Product Search by Image - 1688, Alibaba, AliExpress

From Zen Studio, creators of 1688 Wholesale Scraper, Alibaba Scraper and AliExpress Scraper, with 119,000+ combined lifetime runs.

Why choose this actor?

• Three marketplaces, one run. Your photo is searched on 1688, Alibaba and AliExpress together, and every match lands in one dataset with the same columns. Factory, wholesale and retail prices sit side by side. A two-photo run returned 2,992 results in under two and a half minutes.
• Top matches first, with the detail to decide. Results keep each marketplace's own match order, top match first. Turn on full details to add price tiers, variants with stock, specifications, shipping and the seller profile.
• Suppliers, not just listings. Ask Alibaba for the suppliers behind a product, with their verification report, or add 1688 supplier intelligence with the dropshipping price and 7 and 30 day order volume.

Try it

Open the actor's input page, switch to JSON and paste this. It searches one photo of a white kids' clog on all three marketplaces and returns the top 10 matches from each: 30 results for about $0.17.

{
  "imageUrls": [
    "https://s.alicdn.com/@sc04/kf/Ha59080c6bc4a4404aa64b46bede54e497.png"
  ],
  "targets": ["1688", "alibaba", "aliexpress"],
  "maxResultsPerImage": 10
}

Add "includeProductDetails": true for price tiers, variants, specifications and shipping on every result. Details are billed per result that has them.

Zen Studio Sourcing   •  China wholesale and retail marketplaces
Search by Image ➤ You are here	1688 Wholesale Search by keyword	Alibaba Products and suppliers	AliExpress Stores and reviews

Copy to your AI assistant

zen-studio/product-search-by-image on Apify. Searches 1688, Alibaba and AliExpress with the same product photo and returns one row per match: marketplace, imageIndex, rank (the marketplace's own order per photo: 1 = its top match, or first by sortBy1688 on 1688; not sorted by similarity), title, url, price, priceMax, currency, shopName, plus the full marketplace record under data. Give imageUrls (direct JPEG/PNG/WebP links, up to 25) or imageFile; targets any of 1688, alibaba, aliexpress (omit for all three); maxResultsPerImage 10-500 per photo per marketplace (default 20). For price tiers, variants with stock, specifications, shipping and seller profile set includeProductDetails=true (off unless set, +$2.99/1k rows). For the suppliers behind a product set alibabaResultType="suppliers"; verification reports need alibabaSupplierReport=true (+$1.99/1k). For 1688 dropshipping price and 7/30-day orders set supplierIntelligence1688=true (+$2.99/1k). Both add-ons also add details, billed as details. AliExpress market: aliexpressCountry, aliexpressCurrency, aliexpressLanguage. Prices stay in each marketplace currency; similarity compares only within one marketplace and photo. Cost: $0.05 per run plus $3.99/1k results ($2.99 on Gold plans), so put all photos in one run. Full spec: GET https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/zen-studio~product-search-by-image/builds/default (Authorization: Bearer TOKEN) returns inputSchema, actorDefinition.storages.dataset and readme.

How product search by image works

1. Add your photos. Paste direct links to JPEG, PNG or WebP images, or upload a photo from your computer. Up to 25 photos per run.
2. Pick the marketplaces. 1688 (China domestic wholesale), Alibaba (global B2B suppliers) and AliExpress (retail and dropshipping). Leave the choice empty to search all three.
3. Choose how many matches you want. Between 10 and 500 per photo per marketplace, in each marketplace's own match order. One photo on three marketplaces at 20 each returns up to 60 results.
4. Export. Every result is one row in the same dataset: JSON, CSV, Excel, or straight into Google Sheets, Make, Zapier or n8n.

Good photos give good matches: one product, filling most of the frame, on a plain background. A busy lifestyle photo still returns results, but more of them are similar styles rather than the same product.

