eBay Testing Image Search on Desktop
Just spotted this today - it appears to be a test or phased rollout that might be browser and/or account specific, so it may not be available for everyone just yet.
I'm guessing the timing of this test and the major search outage earlier this week might not be completely unrelated.
28 comments
onefootflipper
·5 months agoSo, I have been listing a Warhammer collection recently bought and I test drove the image search. Rather than identifying the correct figure like google nearly always does it instead basically brought up all the other figures from the same collection I had already listed because they all had the exact same paint scheme.
While it wasn't what I wanted, I have to admit it was pretty cool.
christworks
·5 months agoI only have it on Chrome while in ingonito mode. Still, glad to have it. I completely agree that a desktop setup is the way to go. I do not understand how sellers use the app to run their business outside of looking up items out in the field.
@gurlcat When you are done with your yard work, will you do mine? I pay well. 😁
mcdougle4248
·5 months agoLook what I just found using an image from my picture folder. This is not one of my listings, and the ornaments in this listing were made over 10 years ago. It is kind of cool seeing my ornaments from years ago being sold again.
valueaddedresource
OP5 months ago@mcdougle4248 oh that is neat!
And also makes me think this could be useful to find less positive things like potentially fraudulent accounts stealing pictures. 🤔
mcdougle4248
·5 months agoYes, it could be useful for finding less positive things. I found this listing back in January 2024 on Google Shopping. The listing is still active. The seller is located in Uruguay, and the listing indicates shipping from Saint Louis.
gurlcat
·5 months ago@valueaddedresource I'm extremely ignorant about the relationship between eBay and Google, so this may be a very dumb question, but do you think this might make our listings more prominent in Google results, like when someone does a Lens search over there? Or would it still be largely Promotion-paywalled?
valueaddedresource
OP5 months ago@gurlcat they are 2 completely separate things and anything eBay does on site with their own image search will not in any way affect Google results either using Lens or just regular search.
gurlcat
·5 months agoWell poop. Thank you, but poop.
gurlcat
·5 months agoOh, nother little detail I just noticed: Best Match is the only sorting option. But left-side filters all appear to be usable.
valueaddedresource
OP5 months ago@gurlcat thanks for sharing your results!
I tried a few different things and several were spot on like yours.
But for some reason eBay still can't figure out that this is a mouse pad with built in wrist rest even though it's something I have been using when testing out their various image search and AI features for a couple years now. 😂
gurlcat
·5 months agoI could so easily let myself play with this thing for hours, rather than do the yard work on today's itinerary. I'm scared of the new mini chainsaw I just bought, not to mention the mosquitoes that are here already. 😆
valueaddedresource
OP5 months ago@gurlcat just don't try to fight the mosquitoes with the mini chainsaw....or if you do, make sure to have someone filming so you can put it on YouTube and get rich. 😂
gurlcat
·5 months agoOoo!! It's on the Research page as well. VERY NOICE.
valueaddedresource
OP5 months ago@gurlcat interesting!
I saw it wasn't there in Seller Hub overview and just assumed that would go for all Seller Hub pages but nope...I actually see it on just about every other Seller Hub page, including Research, Orders Listings, Store, etc.
mcdougle4248
·5 months agoMe, too!
gurlcat
·5 months agoHuh I never even noticed there's a search bar at the top of the Orders page -was that always there? Anyway I thought maybe if I entered the photo of a recently-sold item there, it might pull up that listing. But no, it just goes to live listings like a regular search.
HOWEVER, while I was there, I decided to filter those results by 'Sold,' and lo and behold, my listing was at the top of Best Match results, because duh it's the exact same photo.
valueaddedresource
OP5 months ago@gurlcat the search bar has been at the top of Seller Hub pages for as long as I can remember, but importantly (like you found out), it's still just an eBay site search - not a search specific to whatever Seller Hub page you're on.
So yeah it's "there" at the top of the Research or Orders pages, but that doesn't mean it's actually integrated into those seller hub pages/tools. Though like you pointed out, it can still be useful if you use it for a "sold" search.
gurlcat
·5 months agoI gave it a somewhat challenging test drive: a necklace made from an old silver Mercury dime.
I thought I might get some results like vaguely-similar silver portrait necklaces, OR regular unaltered Mercury dimes. But nope, got spot-on results. KEWL!
onefootflipper
·5 months agoIt is about time. It is rediculous to have features in the app that are not on the website, the image processing servers already existed, how much trouble was it to finally write the code to make it work from a web browser. Particularly since most mobile apps outside of video games are just modified web browsers in the first place.
This feature missing has always been one of the chief "proofs" that people like to cite in my videos where I explain that "real business is done on computers, don't try to manage ebay from your phone."***
*** The reason behind that is because the app is completely lacking in the majority of the website's features, I can't even do most of what I do on a daily basis using the app. Not to mention how much harder it is to really get good at comping, listing and everything else at high speed using a single tiny screen with no keyboard. It gets so much easier at a workstation with 2 or 3 monitors.
Also, when I say computer, I do not mean a laptop. The laptop is the worst of all worlds when it comes to ebay, you are still limited in screen real estate, limited in typing speed due to terrible laptop keyboards, and slowed down by the terrible built in pointing devices on laptops. And if you are going to plug in an external monitor, keyboard and mouse then you might as well have bought a desktop in the first place.
loose_goose_garage
·5 months agoI agree, I couldn't fathom trying to run eBay through my phone besides simple tasks such as answering messages.
As for the laptop, I am on the same page as I use both a wireless mouse and keyboard since the trackpad and keyboard on laptop suck. But I did get the biggest screen possible at the time. The only reason I don't have a dedicated desktop is I can move around wherever I want with this setup so it is still mobile, just a couple extra accessories.
Looking forward to this desktop feature finally though, won't have to use phone, take photo of desktop screen, and use that for Image Search
onefootflipper
·5 months agoI solved the mobility thing by just putting in a $100 refurb computer from Microcenter down in the basement where I store the listed items and do some of the packing. Between that and the main listing computer I have the house covered.
valueaddedresource
OP5 months ago@stainlessenginecovers yep, the eBay app has had search by image since 2017, except when it went away for a bit in 2021 and was brought back in 2022. And like you said, there have been other similar 3rd party tools available for years.
I'm hoping that if eBay is bringing long overdue app-only features to the desktop experience, maybe we'll finally get dark mode too. 😂
mcdougle4248
·5 months agoI have this feature using Firefox, but not when using Chrome on my desktop.
valueaddedresource
OP5 months agoThanks for confirming @mcdougle4248 ! I have it both logged in and incognito on Firefox and on Chrome it's not there when logged in but is there in incognito.
mcdougle4248
·5 months ago@valueaddedresource
If I use Google on Chrome and search for "eBay", then proceed from there...I can see it
However, if I use the drop-down under My eBay from that page and select Selling, the camera no longer shows
valueaddedresource
OP5 months ago@mcdougle4248 doh! I forgot to mention that. Yes, it's only from the homepage, not from seller hub. Thanks for catching that. 🙂
stainlessenginecovers
·5 months agoPhones have been able to do this for years. Google 'searches' the picture and shows places it's sold (including ebay).
Many use it in Thrift Stores to see if buying that 'thingy' can be resold for a profit.
caldreamer
·5 months agoThat is a pretty neat feature. I just checked from my desktop computer and I don't have "search by image" option available to me.