Etsy launches an app inside ChatGPT for conversational shopping

In short: Etsy has launched a beta “app inside ChatGPT” that lets people shop Etsy by chatting, instead of using keyword searches.

What happened

Etsy announced a new native app within ChatGPT. This means people can type a request in normal language, tag @Etsy, and get Etsy product results inside the chat. Think of it like asking a store clerk for help, but through a chat window.

Etsy says this is meant to go beyond basic keyword searching. Instead of searching “wooden coffee table” and then changing filters, a shopper can ask something more specific, like finding a Mother’s Day gift under $100 for someone who loves gardening.

The Etsy results shown in ChatGPT can be browsed and compared. If someone wants more details or to buy, they click through to Etsy.

Etsy has tried shopping features in ChatGPT before. It was an early partner in OpenAI’s “Instant Checkout,” which let people buy items directly inside the chat, but that program ended in March. Reports said Etsy did not see many sales from it, which is one reason Etsy built this new in-chat app.

Etsy also said it is testing a separate conversational gift search inside Etsy itself, a guided “gift assistant” that helps narrow down options through back-and-forth questions.

Why it matters

For shoppers, this could make it easier to find the right item when you do not know the exact words to search for. For sellers, it may change how customers discover products, since the chat tool is choosing what to show first. It also adds Etsy to a growing list of companies building apps inside ChatGPT.

Source: TechCrunch AI