<PAGE>
 
                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.4

                         REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

          THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of October 30, 1998 (this
"Agreement"), is made by and between ONHEALTH NETWORK COMPANY, a Washington
corporation (the "Company"), and the person named on the signature page hereto
(the "Initial Investor").

                             W I T N E S S E T H:
                             - - - - - - - - - - 

          WHEREAS, in connection with the Subscription Agreement, dated as of
October 30, 1998, between the Initial Investor and the Company (the
"Subscription Agreement"), the Company has agreed, upon the terms and subject to
the conditions of the Subscription Agreement, to issue and sell to the Initial
Investor shares of Common Stock, $.01 par value (the "Common Stock"), of the
Company, and to issue to the Initial Investor common stock purchase warrants
(the "Warrants") to purchase shares (the "Warrant Shares") of Common Stock;

          WHEREAS, under the conditions set forth in the Subscription Agreement,
the Company may be obligated from time to time to issue to the Investors (as
defined below) additional shares of Common Stock; and

          WHEREAS, to induce the Initial Investor to execute and deliver the
Subscription Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide certain registration
rights under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and
regulations thereunder, or any similar successor statute (collectively, the
"Securities Act"), and applicable state securities laws with respect to the
Registrable Securities (as defined below) issuable to or for the account of the
Investors pursuant to the Subscription Agreement;

          NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the
receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the
Initial Investor hereby agree as follows:

          1.   DEFINITIONS.

          (a)  As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the
following meanings:

          "Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

          "Investor" or "Investors" means the Initial Investor and any
transferee or assignee who agrees to become bound by the provisions of this
Agreement in accordance with Section 9 

                                      -1-
<PAGE>
 
hereof.

          "Nasdaq" means the Nasdaq SmallCap Market.

          "register," "registered," and "registration" refer to a registration
effected by preparing and filing a Registration Statement or Statements in
compliance with the Securities Act and pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities
Act or any successor rule providing for offering securities on a continuous
basis ("Rule 415"), and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness of such
Registration Statement by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "SEC").

          "Registrable Securities" means the Initial Shares, the Optional
Shares, the Reset Shares, the Repurchase Shares and the Warrant Shares.

          "Registration Period" means the period from the Closing Date to the
earlier of (i) the date which is three years after the date on which the last
Reset Shares may be issued to the Investors pursuant to the Subscription
Agreement, (ii) the date on which each Investor may sell all of its Registrable
Securities (including Reset Shares which may be issued from time to time)
without registration under the Securities Act pursuant to Rule 144, without
restriction on the manner of sale or the volume of securities which may be sold
in any period and without the requirement for the giving of any notice to, or
the making of any filing with, the SEC and (iii) the date on which the Investors
no longer beneficially own any Registrable Securities.

          "Registration Statement" means a registration statement of the Company
under the Securities Act, including any amendment thereto.

          "Rule 144" means Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act or any
other similar rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit a holder
of any securities to sell securities of the Company to the public without
registration under the Securities Act.

          "SEC Effective Date" means the date the Registration Statement is
first declared effective by the SEC.

          "SEC Filing Date" means the date the Registration Statement is first
filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 2(a).

          (b)  Capitalized terms defined in the introductory paragraph or the
recitals to this Agreement shall have the respective meanings therein provided.
Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the
respective meanings set forth in the Subscription Agreement.

          2.   REGISTRATION.

                                      -2-
<PAGE>
 
          (A)  MANDATORY REGISTRATION.  The Company shall prepare, and on or
prior to December 31, 1998, file with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form
S-3, or, if Form S-3 is not available, Form S-1 or S-2, which, on the date of
filing with the SEC, covers the resale by the Initial Investor or its assignees
of a number of shares of Common Stock at least equal to the sum of (x) 150% of
the sum of the number of Initial Shares and Optional Shares, plus (y) the number
of Warrant Shares.  If at any time the number of shares of Common Stock included
in the Registration Statement required to be filed as provided in the first
sentence of this Section 2(a) shall be insufficient to cover the number of Reset
Shares and Repurchase Shares issuable pursuant to the Subscription Agreement or
the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the unexercised
portions of Warrants, then promptly, but in no event later than 20 days after
such insufficiency shall occur, the Company shall file with the SEC an
additional Registration Statement on Form S-3, or, if Form S-3 is not available,
Form S-1 or S-2 (which shall not constitute a post-effective amendment to the
Registration Statement filed pursuant to the first sentence of this Section
2(a)), covering such number of shares of Common Stock as shall be sufficient to
cover such Reset Shares and Repurchase Shares and permit such exercises.  For
all purposes of this Agreement such additional Registration Statement shall be
deemed to be the Registration Statement required to be filed by the Company
pursuant to Section 2(a) of this Agreement, and the Company and the Investors
shall have the same rights and obligations with respect to such additional
Registration Statement as they shall have with respect to the initial
Registration Statement required to be filed by the Company pursuant to this
Section 2(a).

