On Thursday, Reddit announced it is testing a new AI search tool. This tool takes product recommendations from community discussions and matches them with items from Reddit’s shopping and advertising partners.
A small group of users in the U.S. will begin to see interactive product carousels in their search results. These carousels display pricing, images, and direct links for purchasing.
This test reflects Reddit’s broader effort to blend its community-driven platform with e-commerce. The move follows the launch last year of Reddit’s first shoppable ad product, called Dynamic Product Ads, which show users personalized product recommendations based on their interests.
During the test, users searching for terms like “best noise-canceling headphones” or “electronic gift ideas for a college student” will see a carousel of related products at the bottom of the results. The carousel features products directly mentioned by users in relevant posts and comments. Tapping on a product reveals more details and then directs the user to a retailer to complete a purchase.
The company stated that this feature surfaces top-recommended products directly from discussions, giving users instant information. The test is designed to make Reddit easier to navigate while keeping community perspectives central. Reddit plans to learn from how people use the feature and refine it over time.
While platforms like TikTok and Instagram have long offered shopping features, Reddit is now following suit. Reddit is also not alone in exploring AI-driven shopping; OpenAI’s ChatGPT rolled out an “Instant Checkout” feature last September that lets users make purchases from Etsy and Shopify within conversations.
Thursday’s announcement follows remarks from Reddit CEO Steve Huffman during the company’s recent earnings release. Huffman said the platform’s AI search engine could be its next big opportunity, both as a product and a revenue driver.
He also shared that weekly active users for search grew 30% over the past year, from 60 million to 80 million. Meanwhile, weekly active users for the AI-powered Reddit Answers feature rose from 1 million in the first quarter of 2025 to 15 million by the fourth quarter.