If you’ve ever tried to track down a long-lost product online — only to get lost in a maze of search results, irrelevant listings, or out-of-stock alerts — you’re not alone. But OpenAI’s new ChatGPT shopping features might just change that for good.

With its latest update, ChatGPT now allows users to search for, compare, and purchase products directly through the chatbot’s interface. From electronics to home goods, fashion, and beauty, the chatbot can now return curated, non-sponsored results — with pricing, product descriptions, and links to purchase — all within seconds.

As someone who has searched high and low for a very specific product for years, I was eager to see if ChatGPT could do what Amazon, Google, and other e-commerce giants couldn’t.

A Personal Test: Can AI Really Shop Better?

During college, I had a set of LED star string lights from IKEA that turned my dorm into a Pinterest-worthy hangout spot. They were the talk of the room — until they broke, and IKEA stopped selling them. Despite repeated Google and Amazon searches, I could never find a match. Eventually, I gave up.

So when OpenAI announced new shopping capabilities for ChatGPT earlier this week, curiosity (and a little nostalgia) took over.

The experience? Surprisingly seamless.

I typed in a prompt: “Find me a string of LED star lights that change colors like the ones from IKEA years ago.” Within seconds, ChatGPT offered a list of visually similar products from multiple retailers — including a near-exact match as the first result.

And just like that, my years-long product search came to an end.

How It Works

OpenAI’s shopping feature is available to all users — no login required. However, those who are logged in will benefit from personalized product recommendations that improve over time. Importantly, these listings are not sponsored, and OpenAI does not earn commissions from purchases (at least for now).

Here’s what you can expect:

• Product listings with direct links to retailers

• Visual previews, prices, and descriptions

• Tailored recommendations (when signed in)

• Responses integrated into regular ChatGPT conversation

Currently, the feature focuses on specific categories, including electronics, home decor, fashion, and beauty — but OpenAI has hinted at future expansions.

Why It’s a Game-Changer

Beyond the convenience of AI-curated product suggestions, ChatGPT makes shopping feel less overwhelming. No more sifting through 14 tabs or ignoring the 10 sponsored results at the top of every page.

It’s particularly impressive how precise the responses are, even when prompts are vague. For example, I tested it with: “Find me an affordable handheld vacuum that’s lightweight.” ChatGPT instantly returned top-reviewed, budget-friendly picks, complete with links and reviews.

What stood out most was the clarity and cleanliness of the results — no unnecessary ads, pop-ups, or confusing filters.

The Bigger Picture

As more people turn to AI for product discovery, OpenAI is positioning itself not just as a chatbot but as a search alternative with potential to challenge the dominance of traditional e-commerce search engines.

That said, experts believe there are still hurdles. Shopping through AI raises questions around product sourcing, regional availability, and price accuracy. But if my experience is any indication, it’s already far ahead of where many expected it to be.

Final Verdict

If you’ve got a product you’ve been hunting down, or just want a more intelligent way to shop — ChatGPT’s new features are worth trying. They’re fast, intuitive, and refreshingly ad-free.

You might just find exactly what you’ve been missing.