SoDu is a Chinese-language novel search engine that helps readers find links to novels and their latest chapters across online forums and book libraries. Its catalogue spans genres including fantasy, wuxia and cultivation, urban fiction, historical fiction, detective stories, online games, science fiction, horror, poetry and essays, and other categories. Readers can browse popular titles, recently updated books, new additions, author recommendations, and rankings based on clicks, total visits, or favorites.

The site promotes fast updates, an uncluttered reading experience, and pages without advertising or pop-up windows. Members can use a personal bookshelf to save novels and keep a record of previously viewed titles, making it easier to return to a book or continue reading. The website also offers account registration, login, mobile reading, and a Traditional Chinese interface option.

SoDu describes itself as a link-providing search service rather than a publisher: it directs users to novels hosted by forums and online libraries, and invites copyright holders to report links they believe infringe their rights