To find an AI assistant safely, begin at the provider's own product website, then follow its link to the web app or download page. A familiar model name in a search result does not identify the company operating that service. This guide helps you establish the entry point and account you actually want, including products with separate China and international interfaces.
Start with a provider and a product
Write down both names before searching: for example, DeepSeek the provider and its web assistant, or GitHub and Copilot. A third-party application can legitimately offer access to someone else's models, but its subscription, privacy terms, support, and usage balance belong to that third party. Decide whether you want the original service or an intermediary before creating an account.
Use our AI tools directory as a starting list, then check the linked domain yourself. For example, DeepSeek's official website links its consumer chat app, downloads, and separate developer platform. These are different entry points for different tasks, rather than interchangeable accounts.
Read the hostname before the headline
Inspect the address in the browser, especially after a redirect. An attractive logo and familiar page title are easy to reproduce. Read the full hostname rather than assuming that a brand name somewhere in the address proves ownership. A search advertisement, directory listing, or shared conversation is a discovery aid; it is not proof that the page is operated by the provider.
For a mobile app, follow the store link from the official website and compare the publisher information. For a desktop download, use the provider's own download page rather than a file attached to an unsolicited message. If the publisher or destination is unclear, return to the official site and look for the documented route.
Choose the appropriate regional interface
A company's country of origin does not tell you where an account can register or which features it receives. Our China and global labels organize providers; they do not promise regional availability. The current sign-in flow and the provider's supported-region information determine access.
Qwen and Qianwen have distinct official entry points: Qwen's chat app and Qianwen's China-facing site. Do not transfer a membership rule from one interface to the other without checking it. Likewise, an international landing page does not establish that every payment method or feature is supported in your country.
Keep consumer chat separate from developer access
For writing, learning, and conversations, start with the consumer app. For a program that sends requests automatically, look for the provider's developer platform and API documentation. Record which service owns your account and payment balance. A monthly assistant subscription is not evidence that an API account has credit.
Before paying, check the product name, billing interval, renewal rule, and currency on the actual checkout screen. If our directory says a price is unknown, that means the public evidence did not establish it. It does not mean the product is free or unavailable.
Save a small access note
Keep the official product URL, the app publisher, the account method you used, and the date you checked them. Bookmark the verified entry after signing in. If a link later changes, revisit the provider's main site instead of trusting a replacement sent by an unknown account.
You have completed this check when you can explain who operates the service, why its domain is official, which interface you opened, and which account terms apply. No shared password, reseller account, or copied login page is needed to complete the process.