Pinterest Introduces New Visual Search Features to Enhance Personalized Discovery

Pinterest has launched a new suite of visual search tools aimed at making it easier for users to discover, refine, and shop content that aligns with their individual tastes. The updates are initially rolling out for women’s fashion content in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., with plans to expand to additional categories and countries in the future.

The company says its latest innovation leverages generative AI to help users navigate visual content more intuitively, without needing to rely solely on traditional keyword searches. When users view an image Pin, Pinterest will now generate relevant descriptive terms that help explain the appeal of the image and guide further exploration. A new animated glow highlights selectable parts of an image, enabling users to shop or search for specific objects directly.

“Our visual search technology represents a shift in how users interact with and discover inspiration,” said Dana Cho, Pinterest VP of Design. “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.”

A new refinement bar has also been introduced to help users narrow down their search results. For example, someone might view an outfit and refine their search to see similar options in a different style, like “y2k,” or use the “occasion” filter to find more formal versions of a favorite item.

Pinterest is also expanding the availability of its visual search features across the platform. Users can now long-press on any Pin in their home feed to activate the “Search image” function, enhancing accessibility to the new tools.

The platform’s enhanced capabilities are powered by Visual Language Models (VLMs) and multimodal embedding models, which allow Pinterest to decode and interpret both visual and textual information. This integration enables users to search using a combination of images and words, effectively expanding their ability to find content that reflects their personal aesthetic.

“With our new visual search features, users can more intuitively discover, refine and shop, turning their inspiration into reality,” the company stated.

Image: Pinterest