Etsy launched a new feature on Wednesday that allows shoppers to search its marketplace using images rather than words. “Previously, the fastest way to find what you’re looking for on Etsy has been to search keywords – now, you can simply snap or upload a photo of something you love to find similar items in seconds,” a spokesperson told EcommerceBytes.
The feature is currently available for shoppers using iOS devices.
Han Cho, who is the product lead responsible for Etsy’s buyer-facing iOS and Android apps, said developing best-in-class search and discovery was a key focus for Etsy. “We saw encouraging results in early testing of this feature, so we’ve now rolled out the beta to all iOS app users. As we continue to learn and improve the user experience, we hope to expand image search to Android app users soon.”
Etsy said the new feature – built from the ground up by Etsy engineers – will make it easier for its 5.3 million sellers to get discovered and connect with Etsy’s nearly 90 million buyers around the world.
In Wednesday’s announcement, Cho said the feature was developed as part of Code Mosaic, an annual Etsy Hackathon that gives engineers opportunities to flex new skills while building creative solutions to benefit our marketplace and community.
