Frequently Asked Questions
Short answers to what store owners ask most about Product Search by Image AI. Longer walkthroughs live in Tutorials, and the per-field detail is in Configuration.
Does image search cost me anything per search?
Not on the default. TensorFlow.js runs in the shopper's own browser, so there is no account, no key and no per-search charge. Hugging Face and Google Vision both advertise 1,000 free requests a month on the settings screen, and one shopper search is one request.
Where do the uploaded photos go?
On TensorFlow.js the photo never leaves the shopper's device. On Hugging Face or Google Vision it is sent to your server and on to that service. Either way it is not added to your media library and it is not attached to any product.
Why is there no camera icon in my search box?
Three causes, in the order to check them. The license is not active, so the storefront loads nothing. Enable is not ticked on the General tab. Or that box is a plain WordPress search widget rather than a WooCommerce product search form, which is the only form the icon goes into.
The keywords look right but no products come back. Why?
Almost always Search Type. The shipped default, Products Title, runs an ordinary WordPress search needing every extracted word to match one product, which ten words never do. Change it to Products Title and Image Tags Both.
What are Product Image Tags for?
They are the words a photo of that product should match. An AI service answers with its own vocabulary, not your product names, so tags let a product titled Sunglasses be found by shades or eyewear. They are only read under the Image Tags and Both search types.
Does a successful search mean the shopper found something?
No. Successful means the AI service returned at least one keyword from the photo. A search that produced ten good words and matched nothing in your catalogue is still counted as successful on the dashboard.
Why is the first search so slow?
On TensorFlow.js the shopper's browser downloads the model before it can read the first photo. Later searches on the same device skip that. Hugging Face and Google Vision have no download, so their first search is the same speed as any other.
Can I use more than one AI service at the same time?
No. One provider is active and every search uses it. Switching takes effect on the next page load, so you can compare two services on the same photo by changing the field between searches.