YouTube, one of the most popular video streaming platforms, is reportedly testing a new feature that will allow its users to buy the products they see in videos directly from the platform. This latest feature is at present being tested by YouTube with a small number of users in the United States on Android, iOS, and the Web. However, this is not the first time that the video streaming platform has experimented with new features.
This new feature will allow the users and the viewers to receive all the required information and options to purchase the products that they will see in the videos. The users will be able to see the product or the list of products by clicking on a new ‘shopping bag’ icon that will be located at the bottom left corner of the video. YouTube is working with select creators for this pilot. The creators of this feature can add certain products to their videos, which the viewers will see.
The feature will additionally allow users to visit each of the product’s page, see and learn more about the product, explore more videos and information about the product.
Back in 2020, according to a Bloomberg report, YouTube was testing this feature with a few channels. They had asked the creators of these videos or channels to use the YouTube software to track and tag products that featured in their videos. Google’s shopping tools and analytics would link the data of these products. The creators of the YouTube channels will have control over the products that will be displayed in their videos.
This feature on YouTube might become very useful and upgrade the platform to a more popular one as this feature will make it convenient for the viewers to purchase the product directly from the video they are watching.
The other recent feature that YouTube is experimenting with is new ways to view short videos on YouTube which people might be able to add directly from the YouTube mobile app.