          (B)  CERTAIN OFFERINGS.  If any offering pursuant to a Registration
Statement pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof involves an underwritten offering,
Investors who hold a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities subject
to such underwritten offering shall have the right to select one legal counsel
and an investment banker or bankers and manager or managers to administer the
offering, which investment banker or bankers or manager or managers shall be
reasonably satisfactory to the Company.  The Investors who hold the Registrable
Securities to be included in such underwriting shall pay all underwriting
discounts and commissions and other fees and expenses of such investment banker
or bankers and manager or managers so selected in accordance with this Section
2(b) (other than fees and expenses relating to registration of Registrable
Securities under federal or state securities laws, which are payable by the
Company pursuant to Section 5 hereof) with respect to their Registrable
Securities and the fees and expenses of such legal counsel so selected by the
Investors.

          (C)  OTHER REGISTRATIONS.  The Company will not file another
registration statement with the SEC covering shares of Common Stock prior to the
SEC Effective Date, other than registration statements on Form S-4 or S-8.

          (D)  PIGGY-BACK REGISTRATIONS.  If at any time the Company shall
determine to prepare and file with the SEC a Registration Statement relating to
an offering for its own account or the account of others under the Securities
Act of any of its equity securities, other than on Form S-4 or Form S-8 or their
then equivalents relating to equity securities to be issued solely in 

                                      -3-
<PAGE>
 
connection with any acquisition of any entity or business or equity securities
issuable in connection with stock option or other employee benefit plans, the
Company shall send to each Investor who is entitled to registration rights under
this Section 2(d) written notice of such determination and, if within ten (10)
days after receipt of such notice, such Investor shall so request in writing,
the Company shall include in such Registration Statement all or any part of the
Registrable Securities such Investor requests to be registered, except that if,
in connection with any underwritten public offering for the account of the
Company, the managing underwriter(s) thereof shall impose a limitation on the
number of shares of Common Stock which may be included in the Registration
Statement because, in such underwriter(s)' judgment, such limitation is
necessary to effect an orderly public distribution, then the Company shall be
obligated to include in such Registration Statement only such limited portion of
the Registrable Securities with respect to which such Investor has requested
inclusion hereunder. Any exclusion of Registrable Securities shall be made pro
rata among the Investors seeking to include Registrable Securities, in
proportion to the number of Registrable Securities sought to be included by such
Investors; provided, however, that the Company shall not exclude any Registrable
Securities unless the Company has first excluded all outstanding securities the
holders of which are not entitled by right to inclusion of securities in such
Registration Statement; and provided further, however, that, after giving effect
to the immediately preceding proviso, any exclusion of Registrable Securities
shall be made pro rata with holders of other securities having the right to
include such securities in the Registration Statement, based on the number of
securities for which registration is requested except to the extent such pro
rata exclusion of such other securities is prohibited under any written
agreement entered into by the Company with the holder of such other securities
prior to the date of this Agreement, in which case such other securities shall
be excluded, if at all, in accordance with the terms of such agreement. No right
to registration of Registrable Securities under this Section 2(d) shall be
construed to limit any registration required under Section 2(a) hereof. The
obligations of the Company under this Section 2(d) may be waived by Investors
holding a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities and shall expire
after the Company has afforded the opportunity for the Investors to exercise
registration rights under this Section 2(d) for two registrations; provided,
however, that any Investor who shall have had any Registrable Securities
excluded from any Registration Statement in accordance with this Section 2(d)
shall be entitled to include in an additional Registration Statement filed by
the Company the Registrable Securities so excluded. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Agreement, if the Registration Statement required to be filed
pursuant to Section 2(a) of this Agreement shall have been ordered effective by
the SEC and the Company shall have maintained the effectiveness of such
Registration Statement as required by this Agreement and if the Company shall
otherwise have complied in all material respects with its obligations under this
Agreement, then the Company shall not be obligated to register any Registrable
Securities on such Registration Statement referred to in this Section 2(d).

          (E)  ELIGIBILITY FOR REGISTRATION STATEMENT FORMS.  The Company meets
the requirements for the use of Forms S-1 and S-2 for registration of the
Registrable Securities for resale by the Investors.  When the Company becomes
eligible to use Form S-3, the Company shall file all reports required to be
filed by the Company with the SEC in a timely manner so as to maintain such

                                      -4-
<PAGE>
 
eligibility for the use of Form S-3.

          3.   OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY.  In connection with the registration
of the Registrable Securities, the Company shall:

          (a)  prepare promptly, and file with the SEC not later than December
31, 1998, a Registration Statement with respect to the number of Registrable
Securities provided in Section 2(a), and thereafter to use its best efforts to
cause each Registration Statement relating to Registrable Securities to become
effective as soon as possible after such filing, and keep the Registration
Statement effective pursuant to Rule 415 at all times during the Registration
Period; submit to the SEC, within three business days after the Company learns
that no review of the Registration Statement will be made by the staff of the
SEC or that the staff of the SEC has no further comments on the Registration
Statement, as the case may be, a request for acceleration of effectiveness of
the Registration Statement to a time and date not later than 48 hours after the
submission of such request; notify the Investors of the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement on the date the Registration Statement is declared
effective; and the Company represents and warrants to, and covenants and agrees
with, the Investors that the Registration Statement (including any amendments or
supplements thereto and prospectuses contained therein), at the time it is first
filed with the SEC, at the time it is ordered effective by the SEC and at all
times during which it is required to be effective hereunder (and each such
amendment and supplement at the time it is filed with the SEC and at all times
during which it is available for use in connection with the offer and sale of
the Registrable Securities) shall not contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein, or
necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which
they were made, not misleading;