Input

Field	Type	Default	What it does
imageUrls	array of links	none	Direct links to product photos. Up to 25 per run.
imageFile	file upload	none	A photo from your computer, searched after the links.
targets	array	all three	Any of 1688, alibaba, aliexpress.
maxResultsPerImage	integer	20	Matches per photo per marketplace, 10 to 500.
includeProductDetails	boolean	off (pre-ticked in the input form)	Adds price tiers, variants with stock, specifications, shipping and the seller profile. Billed per result that has them.
alibabaResultType	products or suppliers	products	Return the matching products, or the suppliers that make them.
alibabaSupplierReport	boolean	off	Adds the supplier's verification report and factory media. Also fetches full details.
alibabaVerifiedManufacturer	boolean	off	Only products from verified manufacturers.
alibabaVerifiedSupplier	boolean	off	Only products from verified suppliers.
alibabaMinPrice, alibabaMaxPrice	integer (USD)	none	Price range for Alibaba products.
alibabaMaxMoq	integer	none	Only products you can order in this quantity or less.
aliexpressCountry	country code	US	Delivery country: changes the products, prices and shipping you see.
aliexpressCurrency	currency code	USD	Currency for AliExpress prices.
aliexpressLanguage	language code	en_US	Language for AliExpress titles.
sortBy1688	relevance, bestSelling, priceAsc, priceDesc	relevance	Order of 1688 results.
minPrice1688, maxPrice1688	integer (CNY)	none	Price range for 1688 products.
supplierIntelligence1688	boolean	off	Adds the dropshipping price and tiers, 7 and 30 day order volume and distributor counts. Also fetches full details.

Coming from another image search tool? maxProducts, maxResults, maxItems, imageUrl, images, provider and similar field names are understood too.

What data you get

Every row starts with the same columns on every marketplace, so you can sort and compare across 1688, Alibaba and AliExpress without reshaping anything:

Column	Meaning
marketplace	1688, alibaba or aliexpress
imageIndex, imageUrl	Which of your photos this result matches
rank	Position in the marketplace's own results for that photo: 1 = first, which is the marketplace's top match, or first in your sortBy1688 order on 1688
resultType	product, or supplier in Alibaba suppliers mode
title, productId, url, image	The matching listing
price, priceMax, currency, priceText	Price or price range in the marketplace's currency: CNY on 1688, USD on Alibaba, your chosen currency on AliExpress. priceText is the price as displayed (Alibaba, AliExpress)
similarity	Visual match score where the marketplace provides one (1688, AliExpress). Compare it only within one marketplace and one photo; use rank across marketplaces
shopName, shopUrl	Seller or supplier. On AliExpress the shop link comes with full details
hasDetails	Whether full product details were added to this row
data	The complete marketplace record: everything the marketplace shows for this result

A real AliExpress result for the same photo (skuImages shortened from 7 entries to 2):

{
  "marketplace": "aliexpress",
  "imageIndex": 1,
  "imageUrl": "https://s.alicdn.com/@sc04/kf/Ha59080c6bc4a4404aa64b46bede54e497.png",
  "rank": 1,
  "resultType": "product",
  "title": "Fashion Girl Boy Summer Slippers EVA Beach Sandals Garden Shoes Soft Kids Outdoor Slippers Flip Shoes",
  "productId": "1005011682303608",
  "url": "https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005011682303608.html",
  "image": "https://ae-pic-a1.aliexpress-media.com/kf/S537c9e6a2f06447ba46f75d60823528bh.jpg",
  "price": 1.09,
  "priceMax": null,
  "currency": "USD",
  "priceText": "US $1.09",
  "similarity": 0.722217321395874,
  "shopName": "DIY Children Shoes Store",
  "shopUrl": null,
  "hasDetails": false,
  "data": {
    "productId": "1005011682303608",
    "url": "https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005011682303608.html",
    "title": "Fashion Girl Boy Summer Slippers EVA Beach Sandals Garden Shoes Soft Kids Outdoor Slippers Flip Shoes",
    "image": "https://ae-pic-a1.aliexpress-media.com/kf/S537c9e6a2f06447ba46f75d60823528bh.jpg",
    "imageWidth": 350,
    "imageHeight": 350,
    "images": [],
    "currency": "USD",
    "currencySymbol": "$",
    "price": 1.09,
    "priceFormatted": "US $1.09",
    "originalPrice": 12.98,
    "originalPriceFormatted": null,
    "discountPercent": 91,
    "taxRate": 0,
    "taxAmount": null,
    "sellerOfferPrice": 12.6,
    "rating": 4.4,
    "soldText": "149 sold",
    "soldCount": 149,
    "categoryId": "1501,200000947,200001005",
    "postCategoryId": "200001005",
    "isChoice": true,
    "sellingPoints": [],
    "energyLabel": null,
    "listedAt": "2026-02-07 00:00:00",
    "promoType": null,
    "promoText": null,
    "isAd": false,
    "adLabel": null,
    "itemId": "1005011682303608",
    "spuId": null,
    "skuId": "12000056232459096",
    "skuTags": "[86884]",
    "promotionDetails": "5000000210788678:1:501;5000000216892080:1:688",
    "promotionSource": "platformItemSubsidy,realSuperDeals",
    "subProductId": "3256811495988856",
    "skuImages": [
      {
        "propertyId": 14,
        "valueId": 173,
        "image": "https://ae-pic-a1.aliexpress-media.com/kf/S0ce3b9195c2b492c92f539a4f30ec850q.jpg"
      },
      {
        "propertyId": 14,
        "valueId": 193,
        "image": "https://ae-pic-a1.aliexpress-media.com/kf/S53d18569aab045468f2f2fc08bdaa315k.jpg"
      }
    ],
    "skuImagesRaw": null,
    "imageSlot": "Best priced item",
    "similarity": {
      "ctcvr_score": 0.09471702575683594,
      "model_act_score": 0.22355148196220398,
      "model_cvr_score": 0.023159116506576538,
      "model_ctr_score": 0.12031131982803345,
      "v1cnn_score": 0.6586546897888184,
      "mm_vit_score": 0.722217321395874,
      "model_ctcvr_score": 0.09471702575683594,
      "corre_score": 1.584325510263443,
      "mm_vit_bert_score": 0.5417075753211975,
      "a_fusion_ecpm": 1.2968171992488358,
      "mm_bert_score": 0.6193913817405701,
      "mm_qwenvl_score": 0.7218791246414185,
      "a_cate_similarity_score_rep_topk": 0.8776608109474182,
      "model_rel_score": 0.18943405151367188
    },
    "deliveryDaysMin": 6,
    "deliveryDaysMax": 11,
    "estimatedDeliveryFrom": "2026-09-22",
    "estimatedDeliveryTo": "2026-09-27",
    "storeName": "DIY Children Shoes Store",
    "companyName": "义乌若虹饰品有限公司"
  }
}

