YouTube Integrates AI-Powered Product Search Into Video Pages via Ask YouTube
YouTube has expanded its Ask YouTube tool with AI-powered shopping features, allowing viewers to request product recommendations, comparisons, and buying guidance directly on the video watch page. Powered by a custom Gemini AI model, the feature saw more than 140 million users in June alone — a rise of over 500% since December. YouTube's Shopping affiliate program is also set to expand to 35 countries by year-end.
YouTube is rolling out AI-powered shopping capabilities directly within its Ask YouTube search tool, enabling viewers to ask product questions and receive structured answers — including comparison tables and tailored suggestions — without leaving the video they are watching, according to reporting by Fayfo citing WSAU/Associated Press and Superpower Daily.
Ask YouTube, which originally allowed users to search video content using natural language, now connects viewers to products featured in creator videos. Users can pose specific queries — such as comparing product models or requesting step-by-step buying guidance — and receive organised responses in real time on the watch page. The tool is also gaining voice support for TV, according to the WSAU/Associated Press event summary cited by Fayfo.
YouTube attributed the expansion of Ask YouTube to measurable user demand. According to the source, over 140 million people used the feature in June alone, representing a growth of more than 500% since December. The platform credits this to a custom Gemini AI model capable of matching complex questions to specific moments within a video.
Emily Moxley, VP of Product Management for Viewer AI at YouTube, is cited in the source as a key figure behind the technology, which is described as designed to give viewers instant, useful connections to content.
As Superpower Daily reported and Fayfo noted, these shopping tools build on YouTube's conversational search infrastructure rather than functioning as a standalone shopping platform. At the Made on YouTube event, the company confirmed that video titles and channel names remain visible in Ask YouTube results, ensuring creators retain attribution and traffic.
YouTube's Shopping affiliate program is set to expand to 35 countries by year-end, with more than 1.3 million creators already enrolled, according to the source.
A separate AI shopping initiative called Business Agent is also being tested inside eligible YouTube ads for U.S. retailers, according to Communicate Online as cited by Fayfo. This tool allows viewers to ask product questions directly within an ad, extending AI shopping logic that Google first introduced in Search earlier this year.
For content creators, the source notes that video titles and channel names remaining visible in Ask YouTube results supports ongoing traffic and credit within the creator economy. The source characterises the development as part of a broader industry trend, drawing a parallel to Meta's reported acquisition of Stilla.ai to improve business messaging.
Prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by the editorial team.