          (b)  prepare and file with the SEC such amendments (including post-
effective amendments) and supplements to the Registration Statement and the
prospectus used in connection with the Registration Statement as may be
necessary to keep the Registration Statement effective at all times during the
Registration Period, and, during the Registration Period, comply with the
provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all
Registrable Securities of the Company covered by the Registration Statement
until such time as all of such Registrable Securities have been disposed of in
accordance with the intended methods of disposition by the seller or sellers
thereof as set forth in the Registration Statement;

          (c)  furnish to each Investor whose Registrable Securities are
included in the Registration Statement and its legal counsel, (1) promptly after
the same is prepared and publicly distributed, filed with the SEC or received by
the Company, one copy of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto,
each preliminary prospectus and prospectus and each amendment or supplement
thereto, each letter written by or on behalf of the Company to the SEC or the
staff of the SEC and each item of correspondence from the SEC or the staff of
the SEC relating to such Registration Statement (other than any portion of any
thereof which contains information for which the Company has sought confidential
treatment) and (2) such number of copies of a prospectus,

                                      -5-
<PAGE>
 
including a preliminary prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto
and such other documents, as such Investor may reasonably request in order to
facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Investor;

          (d)  use reasonable efforts to (i) register and qualify the
Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such
securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Investors who hold a
majority in interest of the Registrable Securities being offered reasonably
request, (ii) prepare and file in those jurisdictions such amendments (including
post-effective amendments) and supplements to such registrations and
qualifications as may be necessary to maintain the effectiveness thereof at all
times until the end of the Registration Period, (iii) take such other actions as
may be necessary to maintain such registrations and qualifications in effect at
all times during the Registration Period and (iv) take all other actions
reasonably necessary or advisable to qualify the Registrable Securities for sale
in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required
in connection therewith or as a condition thereto (I) to qualify to do business
in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for
this Section 3(d), (II) to subject itself to general taxation in any such
jurisdiction, (III) to file a general consent to service of process in any such
jurisdiction, (IV) to provide any undertakings that cause more than nominal
expense or burden to the Company or (V) to make any change in its Articles of
Incorporation or by-laws, which in each case the Board of Directors of the
Company determines to be contrary to the best interests of the Company and its
shareholders;

          (e)  in the event that the Registrable Securities are being offered in
an underwritten offering,  enter into and perform its obligations under an
underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, including, without
limitation, customary indemnification and contribution obligations, with the
underwriters of such offering;

          (f)  as promptly as practicable after becoming aware of such event or
circumstance, notify each Investor of any event or circumstance of which the
Company has knowledge, as a result of which the prospectus included in the
Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a
material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading, and use its best efforts promptly to
prepare a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement to correct such
untrue statement or omission, file such supplement or amendment with the SEC at
such time as shall permit the Investors to sell Registrable Securities pursuant
to the Registration Statement as promptly as practical, and deliver a number of
copies of such supplement or amendment to each Investor as such Investor may
reasonably request;

          (g)  as promptly as practicable after becoming aware of such event,
notify each Investor who holds Registrable Securities being sold (or, in the
event of an underwritten offering, the managing underwriters) of the issuance by
the SEC of any stop order or other suspension of effectiveness of the
Registration Statement at the earliest possible time;

                                      -6-
<PAGE>
 
          (h)  permit a single firm of counsel designated as selling
shareholders' counsel by the Investors who hold a majority in interest of the
Registrable Securities being sold to review and comment on the Registration
Statement and all amendments and supplements thereto a reasonable period of time
prior to their filing with the SEC;

          (i)  make generally available to its security holders as soon as
practical, but not later than ninety (90) days after the close of the period
covered thereby, an earnings statement (in form complying with the provisions of
Rule 158 under the Securities Act) covering a twelve-month period beginning not
later than the first day of the Company's fiscal quarter next following the
effective date of the Registration Statement;

          (j)  at the request of the Investors who hold a majority in interest
of the Registrable Securities being sold, furnish on the date that Registrable
Securities are delivered to an underwriter, if any, for sale in connection with
the Registration Statement (i) a letter, dated such date, from the Company's
independent certified public accountants in form and substance as is customarily
given by independent certified public accountants to underwriters in an
underwritten public offering, addressed to the underwriters; and (ii) an
opinion, dated such date, from counsel representing the Company for purposes of
such Registration Statement, in form and substance as is customarily given in an
underwritten public offering, addressed to the underwriters and the Investors;

