Can we use google product search without a product catalogue

[sushrut_top]

I am trying to set up a feature similar to google lens for my app right now. Such that users can auto detect products from product images they clicked. But I do not have yet all the products out there to have catalogue and would like to also fetch gtins/upc of all the exisiting products in my database. Is it possible to do this without having product catalogue or product set?

[MJane]

Hi @sushrut_top,

Welcome to Google Cloud Community!

It’s challenging to create a feature like Google Lens without a product catalog or dataset. Google Lens uses large databases to identify products and find their codes like GTINs/UPCs. Without this, it's hard to accurately recognize products from images.

But you can start with a small catalog and build it up over time. You might not get every product at first, but you can improve by adding more products to your database. Use different ways to collect and grow your product information to boost your chances of success.

In short, you need some kind of product catalog to start with. It doesn't have to be complete right away. Begin small and expand your database gradually.

For more information about catalogs and Vision AI, you can read these documentation below:  

• Features and capabilities of Vertex AI Search for retail - It is a documentation on how you can add and handle product catalog details and user activity logs for your e-commerce apps. 
• Overview on creating catalog and populating catalog -  The page guides you on creating catalogs for more accurate and detailed information resulting in a quality model. 
• Product recognizer guide - This can be the main AI tool for examining and understanding product image data in retail stores.

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