Perplexity introduces AI-powered shopping features to compete in search market

Artificial intelligence search engine Perplexity has launched a series of shopping features to enhance its platform and challenge Google’s dominance. The new tools include visual product cards, a “Snap to Shop” feature for photo-based searches, and a one-click checkout option for Pro subscribers. These features are currently available in the United States, with plans to expand internationally at an unspecified date.

The “Buy with Pro” button, exclusive to Pro subscribers, allows seamless purchases without redirecting to merchant websites. Users can store shipping and billing details for quick transactions, with free shipping included for eligible purchases. For products not supported by this feature, users are directed to the merchant’s site to complete the purchase.

Meanwhile, all users can access updated product cards for shopping-related searches which display product images, pricing, reviews, and AI-generated summaries of key features. Another addition, the “Snap to Shop” tool, enables users to take a photo of an item for product-based queries, though this feature is currently limited to Pro subscribers.

Perplexity has integrated with Shopify to access product data from sellers and launched a Merchant Program to help sellers share detailed product information and boost visibility. Merchants also gain free API access to enhance search on their own websites.

This move comes as Perplexity faces competition from other companies expanding their AI shopping tools, such as Google, which offers features like Google Lens for visual shopping searches, and Amazon, with its AI assistant Rufus integrated into its platform.

Sources: Reuters, TechCrunch, The Verge

Additional Prompts

Google Lens can now help with in-store shopping by providing product insights, price comparisons, and local inventory availability. This update expands on Google Lens’s existing online shopping capabilities, enabling users to make informed decisions while shopping in physical stores. Additionally, Google is introducing new shopping features in Google Maps and enhancing Google Pay functions in time for the holiday season. Read more

Instagram is removing the ability to follow hashtags, meaning users will no longer see posts or Reels from followed hashtags in their main feed. This change aims to combat spam and irrelevant content as spammers have exploited trending hashtags to boost low-quality posts. While hashtags will still be available for content discovery in Explore feeds and search results, this update is designed to reduce unwanted content in users’ primary streams, focusing on improving feed relevance while maintaining the usefulness of hashtags for categorising and finding content. Read more

Threads has launched a feature already familiar to Bluesky users: custom feeds. Now available to all Threads users following a brief testing phase, this feature allows users to compile a list of multiple accounts at once, typically centred around a specific theme or topic. The goal is to provide quick and convenient access to related accounts that may not appear collectively in the For You or Following feeds. Read more

WhatsApp is introducing a new feature allowing users to unsubscribe from marketing messages sent by businesses. Previously, users could only block a business account entirely to stop receiving such messages. The platform, which now hosts over 200 million monthly WhatsApp Business users, is testing tools like “interested/not interested” and “stop/resume” buttons to let users manage the types of messages they receive. Meta plans to roll out these interaction tools globally during the testing phase. Read more

loading

Nous sommes un réseau mondial d'agences médias