          (k)  make available for inspection by any Investor, any underwriter
participating in any disposition pursuant to the Registration Statement, and any
attorney, accountant or other agent retained by any such Investor or underwriter
(collectively, the "Inspectors"), all pertinent financial and other records,
pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company (collectively, the
"Records"), as shall be reasonably necessary to enable each Inspector to
exercise its due diligence responsibility, and cause the Company's officers,
directors and employees to supply all information which any Inspector may
reasonably request for purposes of such due diligence; provided, however, that
each Inspector shall hold in confidence and shall not make any disclosure
(except to an Investor) of any Record or other information which the Company
determines in good faith to be confidential, and of which determination the
Inspectors are so notified, unless (i) the disclosure of such Records is
necessary to avoid or correct a misstatement or omission in any Registration
Statement, (ii) the release of such Records is ordered pursuant to a subpoena or
other order from a court or government body of competent jurisdiction or (iii)
the information in such Records has been made generally available to the public
other than by disclosure in violation of this or any other agreement.  The
Company shall not be required to disclose any confidential information in such
Records to any Inspector until and unless such Inspector shall have entered into
confidentiality agreements (in form and substance satisfactory to the Company)
with the Company with respect thereto, substantially in the form of this Section
3(k).  Each Investor agrees that it shall, upon learning that disclosure of such
Records is sought in or by a court or governmental body of competent
jurisdiction or through other means, give prompt notice to the Company and allow
the Company, at the Company's own expense, to undertake appropriate action to
prevent disclosure of, or to obtain a protective order for, the 

                                      -7-
<PAGE>
 
Records deemed confidential. The Company shall hold in confidence and shall not
make any disclosure of information concerning an Investor provided to the
Company pursuant to Section 4(e) hereof unless (i) disclosure of such
information is necessary to comply with federal or state securities laws, (ii)
the disclosure of such information is necessary to avoid or correct a
misstatement or omission in any Registration Statement, (iii) the release of
such information is ordered pursuant to a subpoena or other order from a court
or governmental body of competent jurisdiction or (iv) such information has been
made generally available to the public other than by disclosure in violation of
this or any other agreement. The Company agrees that it shall, upon learning
that disclosure of such information concerning an Investor is sought in or by a
court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction or through other means,
give prompt notice to such Investor, at such Investor's own expense, to
undertake appropriate action to prevent disclosure of, or to obtain a protective
order for, such information;

          (l)  use its best efforts (i) to cause all the Registrable Securities
covered by the Registration Statement to be listed on the Nasdaq or such other
principal securities market on which securities of the same class or series
issued by the Company are then listed or traded or (ii) if securities of the
same class or series as the Registrable Securities are not then listed on Nasdaq
or any such other securities market, to cause all of the Registrable Securities
covered by the Registration Statement to be listed on the New York Stock
Exchange, the American Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq National Market;

          (m)  provide a transfer agent and registrar, which may be a single
entity, for the Registrable Securities not later than the effective date of the
Registration Statement;

          (n)  cooperate with the Investors who hold Registrable Securities
being offered and the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, to
facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates (not bearing any
restrictive legends) representing Registrable Securities to be offered pursuant
to the Registration Statement and enable such certificates to be in such
denominations or amounts as the case may be, as the managing underwriter or
underwriters, if any, or the Investors may reasonably request and registered in
such names as the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, or the Investors
may request; and, within three business days after a Registration Statement
which includes Registrable Securities is ordered effective by the SEC, the
Company shall deliver to the transfer agent for the Registrable Securities (with
copies to the Investors whose Registrable Securities are included in such
Registration Statement) an instruction substantially in the form attached hereto
as EXHIBIT 1 and shall cause legal counsel selected by the Company to deliver to
the Investors an opinion of such counsel in the form attached hereto as EXHIBIT
2 (with a copy to the Company's transfer agent);

          (o)  during the period the Company is required to maintain
effectiveness of the Registration Statement pursuant to Section 3(a), the
Company shall not bid for or purchase any Common Stock or any right to purchase
Common Stock or attempt to induce any person to purchase any such security or
right if such bid, purchase or attempt would in any way limit the right of the

                                      -8-
<PAGE>
 
Investors to sell Registrable Securities by reason of the limitations set forth
in Regulation M under the Exchange Act; and

          (p)  take all other reasonable actions necessary to expedite and
facilitate disposition by the Investors of the Registrable Securities pursuant
to the Registration Statement.

          4.   OBLIGATIONS OF THE INVESTORS.  In connection with the
registration of the Registrable Securities, the Investors shall have the
following obligations:

          (a)  It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the
Company to complete the registration pursuant to this Agreement with respect to
the Registrable Securities of a particular Investor that such Investor shall
furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable
Securities held by it and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable
Securities held by it as shall be reasonably required to effect the registration
of such Registrable Securities and shall execute such documents in connection
with such registration as the Company may reasonably request.  At least four (4)
days prior to the first anticipated filing date of the Registration Statement,
the Company shall notify each Investor of the information the Company requires
from each such Investor (the "Requested Information") if any of such Investor's
Registrable Securities are eligible for inclusion in the Registration Statement.
If at least one (1) business day prior to the filing date the Company has not
received the Requested Information from an Investor (a "Non-Responsive
Investor"), then the Company may file the Registration Statement without
including Registrable Securities of such Non-Responsive Investor but shall not
be relieved of its obligation to file a Registration Statement with the SEC
relating to the Registrable Securities of such Non-Responsive Investor promptly
after such Non-Responsive Investor provides the Requested Information;

