In an effort to build its reputation as an ecommerce hub, Reddit is testing a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered search feature designed to showcase products from ad partners based on
recommendations drawn from on-platform communities.
A small group of users based in the U.S. will begin seeing interactive product carousels in their search results, complete with pricing, images,
and direct where-to-buy links.
"When a redditor asks a question related to a product or category like 'best noise-canceling headphones' or 'electronic gift ideas for a college student,' they
will see a related products carousel at the bottom of the results," the company's announcement explains.
Products from Reddit's Shopping and Dynamic Product Ads (DPA) partners will
surface when specifically mentioned by users from conversations on related posts and comments. Clicking on a product tag will offer more information on each product and how to make a purchase.
The feature falls in line with Reddit's ongoing push to expand its ecommerce business, while also utilizing AI-powered performance insights based on 20 years of user posts and
comments on the platform.
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In November, Reddit onboarded millions of small businesses by partnering with WooCommerce, connecting the ecommerce platform's digital
storefronts to the social network and its ad system.
Last month, Reddit also introduced “Top Audience Personas,” an AI cluster reporting feature that uses
Community Intelligence to reveal to advertisers exactly who is viewing and interacting with their ads on the platform.
For now, Reddit's AI-powered ad tools and focus on shopping has helped
the business increase its ad revenue intake by 75% year-over-year, according to the company's most recent performance report.