YouTube is bringing shopping features to Ask YouTube, its experimental conversational search tool: product review searches can now show videos in a comparison table, and viewers can ask follow-up questions about a chosen product directly on that video’s watch page. The company announced the update at the Made On YouTube event on Sept. 23.
What’s new
YouTube says that when users search for reviews of a specific product, Ask YouTube may return organized video recommendations, such as a comparison table that lists product attributes and categories based on user preferences. Johanna Voolich, YouTube’s Vice President of Product Management for Viewer Products, explained: “When searching for reviews of a specific product, you may receive organized video recommendations, such as a comparison table that includes product attributes and categories based on your preferences. Once you click on a video that interests you most, you can continue asking more questions about the product directly on the video’s watch page.”
The update brings comparison tables to product review searches in the search version of Ask YouTube; earlier experiments showed the search tool could generate comparison tables for different queries. Those tables appear in the search interface accessed via the search bar, while product follow-up questions occur in the watch-page version, a separate feature opened by clicking a button beneath videos. Voolich’s post also notes that viewers can use voice commands to ask questions while watching on TV, a capability already described in the watch-page help guide for smart TVs and game consoles.
Where Ask YouTube stands now
The search version remains experimental and, according to its help page, is available to “a limited number of users in the United States searching in English on a computer, mobile, or TV device,” with availability “gradually expanding to more users.” That is broader than earlier tests that were limited to U.S. Premium subscribers 18 and older on desktop. The watch-page version lists dozens of countries and languages and appears on select videos for signed-in users 13 and older. Sundar Pichai said during Alphabet’s Q2 call that more than 140 million users engaged with Ask YouTube on the watch page in June.
Why this matters
The comparison table could give shoppers an organized way to explore creator reviews alongside product features before deciding which video to watch. YouTube’s search help page says the ranking system for Ask YouTube responses “prioritizes relevance, engagement, and quality,” similar to regular YouTube search. However, neither Ask YouTube help page provides detailed information on how videos are selected, and the Sept. 23 post does not clarify how videos are chosen for product searches or where the product attribute data in the comparison tables comes from. Brands and ecommerce teams with access to the shopping experience can run product queries in Ask YouTube to see which creator reviews appear and which attributes are included in responses.
Looking ahead
YouTube announced the new shopping capabilities without specifying rollout timing, geography, or eligibility. As of Sept. 23 the search help page does not mention shopping, and it states that Ask YouTube conversations are not used to show ads “in this experimental phase.” The watch-page help page notes that eligible tagged products may appear in responses. Google has also said the watch-page version will gain agentic video understanding “in the coming months.”
