YouTube will show AI-generated comparison tables for product review searches through Ask YouTube, its experimental conversational search tool, the company announced at its Made On YouTube event on Sept. 23.

When users search for reviews of a specific product, the results may include organized video recommendations presented in a comparison table listing product attributes and categories based on the user's preferences. Once a viewer selects a video, Ask YouTube can answer follow-up questions about the product directly on that video's watch page.

Johanna Voolich, YouTube's Vice President of Product Management for Viewer Products, described the update in the company's announcement.

"When searching for reviews of a specific product, you may receive organized video recommendations, such as a comparison table that includes product attributes and categories based on your preferences. Once you click on a video that interests you most, you can continue asking more questions about the product directly on the video's watch page."

The comparison tables extend a capability first observed in April, when Ask YouTube generated comparison tables for various searches during an experiment. The latest update applies those tables specifically to product review queries. The tables live in the search version of Ask YouTube, accessed through the search bar. Product follow-up questions run in the watch-page version, a separate feature reached by clicking a button below videos. Voolich's post also notes that viewers can ask questions by voice while watching on TV, a capability already documented in the watch-page help guide for smart TVs and game consoles.

Limited but growing reach

The search version remains an experiment. Its help page states it is available to "a limited number of users in the United States searching in English on a computer, mobile, or TV device," with availability "gradually expanding to more users." That is a wider footprint than in April, when the feature was restricted to U.S. Premium subscribers aged 18 and older on desktop.

The watch-page version has broader distribution. Its help page lists dozens of countries and languages, and the feature appears on select videos for signed-in users aged 13 and older. During Alphabet's Q2 earnings call, Sundar Pichai said more than 140 million users engaged with Ask YouTube on the watch page in June.

What marketers should watch

For brands and ecommerce teams with access, the shopping experience offers a practical audit tool: run primary product queries through Ask YouTube to see which creator reviews surface and which attributes appear in the responses.

The ranking system behind Ask YouTube responses "prioritizes relevance, engagement, and quality," according to the search help page, mirroring regular YouTube search. Neither help page explains in more detail how videos are selected, and the Sept. 23 announcement does not clarify how videos are chosen for product searches or where the product attribute data in the tables originates.

YouTube has not provided rollout timing, geography, or eligibility details for the new shopping capabilities. As of Sept. 23, the search help page makes no mention of shopping, though it states that Ask YouTube conversations are not used to show ads "in this experimental phase." The watch-page help page notes that eligible tagged products may appear in responses.

Google has said the watch-page version, where product follow-up questions occur, will gain agentic video understanding "in the coming months" — a signal that the shopping surface could become considerably more capable before wider rollout details arrive.