          (b)  Each Investor by such Investor's acceptance of the Registrable
Securities agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably requested by the
Company in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration
Statement hereunder, unless such Investor has notified the Company in writing of
such Investor's election to exclude all of such Investor's Registrable
Securities from the Registration Statement;

          (c)  In the event Investors holding a majority in interest of the
Registrable Securities being registered determine to engage the services of an
underwriter, each Investor agrees to enter into and perform such Investor's
obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form,
including, without limitation, customary indemnification and contribution
obligations, with the managing underwriter of such offering and take such other
actions as are reasonably required in order to expedite or facilitate the
disposition of the Registrable Securities, unless such Investor has notified the
Company in writing of such Investor's election to exclude all of such Investor's
Registrable Securities from the Registration Statement;

          (d)  Each Investor agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the
Company of 

                                      -9-
<PAGE>
 
the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3(f) or 3(g), such
Investor will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities
pursuant to the Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities
until such Investor's receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended
prospectus contemplated by Section 3(f) or 3(g) and, if so directed by the
Company, such Investor shall deliver to the Company (at the expense of the
Company) or destroy (and deliver to the Company a certificate of destruction)
all copies in such Investor's possession of the prospectus covering such
Registrable Securities current at the time of receipt of such notice; and

          (e)  No Investor may participate in any underwritten registration
hereunder unless such Investor (i) agrees to sell such Investor's Registrable
Securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by
the Investors entitled hereunder to approve such arrangements, (ii) completes
and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting
agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such
underwriting arrangements and (iii) agrees to pay its pro rata share of all
underwriting discounts and commissions and other fees and expenses of investment
bankers and any manager or managers of such underwriting and legal expenses of
the underwriters applicable with respect to its Registrable Securities, in each
case to the extent not payable by the Company pursuant to the terms of this
Agreement.

          5.   EXPENSES OF REGISTRATION.  All reasonable expenses, other than
underwriting discounts and commissions and other fees and expenses of investment
bankers and other than brokerage commissions, incurred in connection with
registrations, filings or qualifications pursuant to Section 3, including,
without limitation, all registration, listing and qualifications fees, printers
and accounting fees and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company,
shall be borne by the Company, provided, however, that the Investors shall bear
the fees and out-of-pocket expenses of the one legal counsel selected by the
Investors pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof.

          6.   INDEMNIFICATION.  In the event any Registrable Securities are
included in a Registration Statement under this Agreement:

          (a)  To the extent permitted by law, the Company will indemnify and
hold harmless each Investor who holds such Registrable Securities, the
directors, if any, of such Investor, the officers, if any, of such Investor,
each person, if any, who controls any Investor within the meaning of the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act, any underwriter (as defined in the
Securities Act) for the Investors, the directors, if any, of such underwriter
and the officers, if any, of such underwriter, and each person, if any, who
controls any such underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the
Exchange Act (each, an "Indemnified Person"), against any losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses (joint or several) incurred (collectively,
"Claims") to which any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the
Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such Claims (or actions or proceedings,
whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based
upon any of the following statements, omissions or violations in the
Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereof, or any
prospectus included therein: (i) any 

                                      -10-
<PAGE>
 
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereof or the omission
or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
preliminary prospectus if used prior to the effective date of such Registration
Statement, or contained in the final prospectus (as amended or supplemented, if
the Company files any amendment thereof or supplement thereto with the SEC) or
the omission or alleged omission to state therein any material fact necessary to
make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which the
statements therein were made, not misleading or (iii) any violation or alleged
violation by the Company of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any state
securities law or any rule or regulation under the Securities Act, the Exchange
Act or any state securities law (the matters in the foregoing clauses (i)
through (iii) being, collectively, "Violations"). Subject to the restrictions
set forth in Section 6(d) with respect to the number of legal counsel, the
Company shall reimburse the Investors and each such underwriter or controlling
person, promptly as such expenses are incurred and are due and payable, for any
legal fees or other reasonable expenses incurred by them in connection with
investigating or defending any such Claim. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary contained herein, the indemnification agreement contained in this
Section 6(a): (I) shall not apply to a Claim arising out of or based upon a
Violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with information
furnished in writing to the Company by any Indemnified Person or underwriter for
such Indemnified Person expressly for use in connection with the preparation of
the Registration Statement, the prospectus or any such amendment thereof or
supplement thereto, if such prospectus was timely made available by the Company
pursuant to Section 3(c) hereof; (II) with respect to any preliminary prospectus
shall not inure to the benefit of any such person from whom the person asserting
any such Claim purchased the Registrable Securities that are the subject thereof
(or to the benefit of any person controlling such person) if the untrue
statement or omission of material fact contained in the preliminary prospectus
was corrected in the prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, if such
prospectus was timely made available by the Company pursuant to Section 3(c)
hereof; and (III) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if
such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of the Company,
which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. Such indemnity shall remain in
full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of
the Indemnified Person and shall survive the transfer of the Registrable
Securities by the Investors pursuant to Section 9.

