Let customers find products from a photo or a description

"Do you have one like this?" A customer holds up a phone with a photo: a part pulled off a machine, a lamp seen in a friend's living room, a screenshot from a video. They don't know the product name, and your search box can't help them. On Premium, the Allinaa assistant can search your own catalog from that photo or from a description, and reply with the price, the availability and a link.

The "I want one like this" problem

Text search assumes the customer knows your vocabulary. They often don't. They call it a "pouch with straps" when your catalog says "grooming glove", or "the round metal thing" when you sell a "flange adapter". These visitors either leave or send an email with a photo that someone has to answer by hand. A photo-aware assistant answers that email in the chat, as long as the product is in your catalog.

How photo and text search work against your catalog

1. Your catalog is imported as a CSV or JSON file with names, prices, availability and links to the product pages on your own website. An import either succeeds completely or changes nothing, so a broken file can't leave you with half a catalog.
2. The visitor sends a photo or screenshot (JPG, PNG, WebP or GIF) or describes what they want.
3. The AI describes only what is clearly visible: the type of item, color, shape and any readable text such as a brand or model number.
4. That description is matched against your catalog using names, categories, keywords, aliases, SKUs and model numbers. A readable model number or product link is the strongest signal.
5. The assistant replies with one of three outcomes:
   • it identifies one product clearly;
   • it finds possible matches, shows them and asks "Is this the product you mean?" or "Which of these do you mean?";
   • it can't identify the product, so it asks for the name or a link instead of guessing.

What the reply includes: price, availability, link

Matches are shown as product cards with the product name, the price, an availability label (In stock, Out of stock, Pre-order or Availability not confirmed) and a "View product" button that opens the page on your website. The price, availability, link and name come only from your catalog import. If a reply mentions a price that isn't in the catalog or your knowledge, the correct catalog facts are added to the reply.

Preparing your catalog

Matching quality depends more on your catalog than on the photo. Before importing, go through this checklist:

• Descriptive names. "Stainless steel 4-inch flange adapter" matches far better than an invented brand name that a photo can't show.
• Categories and keywords, in the words customers use, not only your internal terms.
• Aliases for common alternative names, such as jacket for coat, or mitt for glove. You can add these later without re-importing prices.
• SKUs and model numbers, especially for parts, because they are often printed on the item itself.
• Links to product pages on your own website only.

Limits: look-alikes, poor photos, out-of-date stock

• Look-alikes. Two backpacks from different brands can look the same in a photo. When the scores are close, the assistant shows both and lets the customer choose. It doesn't pick one for them.
• Poor photos. Blurry or dark images, or an item seen from an odd angle, may be misread. The result is "not identified" and a polite request for the name or a link, not a wrong product.
• Out-of-date stock. Availability is whatever your last import said. If stock changes daily, import daily, or the label may be out of date.
• Your catalog only. The assistant doesn't search the web or other stores. If you don't sell it, it can't find it.

We prefer to state these limits up front. The feature saves time on clear cases and asks for a name or a link on unclear ones.

Where it fits: online stores, local retail, parts suppliers

It helps most where customers struggle to name what they want: online stores with large catalogs, retail stores that get "do you stock this?" photos, and manufacturers and wholesalers whose buyers send pictures of worn parts. When the photo shows a problem rather than a product, such as a damaged delivery or a broken fitting, the photo and file uploads page covers that flow.

Questions and answers

Does it search the whole internet for the product?

No. It only matches against the catalog you imported. If an item isn't in your catalog, the assistant says it can't identify it and asks for more details.

Which image types can customers send?

Photos and screenshots in JPG, PNG, WebP or GIF format. Each image is checked before it is used.

Is product search available on Standard?

No. Photo uploads, image understanding and catalog search are Premium features.

How do I keep prices and stock right?

Import the catalog again whenever prices or stock change. Prices, availability and links shown in the chat come only from the latest import.