Coveo is introducing a conversational product discovery feature that embeds natural language interaction directly into ecommerce search, as companies continue to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into core buying experiences.

The new capability, part of Coveo for Commerce, allows users to describe product needs in plain language and receive results tied to a retailer’s product catalog.

About the new Coveo ecommerce search feature

The release reflects a shift away from standalone chatbot interfaces toward integrating AI within existing search environments. Coveo said the feature is designed to preserve traditional search performance while adding conversational functionality.

“Shoppers don’t think in keywords,” said Peter Curran, general manager of commerce at Coveo.

The system enables users to:

• Refine queries through follow-up questions.
• Compare products.
• Build bundles within the search interface.

Coveo built the system on an orchestration layer that interprets user intent and retrieves relevant items from structured catalog data.

Coveo said retailers maintain control over search results through predefined layouts, merchandising rules and content guardrails, even as AI is used to generate responses.

The company positioned the tool to reduce failed searches and guide users from general inquiries to more specific product selections, particularly in cases where traditional keyword-based systems fall short.

The feature is available as an add-on to Coveo for Commerce.

The launch highlights a broader trend in ecommerce, including in B2B distribution, toward search-driven buying experiences that rely more on intent and context than navigation. It also underscores the continued importance of structured product data and merchandising controls as companies deploy AI within digital commerce platforms.

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