CNET provides product reviews and prices, software downloads, and tech news. The editor in chief is Scott Ard.

CNET has four main content sections: Reviews, News, Download.com, and CNET TV. The Reviews section of the site is the largest part of the site, and generates over 4,300 product and software reviews per year. The Reviews section also features Editors’ Choice Awards, which recognize products that are particularly innovative and of the highest quality.

With a catalog of more than 400,000 titles, the Downloads section of the website - which allows users to download popular software - is also extremely popular, generating approximately 3.5 million downloads per day.[citation needed]

CNET News was launched in 1996, and was one of the first news sources to help define technology reporting in the age of the internet. CNET News has won several prestigious awards, including the National Magazine award.

CNET TV is home to a number of popular CNET programs and shows, such as Buzz Report, Loaded, Prizefight, Apple Byte, and CNET Car Tech.

CNET also creates some popular podcasts, such as Buzz Out Loud.

In 1994, with the help from Fox co-founder Kevin Wendle and former Disney creative associate Dan Baker, CNET produced four pilot television programs about computers, technology, and the Internet. CNET TV was composed of CNET Central, The Web, and The New Edge.CNET Central was created first and aired in syndication in the United States on the USA Network. Later, it began airing on USA's sister network Sci Fi Channel along with The Web and The New Edge. These were later followed by TV.com in 1996. Current American Idol host Ryan Seacrest first came to national prominence at CNET, as the host of The New Edge and doing various voice-over work for CNET.

In addition, CNET produced another television technology news program called News.com that aired on CNBC beginning in 1999.

In 2005, Google blacklisted all CNET reporters for an entire year after CNET published Google's CEO Eric Schmidt's salary, named the neighbourhood where he lives, some of his hobbies and political donations. All the information had been gleaned from Google searches.

On May 15, 2008, it was announced that CBS Corporation would buy CNET Networks for US$1.8 billion. On June 30, 2008, the acquisition was completed. Former CNET properties are now part of CBS Interactive.