systems very little to work with.
“A WeChat account is no longer only a channel for sending updates,” Zhu said. “For many organisations, it is becoming part of the public information structure through which people understand the company.”
Why a website still matters
The dominance of super apps has encouraged some international companies to conclude that a Chinese-facing website is unnecessary.
That is a mistake.
A website remains one of the few digital assets a company controls directly. It can provide a consistent record of the company’s name, history, leadership, services, locations, credentials and contact details. It also gives journalists, partners, search engines and AI systems a reference point outside any one platform.
“In the AI era, a website is not only a place people visit,” Zhu said. “It is also a source that helps search engines and AI systems establish who the organisation is and whether its information can be verified.”
This is where generative engine optimisation, or GEO, comes in. The basic idea is to produce information that is clear, authoritative and structured well enough to be understood and potentially cited by AI-driven search tools.
But GEO is not a shortcut. Repeating keywords or publishing large volumes of generic content will not make a brand authoritative. Useful information still needs named expertise, evidence, accurate dates and transparent authorship.
Social platforms provide a different kind of value. A website explains what a company says about itself. RedNote, WeChat, Douyin and Video Accounts show how that company, its services and its products are discussed in everyday Chinese.
“If the website is the factual backbone, social media provides the context,” Zhu said. “International brands need both.”
A less linear customer journey
The path from discovery to purchase in China is becoming harder to map as a straight line.
A consumer may begin by asking Doubao, DeepSeek or Yuanbao for recommendations. They might then search RedNote for personal experiences, read a WeChat Official Account for formal information and watch a Douyin or WeChat Channels video before making contact.
For brands, that means websites, social platforms and AI search cannot be treated as separate projects.
The website should provide verifiable information. RedNote should support discovery and consumer research within the platform’s rules. WeChat should provide formal information and continued communication. Video platforms should be used where demonstrations, livestreaming or commerce are relevant.
The content does not need to be identical everywhere. The facts do.
Company names, services, credentials and claims should remain consistent whichever route the consumer takes.
China’s internet is not moving from apps back to websites. It is becoming more layered. AI assistants organise information, super apps provide services, social platforms shape trust, and websites provide a source that can be checked.
For international brands, the question is no longer whether to choose a website, RedNote, WeChat or AI search.
It is whether the company can be found, understood and verified across all of them.
About Gogetop Marketing
Gogetop Marketing is a London-based cross-border marketing and communications agency supporting organisations seeking to reach consumers in China and Chinese-speaking audiences internationally.
Its services include China market strategy, RedNote and WeChat marketing, Chinese-language content, KOL campaigns, public relations, SEO, GEO, AI-search visibility and cross-border brand communications.
For more information, visit www.gogetop.com.
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