Full product details

With includeProductDetails on, data grows into the full product record. Detailed rows are large (roughly 20 to 150 KB each), so JSON export keeps them intact best.

Marketplace	What details add
1688	Every variant with price, stock and image (skuDetails), quantity price tiers, minimum order, stock and unit, shipping fee, ship-from city and dispatch time, specifications, description, supplier business type and years on 1688
Alibaba	Quantity price tiers (detail.ladderPrices), variants (detail.skus), specifications, lead time, samples, certifications, customization options, and the supplier's response time, on-time delivery rate, operational address and 6-month orders
AliExpress	Every variant with price and stock (variants), price range, total inventory, shipping options with cost and delivery days, specifications, gallery, description, coupons, buyer protections, and the seller block with store id, country, opening date and positive feedback rate

Suppliers and add-ons

• Alibaba suppliers mode (alibabaResultType: "suppliers"): one row per supplier that makes the product in your photo, with company name, country and city, factory flag and certifications, main products, staff size, verified-supplier badges and profile link. price is empty on supplier rows.
• Alibaba supplier verification report (alibabaSupplierReport): the third-party verification report and factory photos or videos, under data.report and data.supplierMedia, for suppliers that have one.
• 1688 supplier intelligence (supplierIntelligence1688): data.dropship with the dropshipping price and tiers, supported sales channels, 7 and 30 day order volume and distributor count as 1688 shows them (ranges such as "500+"), and 24/48 hour pickup rates.

More examples

Find the Alibaba suppliers behind a product, with verification reports:

{
  "imageUrls": [
    "https://s.alicdn.com/@sc04/kf/Ha59080c6bc4a4404aa64b46bede54e497.png"
  ],
  "targets": ["alibaba"],
  "maxResultsPerImage": 20,
  "alibabaResultType": "suppliers",
  "alibabaSupplierReport": true
}

Best-selling 1688 matches in a price range, with dropshipping price and order volume:

{
  "imageUrls": [
    "https://s.alicdn.com/@sc04/kf/Ha59080c6bc4a4404aa64b46bede54e497.png"
  ],
  "targets": ["1688"],
  "maxResultsPerImage": 20,
  "sortBy1688": "bestSelling",
  "minPrice1688": 1,
  "maxPrice1688": 200,
  "includeProductDetails": true,
  "supplierIntelligence1688": true
}

AliExpress listings for buyers in Germany, priced in euros:

{
  "imageUrls": [
    "https://s.alicdn.com/@sc04/kf/Ha59080c6bc4a4404aa64b46bede54e497.png"
  ],
  "targets": ["aliexpress"],
  "maxResultsPerImage": 20,
  "aliexpressCountry": "DE",
  "aliexpressCurrency": "EUR",
  "aliexpressLanguage": "de_DE"
}

Pricing

Pay per event: you pay for the results you get, plus a small fee per run.