          (b)  In connection with any Registration Statement in which an
Investor is participating, each such Investor agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless, to the same extent and in the same manner set forth in Section 6(a),
the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the
Registration Statement, each person, if any, who controls the Company within the
meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, any underwriter and any other
shareholder selling securities pursuant to the Registration Statement or any of
its directors or officers or any person who controls such shareholder or
underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act
(collectively and together with an Indemnified Person, an "Indemnified Party"),
against any Claim to which any of them may become subject, under the Securities
Act, the Exchange Act or

                                      -11-
<PAGE>
 
otherwise, insofar as such Claim arises out of or is based upon any Violation,
in each case to the extent (and only to the extent) that such Violation occurs
in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the
Company by such Investor expressly for use in connection with such Registration
Statement; and such Investor will reimburse any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by any Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or
defending any such Claim; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement
contained in this Section 6(b) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of
any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of
such Investor, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; provided,
further, however, that the Investor shall be liable under this Section 6(b) for
only that amount of a Claim as does not exceed the amount by which the net
proceeds to such Investor from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to
such Registration Statement exceeds the cost of such Registrable Securities to
such Investor. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless
of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Indemnified Party and shall
survive the transfer of the Registrable Securities by the Investors pursuant to
Section 9. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the
indemnification agreement contained in this Section 6(b) with respect to any
preliminary prospectus shall not inure to the benefit of any Indemnified Party
if the untrue statement or omission of material fact contained in the
preliminary prospectus was corrected on a timely basis in the prospectus, as
then amended or supplemented.

          (c)  The Company shall be entitled to receive indemnities from
underwriters, selling brokers, dealer managers and similar securities industry
professionals participating in any distribution, to the same extent as provided
above, with respect to information so furnished in writing by such persons
expressly for inclusion in the Registration Statement.

          (d)  Promptly after receipt by an Indemnified Person or Indemnified
Party under this Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any action
(including any governmental action), such Indemnified Person or Indemnified
Party shall, if a Claim in respect thereof is to be made against any
indemnifying party under this Section 6, deliver to the indemnifying party a
written notice of the commencement thereof and the indemnifying party shall have
the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so
desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume
control of the defense thereof with counsel selected by the indemnifying party
but reasonably acceptable to the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party, as
the case may be; provided, however, that an Indemnified Person or Indemnified
Party shall have the right to retain its own counsel with the fees and expenses
to be paid by the indemnifying party, if, in the reasonable opinion of counsel
retained by the indemnifying party, the representation by such counsel of the
Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party and the indemnifying party would be
inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such
Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party and any other party represented by such
counsel in such proceeding.  In such event, the Company shall pay for only one
separate legal counsel for the Investors; such legal counsel shall be selected
by the Investors holding a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities
included in the Registration Statement to which the Claim relates.  The failure
to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of
the commencement of any such action shall not relieve such 

                                      -12-
<PAGE>
 
indemnifying party of any liability to the Indemnified Person or Indemnified
Party under this Section 6, except to the extent that the indemnifying party is
prejudiced in its ability to defend such action. The indemnification required by
this Section 6 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during
the course of the investigation or defense, as such expense, loss, damage or
liability is incurred and is due and payable.

          7.   CONTRIBUTION.  To the extent any indemnification by an
indemnifying party is prohibited or limited by law, the indemnifying party
agrees to make the maximum contribution with respect to any amounts for which it
would otherwise be liable under Section 6 to the fullest extent permitted by
law; provided, however, that (a) no contribution shall be made under
circumstances where the maker would not have been liable for indemnification
under the fault standards set forth in Section 6, (b) no seller of Registrable
Securities guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section
11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any seller
of Registrable Securities who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation and (c) contribution by any seller of Registrable Securities
shall be limited in amount to the amount by which the net amount of proceeds
received by such seller from the sale of such Registrable Securities exceeds the
purchase price paid by such seller for such Registrable Securities.

          8.   REPORTS UNDER EXCHANGE ACT.  With a view to making available to
the Investors the benefits of Rule 144, the Company agrees to:

          (a) make and keep public information available, as those terms are
understood and defined in Rule 144;

          (b) file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other
documents required of the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act;
and

          (c) furnish to each Investor so long as such Investor owns Registrable
Securities, promptly upon request, (i) a written statement by the Company that
it has complied with the reporting requirements of Rule 144 and the Exchange
Act, (ii) a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of the Company
and such other reports and documents so filed by the Company and (iii) such
other information as may be reasonably requested to permit the Investors to sell
such securities pursuant to Rule 144 without registration.

          9.   ASSIGNMENT OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS.  The rights to have the
Company register Registrable Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be
automatically assigned by the Investors to any transferee of all or any portion
of such securities (or all or any portion of the Warrants) only if:  (a) the
Investor agrees in writing with the transferee or assignee to assign such
rights, and a copy of such agreement is furnished to the Company within a
reasonable time after such assignment, (b) the Company is, within a reasonable
time after such transfer or assignment, furnished with written notice of (i) the
name and address of such transferee or assignee and (ii) the securities 

                                      -13-
<PAGE>
 
with respect to which such registration rights are being transferred or
assigned, (c) immediately following such transfer or assignment the further
disposition of such securities by the transferee or assignee is restricted under
the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, and (d) at or before
the time the Company received the written notice contemplated by clause (b) of
this sentence the transferee or assignee agrees in writing with the Company to
be bound by all of the provisions contained herein. In connection with any such
transfer the Company shall, at its sole cost and expense, promptly after such
assignment take such actions as shall be reasonably acceptable to the Initial
Investor and such transferee to assure that the Registration Statement and
related prospectus are available for use by such transferee for sales of the
Registrable Securities in respect of which the rights to registration have been
so assigned. In connection with any such assignment, each Investor shall have
the right to assign to such transferee such Investor's rights under the
Subscription Agreement by notice of such assignment to the Company. Following
such notice of assignment of rights under the Subscription Agreement, the
Company shall be obligated to such transferee to perform all of its covenants
under of the Subscription Agreement as if such transferee were the Buyer under
the Subscription Agreement.

