What changed
Amazon Lens and Lens Live visual search in the Amazon Shopping app
When
Lens Live launched September 2, 2025; Rufus became Alexa for Shopping May 13, 2026
Who it affects
Shoppers using the Amazon app, and sellers whose products they match
What to do
Upload clear multi angle photos and complete color, material and style attributes

Key takeaways

  • Shoppers search by image on Amazon with Lens: photo, upload, barcode or the Lens Live camera.
  • Lens Live shows matches in a carousel, with Alexa for Shopping summarizing and answering questions.
  • Clear multi angle photos and complete color, material and style attributes improve your chance to match.
  1. 1Open the app

    Tap the camera in the search bar

  2. 2Pick a mode

    Photo, upload, barcode or Lens Live

  3. 3See matches

    Carousel of similar products

  4. 4Ask questions

    Alexa for Shopping summaries

  5. 5Buy or save

    Cart or wish list from the camera

How to search by image on Amazon

Amazon Lens is built into the Amazon Shopping app. Shoppers tap the camera icon in the search bar and choose how to search. The classic options remain available alongside Lens Live, so shoppers can pick whichever fits the moment.

  • Take a photo of an item in front of you
  • Upload an image or screenshot from your phone
  • Scan a barcode to find the exact product
  • Use Lens Live to scan continuously and browse matches in real time

What is Amazon Lens Live?

Amazon announced Lens Live on September 2, 2025. As soon as the Lens camera opens, it starts scanning and shows the top matching products in a swipeable carousel at the bottom of the screen. Shoppers can tap an item to focus on it, add it to the cart with the plus icon, or save it to a wish list with the heart icon without leaving the camera view.

Lens Live launched first on iOS for tens of millions of US customers. Amazon's latest description says it is now available to tens of millions of US customers in the Amazon Shopping app on iOS and Android.

How Alexa for Shopping works inside visual search

Lens Live was the first time Amazon put its AI shopping assistant into visual search. Under the product carousel, the assistant shows short product summaries and suggested questions, and shoppers can type their own questions in an Ask about this bar. On May 13, 2026, Amazon renamed Rufus to Alexa for Shopping, so that is the name shoppers now see.

For sellers, this means a visual match is only the first step. The assistant then summarizes your listing and answers questions from it, so complete attributes, accurate bullets and honest answers to common questions affect what the shopper hears about your product. Our guide to brand mentions in AI search covers AI visibility beyond Amazon.

Visual search on Amazon

  1. New visual search features; 70% rise reported

  2. Lens Live launches on iOS with Rufus

  3. Rufus renamed Alexa for Shopping

  4. Amazon lists Lens Live on iOS and Android

How does Amazon match images to products?

Trade coverage of the launch describes a two step process: a computer vision model on the phone detects the main object in view, then a visual embedding model compares it against billions of Amazon products, using AWS services such as OpenSearch and SageMaker. Amazon has not published how matches are ranked.

What sellers can control is the material the system matches against: product images and catalog attributes. A product shown clearly from several angles, with correct color, material, pattern and style data, gives the matching system more to work with than a single heavily styled photo.

How big is visual search on Amazon?

Amazon has shared only a few numbers. In October 2024, when it introduced a set of visual search features, Amazon reported a 70% year over year increase in visual searches worldwide. At the Lens Live launch it said the feature was reaching tens of millions of US customers. Amazon does not report visual search volume per product to sellers, so there is no direct way to measure your share yet.

How to optimize your products for image search on Amazon

There is no separate setting for visual search. The same work that helps shoppers convert also helps Lens find you. Start with the products most likely to be seen in the real world and photographed, such as home decor, fashion, kitchen and gadgets.

  • Main image: product alone on pure white, filling at least 85% of the frame
  • Secondary images: front, back, side and close up views in true color
  • Lifestyle images: the product in the settings where people would photograph it
  • Attributes: complete color, material, pattern, style and size fields
  • Packaging: show it if shoppers often scan or photograph the box
  • Barcode: make sure the product identifier on the listing matches the packaging

Visual search ready listing

  • Compliant white main image
  • Front, back, side and close up shots
  • True color, no heavy filters
  • Lifestyle shot in a real setting
  • Color, material and style attributes filled
  • Identifier matches the packaging

Images that match well and images that do not

Matching is easier when the product is the clear subject. Photos with heavy filters, unusual angles only, or the product hidden among props give a weaker signal. Keep stylized shots for later image slots and make sure at least three images show the product plainly. Our guide to Amazon image requirements covers the technical rules, and shorter titles under the Amazon title character limit make clear images even more important.

Visual search also shows similar products, not only exact matches. That puts your design, price and reviews next to look alike competitors in the carousel, so strong main images and competitive offers matter.

How PPC Spider helps with visual discovery

PPC Spider's Amazon product photography service plans image sets for both conversion and visual matching, with multi angle shots and clean attribute data for every child ASIN. SpiderOS tracks listing changes so images and attributes stay correct. Book a free Amazon audit to see which listings need better images.

Sources

  • About Amazon: Amazon Lens Live, real time visual search with Alexa for Shopping (aboutamazon.com/news/retail/search-image-amazon-lens-live-shopping-rufus)
  • PPC Land: Amazon launches Lens Live with real time scanning and AI assistant integration (ppc.land/amazon-launches-lens-live-with-real-time-scanning-and-ai-assistant-integration/)
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