WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI
                           Professional Corporation
                              650 Page Mill Road
                           Palo Alto, CA 94304-1050
                                (650) 493-9300
 
                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1


Infoseek Corporation
1399 Moffett Park Drive
Sunnyvale, CA 94089

        RE: REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

        We have examined the Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed by you 
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 28, 1998 (Registration 
No. 333-      )(the "Registration Statement"), in connection with the 
registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of up to 3,450,000 
shares of your Common Stock, no par value per share (the "Shares"). The Shares 
include an over-allotment option granted to the underwriters of the offering to 
purchase 450,000 shares. We understand that the Shares are to be sold to the 
underwriters of the offering for resale to the public as described in the 
Registration Statement. As your legal counsel, we have examined the proceedings 
taken, and are familiar with the proceedings proposed to be taken, by you in 
connection with the sale and issuance of the Shares. 

        It is our opinion that, upon completion of the proceedings being taken 
or contemplated by us, as your counsel, to be taken prior to the issuance of the
Shares, including the proceedings being taken in order to permit such
transaction to be carried out in accordance with applicable state securities
laws, the Shares, when issued and sold in the manner described in the
Registration Statement and in accordance with the resolutions adopted by the
Board of Directors of the Company, will be legally and validly issued, fully
paid and nonassessable.

        We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration 
Statement and further consent to the use of our name wherever appearing in the
Registration Statement, including the prospectus constituting a part thereof, 
and any amendments thereto.

                        Very truly yours,


                        WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI
                        Professional Corporation

                        /s/ WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI