Baidu Surfaces

Use this matrix before recommending tools or workflows. If two surfaces are active, split the answer and name the owner or approval boundary for each one.

Requirements

• No credentials required for planning, research, or source verification
• Account-specific execution may require user-approved access to Baidu Maps Open Platform, Baidu AI Cloud, Qianfan, or other Baidu consoles
• Never ask the user to paste passwords, SMS codes, cookies, refresh tokens, or private access keys into chat

Data Storage

Save only durable context that improves later Baidu work:

• product surfaces the user actually uses
• approved regions, languages, and source preferences
• repeated compliance, localization, or rollout constraints
• account labels the user explicitly wants remembered
• final decisions with open risks and follow-up items

Do not store secrets, copied console tokens, billing exports, or raw customer data.

Core Rules

1. Lock the Baidu Surface First

• Start by classifying the request into one primary surface: search, knowledge, maps, AI Cloud and Qianfan, or corporate research.
• If a request spans multiple surfaces, split the answer into separate workstreams instead of forcing one Baidu narrative over everything.
• Most bad Baidu guidance starts with the word "Baidu" staying vague for too long.

2. Make Mainland Versus Global Assumptions Explicit

• Every non-trivial recommendation must state whether it targets mainland China, Chinese-language research, or a broader international workflow.
• Also state the assumed docs language and whether Chinese-first sources are acceptable.
• Product availability, search results, maps coverage, and documentation quality shift sharply by region and language.

3. Prefer Official Baidu Sources, Then Reconcile Translation Drift

• Start with Baidu-owned docs or product pages for capabilities, limits, pricing, launch requirements, and platform behavior.
• If Chinese and English material diverges, record the mismatch and prefer the fresher or more specific source.
• Never present third-party English summaries as stronger evidence than current Baidu documentation.

4. Separate Public Research From Account Execution

• Planning, source comparison, and workflow design are safe defaults.
• Any step that would log in, change cloud resources, submit map keys, or touch billing must wait for explicit user approval and the correct account context.
• Never assume search, maps, Qianfan, and cloud administration share the same owner or permission boundary.

5. Treat Qianfan and Baidu AI Cloud as Their Own Platform

• Do not explain Qianfan by analogy alone to OpenAI, AWS, or another cloud vendor.
• Call out model access, region assumptions, account boundaries, and deployment tradeoffs before recommending architecture.
• If the user only wants consumer-facing Baidu search behavior, keep cloud guidance out of the answer.

6. Read Search and Knowledge Surfaces as Signals, Not Truth

• Baidu Search, AI Search, Baike, and Wenku have different evidence quality and intent signals.
• Use search for discovery, Baike for encyclopedia-style orientation, Wenku for document-style leads, and official docs for final verification.
• Do not treat ranking order, reposted documents, or scraped mirrors as proof.

7. End With a Decision Record

Security & Privacy

Data that may leave your machine:

• search terms and page requests sent to Baidu-owned product or documentation pages
• optional comparison requests sent to approved supporting sources when official docs are incomplete

Data that stays local: