Google Cloud Vision API Product Search
Google Cloud Vision API Product Search helps retailers build product catalogs that can be searched using images.
What Google Cloud Vision API Product Search is
Google Cloud Vision API Product Search helps retailers build product catalogs that can be searched using images. Create products with reference images, organize them into product sets, and find visually and semantically similar items from a query image. Supported categories include homegoods, apparel, toys, packaged goods, and general. Query images can come from Google Cloud Storage, a web URL, or a base64-encoded string; optional product-label filters support AND or OR expressions under documented rules. Use REST, RPC, supported Google Cloud client libraries, or CSV bulk import to create product sets, products, and reference images. The free plan covers prediction and storage for 0–1,000 images per month. Listed paid storage is $0.10 per 1,000 images; prediction is $4.50 per 1,000 images for 1,001–5,000,000 monthly images and $1.80 per 1,000 for 5,000,001–20,000,000. The product index updates approximately daily, so catalog changes may take time to appear. Limits include 20 MB per image, 10 MB per JSON request object, and 16 images per request.
Good
- Searches visually and semantically similar catalog items
- Accepts images from cloud storage, URLs, or base64
- Offers REST, RPC, client libraries, and CSV import
- Free prediction and storage for 0–1,000 images monthly
Watch out
- Product index updates approximately daily
- A product can belong to at most five product sets
- Requests are limited to 16 images
Who it suits
It suits retailers who want customers or staff to search a product catalog with images. It is also a fit for teams able to work with an API and its product-set and image limits.
Verdict
Product Search provides image-based discovery for a defined set of retail product categories, with several ways to submit images and manage catalogs. Account for daily indexing and the documented request and product-set limits when planning catalog updates.
Plans and prices
From Google Cloud Vision API Product Search's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Prediction, 0–1,000 images/month | Free | Prediction per 1,000 images: free · Monthly usage |
| Storage, 0–1,000 images/month | Free | Storage per 1,000 images: free · Monthly usage |
| Storage, 1,001–20,000,000 images/month | $0.10 a month | Storage; list price $0.10 per 1,000 images · Per 1,000 images |
| Prediction, 5,000,001–20,000,000 images/month | $1.80 a month | Prediction; list price $1.80 per 1,000 images · Per 1,000 images |
| Prediction, 1,001–5,000,000 images/month | $4.50 a month | Prediction; list price $4.50 per 1,000 images · Per 1,000 images |
The facts
Each one read from Google Cloud Vision API Product Search's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Audience
- The product documentation describes Product Search for retailers who want to search their product catalogs using images.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Bulk import
- A CSV bulk import can create product sets, products, and reference images together.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Categories
- Supported product categories are homegoods, apparel, toys, packaged goods, and general.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Content limits
- The documented limits are 20 MB per image file, 10 MB per JSON request object, and 16 images per request.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Image inputs
- Search queries can use an image from Google Cloud Storage, a web URL, or a base64-encoded string.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Indexing delay
- The product index updates approximately daily, so image additions or deletions might not appear in search results until the next update.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Integration
- The API can be called through REST or RPC and has Google Cloud client libraries for supported programming languages.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Product set limit
- A product can belong to at most five product sets.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Vision API Product Search lets retailers create products with reference images, group them into product sets, and find visually and semantically similar products from user query images.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Rate quotas
- The documented quotas include 1,800 query requests per minute, 2,400 resource-management requests per minute, and 120 ImportProductSets requests per day.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Search filters
- Search requests can apply optional product-label key-value filters, with AND or OR expressions subject to expression rules.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Security and compliance
- Google Cloud states it undergoes independent verification of security, privacy, and compliance controls and lists standards including ISO/IEC 27001, 27017, 27018, and 27701, as well as SOC 2 and SOC 3 reports.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- Google Cloud directs users to Stack Overflow with the google-cloud-vision tag, a discussion group, and paid support packages that can include 24/7 coverage, phone support, and a technical support manager.checked 8 Oct 2026
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