Dive Brief:

• Videos might not be the only thing YouTube recommends soon. In its latest experiment, YouTube is testing a new feature that creates an automated list of products and related items in videos, according to a company blog post on Monday.
• The product detection feature, which will appear between recommended videos, helps people explore more videos and details about those products on YouTube, per the announcement.
• Any viewer watching videos in the U.S. will be able to see this feature, the blog said. At this time, the company provided few details about the feature and its potential release to international YouTube viewers.

Dive Insight:

YouTube and other social platforms have been experimenting with ways to integrate shopping into it its content in recent years. The shoppable content trend has only accelerated as consumers have spent a majority of their free time at home during the pandemic. 

The product detection feature is the latest experiment that could make it easier for consumers to buy items their favorite influencer recommends.

In January, the company announced that it was piloting a new way to shop on YouTube with several creators. Almost a year ago, last April, the video-sharing platform was experimenting on a "products in this video" feature that would allow users to see more information about the products mentioned in a video. 

Last June, Google released shoppable video ads specifically for YouTube (one of parent company Alphabet's subsidiaries), which includes a "shop now" button that takes viewers directly to the retailer's website to purchase an item.

With a designated spot for recommended products, influencers might not need to put a "link in the description" (as they often say) should the widespread rollout of the product detection feature happen in the future.

Meanwhile, some social media platforms were quick to roll out shoppable content initiatives as foot traffic in physical stores dwindled last year.

Instagram debuted "Shopping in Reels" last year, just a few months after the short video feature launched to rival TikTok. Facebook, on the other hand, partnered with Anne Klein to kick off a four-part livestream shopping event last November.