          10.  AMENDMENT OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS.  Any provision of this
Agreement may be amended and the observance thereof may be waived (either
generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or
prospectively), only with the written consent of the Company and Investors who
hold a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities.  Any amendment or
waiver effected in accordance with this Section 10 shall be binding upon each
Investor and the Company.

          11.  MISCELLANEOUS.

          (a) A person or entity is deemed to be a holder of Registrable
Securities whenever such person or entity owns of record such Registrable
Securities.  If the Company receives conflicting instructions, notices or
elections from two or more persons or entities with respect to the same
Registrable Securities, the Company shall act upon the basis of instructions,
notice or election received from the registered owner of such Registrable
Securities.

          (b) Notices required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be in
writing and shall be deemed to be sufficiently given when personally delivered
(by hand, by courier, by telephone line facsimile transmission or other means)
(i) if to the Company, at 808 Howell Street, Suite 400, Seattle, Washington,
98101, Attention:  Chief Financial Officer, telephone line facsimile
transmission number (206) 652-9075, with a copy to C. Kent Carlson, Esq.,
Preston Gates & Ellis LLP, 701 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98104
(telephone line facsimile number (206) 623-7022), (ii) if to the Initial
Investor, c/o Genesee International, Inc., 10500 N.E. 8th Street, Suite 1920,
Bellevue, Washington 98004-4332, telephone line facsimile transmission number
(425) 462-4645 and (iii) if to any other Investor, at such address as such
Investor shall have provided in writing to the Company, or at such other address
as each such party furnishes by notice given in accordance with this Section
11(b).

                                      -14-
<PAGE>
 
          (c) Failure of any party to exercise any right or remedy under this
Agreement or otherwise, or delay by a party in exercising such right or remedy,
shall not operate as a waiver thereof.

          (d) This Agreement shall be enforced, governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of Washington applicable to agreements
made and to be performed entirely within such State.  In the event that any
provision of this Agreement is invalid or unenforceable under any applicable
statute or rule of law, then such provision shall be deemed inoperative to the
extent that it may conflict therewith and shall be deemed modified to conform
with such statute or rule of law.  Any provision hereof which may prove invalid
or unenforceable under any law shall not affect the validity or enforceability
of any other provision hereof.

          (e) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the parties
hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.  There are no restrictions,
promises, warranties or undertakings, other than those set forth or referred to
herein.  This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings among
the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.

          (f) Subject to the requirements of Section 9 hereof, this Agreement
shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and assigns of
each of the parties hereto.

          (g) All pronouns and any variations thereof refer to the masculine,
feminine or neuter, singular or plural, as the context may require.

          (h) The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference
only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.

          (i) The Company acknowledges that any failure by the Company to
perform its obligations under this Agreement, including, without limitation, the
Company's obligations under Section 3(n), or any delay in such performance could
result in damages to the Investors and the Company agrees that, in addition to
any other liability the Company may have by reason of any such failure or delay,
the Company shall be liable for all direct and consequential damages caused by
any such failure or delay.

          (j) This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each
of which shall be deemed an original but all of which shall constitute one and
the same agreement.  This Agreement, once executed by a party, may be delivered
to the other party hereto by telephone line facsimile transmission of a copy of
this Agreement bearing the signature of the party so delivering this Agreement.

                                      -15-
<PAGE>
 
          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be duly
executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized as of day and
year first above written.

                         ONHEALTH NETWORK COMPANY



                         By: \s\ Michael D. Conway
                             Name: Michael D. Conway
                             Title: Vice President


                         ADVANTAGE FUND II LTD.



                         By:  \s\ W.R. Weber
                              --------------------------------------------
                                  W.R. Weber
                                  President

                                      -16-
<PAGE>
 
                                                               EXHIBIT 1
                                                                   TO
                                                              REGISTRATION
                                                            RIGHTS AGREEMENT

                             [Company Letterhead]

                                    [Date]

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company,
 as Transfer Agent, Warrant Agent and Registrar
6201 Fifteenth Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11219


Ladies and Gentlemen:

