Realizing that it’s often difficult to find the right words to describe a look or a specific “vibe,” Pinterest has enhanced its search capabilities by allowing users to start their searches using images rather than words. Currently available for women’s fashion content across the U.S., Canada and the UK, Pinterest plans to expand the functionality to more categories and countries over time.
The platform can now break down and decode images so users can quickly search for the details of an outfit, generating descriptive words like “stereopunk” or “vivid tones” to help the user understand what it is that they like about the image and facilitating further exploration and shopping.
Adding Visually Oriented Search Tools
A refinement bar helps users narrow their search results If a user likes an outfit, the “style” refinement can show them similar outfits in, for example, a more Y2K style, or users can choose the “occasion” refinement to see more formal options for a blue blazer they like. Additionally, Pinterest has added a “Search Image” button that users can activate with a long press on any Pin in their home feed.
Pinterest is using Visual Language Models (VLMs), a form of generative AI, to provide its users with this more expansive visual vocabulary. Additionally, the platform has integrated multimodal embedding models, providing users with the tools to more easily search using a combination of image and text to find the exact content matching their specific tastes.
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“Our visual search technology represents a shift in how users interact with and discover inspiration,” said Dana Cho, VP of Design at Pinterest in a statement. “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.”
Pinterest Takes a Bigger Share of Search
Pinterest has become a popular search engine, used by 39% of consumers for this purpose, according to a survey of consumers and business owners conducted by Adobe in March 2025. A slightly smaller but still significant number, 36%, start their searches on Pinterest rather than Google, with Gen Z leading this group at 39%. The top reasons consumers choose Pinterest for search functions is that the platform is “more visually appealing,” (73% of respondents) and “to easily save ideas,” (56%).
This user interest is attracting advertisers as well; the Adobe survey indicated that 24% of business owners use Pinterest, with nearly one quarter planning to increase their ad spending on the platform this year.
Pinterest, which has staked its claim to monetizing its role as a “positive corner” of the internet, joins other digital commerce and search platforms that are investing in visual search capabilities. In July 2023 Poshmark debuted its Posh Lens visual search technology, and in October 2024 both Google and Amazon enhanced their visual search tools.
