When you’re trying to do a bit of research about products, especially gadgets, you probably scour YouTube for product demos, reviews, and other content that can help you make the decision. YouTube has been testing out something to a small subset of users which should make it easier for you. The auto-detect product feature can generate related videos to the products shown in the current video you’re watching. It is now expanding to a larger audience although it is still in the testing phase.
9 to 5 Google says that an early version of this “Products in the Video” auto-detect feature rolled out last year but it was to a small group of random users. Not much was known about it then except that it says as the name indicates. In that early rollout, YouTube is able to detect what products are shown in the video then show links to stores where the items are available. But this latest experiment is now more about related videos.
YouTube has given out a bit more information about the feature. Videos will display a list of products detected in it as well as related products. This will supposedly appear in between the recommended videos when you scroll below the video player. “The goal is to help people explore more videos and information about those products on YouTube” the announcement says. It may look like a banner advert at first but with more interactive elements.
But instead of leading you to a site outside YouTube, the feature will actually lead you to see videos that feature the same product or related products. So if you’re researching about something to help you decide on buying something, this is a convenient way to see other videos rather than continually going through your search results. Basically, it is a secondary recommendation tool next to the recommended videos section.
There is no news yet as to what platforms this Products in the Video feature will appear in. All we know is that selected “people watching videos in the US” will be able to see the feature.