          This letter shall serve as our irrevocable authorization and direction
to you (1) to transfer or re-register the certificates for the shares of Common
Stock, $.01 par value (the "Common Stock"), of OnHealth Network Company, a
Washington corporation (the "Company"), represented by certificate numbers
_______ and _______ for an aggregate of _______ shares (the "Outstanding
Shares") of Common Stock presently registered in the name of [Name of Investors]
upon surrender of such certificate(s) to you, notwithstanding the legend
appearing on such certificates, and (2) to issue shares (the "Warrant Shares")
of Common Stock to or upon the order of the holder from time to time on exercise
of the Common Stock Purchase Warrants (the "Warrants") exercisable for Common
Stock issued by the Company upon receipt by you of a Subscription Form from such
holder in the form enclosed herewith.  The transfer or re-registration of the
certificates for the Outstanding Shares by you should be made at such time as
you are requested to do so by the record holder of the Outstanding Shares.  The
certificate issued upon such transfer or re-registration should be registered in
such name as requested by the holder of record of the certificate surrendered to
you and should not bear any legend which would restrict the transfer of the
shares represented thereby.  In addition, you are hereby directed to remove any
stop-transfer instruction relating to the Outstanding Shares.  Certificates for
the Warrant Shares should not bear any restrictive legend and should not be
subject to any stop-transfer restriction.

          Contemporaneously with the delivery of this letter, the Company is
delivering to you an opinion of Preston Gates & Ellis LLP as to registration of
the Outstanding Shares and the Warrant Shares under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended.

          Should you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact
me.

                                Very truly yours,
 
                                     1-17
<PAGE>
 
                                ONHEALTH NETWORK COMPANY
 
 
 
                                By: ______________________________
                                    Name:
                                    Title:

Enclosures
cc:  [Names of Investors]

                                     1-18
<PAGE>
 
                                                                 EXHIBIT 2
                                                                    TO
                                                                REGISTRATION
                                                              RIGHTS AGREEMENT

                                    _______________ ___, 1998
                                           


[Names and Addresses of Investors]



                           ONHEALTH NETWORK COMPANY
                            SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
                            ----------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

          We are counsel to OnHealth Network Company, a Washington corporation
(the "Company"), and we understand that the Company has sold to [Names of
Investors] (the "Holders") an aggregate of _______________ shares (the "Common
Shares") of the Company's Common Stock, $.01 par value (the "Common Stock") and
issued to the Holders Common Stock Purchase Warrants (the "Warrants").  The
Common Shares were sold, and the Warrants were issued, to the Holders pursuant
to the Subscription Agreement, dated as of October 30, 1998, between the Holders
and the Company (the "Subscription Agreement").  Pursuant to the Registration
Rights Agreement, dated as of October 30, 1998, between the Company and the
Holders (the "Registration Rights Agreement") entered into in connection with
the purchase by the Holders of the Common Shares, the Company agreed with each
Holder, among other things, to register for resale (1) the Initial Shares, the
Optional Shares, the Reset Shares and the Repurchase Shares (as such terms are
defined in the Subscription Agreement) and (2) the shares (the "Warrant Shares")
of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), upon the terms provided in the
Registration Rights Agreement.  The Initial Shares, the Optional Shares, the
Reset Shares and the Warrant Shares are referred to herein collectively as the
"Shares."  Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, on _________ ___, 1998
the Company filed a Registration Statement on Form [S-3] (File No. 333-
__________) (the "Registration Statement") with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC") relating to the Shares, which names the Holders as
selling shareholders thereunder.

                                     2-19
<PAGE>
 
          [Other introductory and scope of examination language to be inserted]

          Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

          (1) Since the Closing Date, the Company has timely filed with the SEC
     all forms, reports and other documents required to be filed with the SEC
     under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act").
     All of such forms, reports and other documents complied, when filed, in all
     material respects, with all applicable requirements of the 1933 Act and the
     1934 Act;

          (2) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus contained therein
     (other than the financial statements and schedules and other financial and
     statistical information contained or incorporated by reference therein, as
     to which we have not been requested to and do not express any opinion)
     comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements
     of the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; and

          (3) The Registration Statement has become effective under the 1933
     Act, to the best of our knowledge after due inquiry, no stop order
     proceedings with respect thereto have been instituted or threatened by the
     SEC.  The Shares have been registered, and are available for resale, under
     the 1933 Act.

          Members of this firm's Primary Lawyer Group (as defined below) have
participated in the preparation of the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, including review and discussions with officers and other
representatives of the Company, representatives of the independent public
accountants for the Company, and your representatives at which the contents of
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus contained therein and related
matters were discussed, and, although we are not passing upon and do not assume
any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements
contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus contained therein, on
the basis of the foregoing, nothing has come to the attention of the Primary
Lawyer Group that leads them to believe either that the Registration Statement
at the time the Registration Statement became effective contained an untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or
that the Prospectus contained in the Registration Statement, as of its date,
contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (it
being understood that we have not been requested to and do not express any view
with respect to the financial statements and schedules and other financial and
statistical data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus contained 

                                     2-20
<PAGE>
 
therein). For purposes of this letter, the term "Primary Lawyer Group" shall
mean Mark R. Beatty and Christopher H. Cunningham.

          Paragraph (3) of this opinion may be relied upon by American Stock
Transfer & Trust Company, as Transfer Agent, Warrant Agent and Registrar (the
"Transfer Agent") as if addressed to the Transfer Agent.

                                 Very truly yours,



cc:  American Stock Transfer & Trust Company,
      as Transfer Agent, Warrant Agent and Registrar

                                     2-21