Pinterest Bets on New Visual Search Features to Fuel Personalization

Pinterest is introducing new features to let users find ideas that match their personal tastes.

The new visual search tools, announced Monday (May 5), will first be available for women’s fashion content in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., eventually moving to more categories.

“Our visual search technology represents a shift in how users interact with and discover inspiration,” Dana Cho, Pinterest vice president of design, said in a news release. “We’re not simply delivering search results — we’re curating a personalized journey of discovery that empowers individuals to find their unique style, and shop it too.”

According to the release, the new tools let users find what they’re searching for without using words, by breaking down and decoding images so users can quickly search and shop for the details of an outfit they like.

“Whether it’s an overall aesthetic, a color palette, a specific fit, or product category, when users view a Pin, we’ll now generate the words they can use to figure out what they like about the image, and then further explore and shop,” the company said.

To help users identify and select the objects that they want more easily, the company says it has added a new animated glow. Also new is a “refinement bar” to help users narrow down their search results and find things that match their style.

“For example, you spot an outfit you like, and use the ‘style’ refinement to see similar outfits but more y2k, or you love this blue blazer, and use the ‘occasion’ refinement to see more formal options,” Pinterest said.

The company said the new search options are powered by visual language models (VLMs), a form of generative artificial intelligence (AI), to offer users a “more expansive visual ‘vocabulary’ to ‘describe’ their style ideas.”

Pinterest said earlier this year that it had been integrating AI across its platform for a more personalized and seamless shopping experience, with the technology now playing a key role in the company’s recommendations, search algorithms and advertising models.

“AI is deeply integrated in every aspect of our user experience and advertising business,” CEO Bill Ready said on an earnings call. “Our recommendations are highly relevant, incorporating more signals from user actions. This drives deeper engagement and strengthens our flywheel. We focused heavily on improving the user experience. We invested in better curation experiences through boards and collages.”