Event	When it is charged	Price
Actor start	Once per run	$0.05
Result	Each product or supplier row	$3.99 per 1,000 ($2.99 on Gold plans and above)
Full product details	Each row that has details	$2.99 per 1,000
Supplier verification report	Each Alibaba row that has a report	$1.99 per 1,000
Supplier intelligence	Each 1688 row that has it	$2.99 per 1,000
Dataset item	Each row stored	$0.01 per 1,000

Result prices drop with your Apify plan: $3.99 on Free, $3.69 on Bronze, $3.39 on Silver, $2.99 on Gold and above. Add-ons are charged only when the data is actually in the row.

What typical runs cost at Free plan prices:

Run	Results	Cost
1 photo, 3 marketplaces, 10 each	30	$0.17
1 photo, 3 marketplaces, 10 each, with details	30	$0.26
10 photos, 3 marketplaces, 20 each	600	$2.45

The input form pre-ticks full details: one photo at the form's 20 results per marketplace with details costs $0.47.

The start fee is charged once per run, so put all your photos into one run instead of starting one run per photo. Set a maximum cost per run in the run options and the search stops cleanly when it is reached.

FAQ

Do I need a 1688, Alibaba or AliExpress account? No. Paste a photo link or upload a file and start the run. There is nothing to install and no browser extension. 1688 titles and seller names come back in Chinese, exactly as 1688 shows them.

Does it find the exact product or similar ones? Both. Each marketplace returns its own top matches first, so the same product usually appears near the top, followed by close alternatives. Clear photos of a single product on a plain background match best.

Can I compare 1688, Alibaba and AliExpress prices from the same photo? Yes, that is what the shared columns are for. price, priceMax and currency sit in the same place on every row. Currencies are kept as each marketplace shows them (CNY, USD, or your AliExpress currency), so convert before comparing totals.

How many results can I get per photo? Between 10 and 500 per photo per marketplace, up to 25 photos per run. A photo on all three marketplaces at 500 each returns up to 1,500 results.

Which image links work? Direct links to a JPEG, PNG or WebP file, or a photo uploaded in the input form. A link to a web page that merely contains the image does not work. Images that cannot be opened are skipped with a message in the log, and the run continues with the rest.

Why did a marketplace return fewer results than I asked for? Filters narrow the search: a price range, a maximum order quantity or verified-only options can leave fewer matches. If a marketplace could not be searched, the log says so. Apart from the start fee, you are only charged for the rows you receive.

What happens when the cost or time limit is reached? The run stops cleanly, keeps every result delivered so far and says in the log which marketplaces stopped early. If none of your images can be opened, the run fails with a message; the $0.05 start fee still applies.

How do I find verified manufacturers from a photo? Search Alibaba with alibabaVerifiedManufacturer on for matching products from verified manufacturers, or set alibabaResultType to suppliers and add alibabaSupplierReport for the suppliers themselves with their verification reports.

Can I run it on a schedule or from my own code? Yes. Use Apify schedules, webhooks, the Apify client libraries for Python and JavaScript, or integrations such as Make, Zapier and n8n. Each run writes to its own dataset.

More Zen Studio scrapers for e-commerce and sourcing

🌏 Wholesale marketplaces

• Alibaba.com
  • Alibaba Scraper
  • Alibaba Supplier Review Scraper
• 1688 阿里巴巴
  • 1688 Wholesale Scraper
  • 1688 Reviews Scraper

🏭 Supplier & manufacturer directories

• ThomasNet
  • ThomasNet Suppliers Scraper
• GlobalSpec
  • GlobalSpec Suppliers Scraper
• eSources
  • eSources Wholesale Directory Scraper
• Avito
  • Avito Supplier Directory Scraper

📦 Import & trade intelligence

• ImportYeti
  • ImportYeti Scraper

🛒 E-commerce

• Weidian 微店
  • Weidian Scraper
• Lazada
  • Lazada Product Scraper
  • Lazada Reviews Scraper
  • Lazada Store Scraper
• Naver Search 네이버 검색
  • Naver Search Scraper
• AliExpress 全球速卖通
  • AliExpress Product Scraper
• Coupang 쿠팡
  • Coupang Search Scraper
  • Coupang Review Scraper
  • Coupang Product Detail Scraper
• Naver Shopping 네이버쇼핑
  • Naver Shopping Scraper
  • Naver Shopping Product Detail Scraper
  • Naver Shopping Review Scraper
• Naver Blog & Cafe 네이버 블로그·카페
  • Naver Blog & Cafe Scraper

Support

• Bugs: Issues tab
• Features: Issues tab

Legal compliance

This actor collects publicly available product and seller listings. You are responsible for using the data in line with each marketplace's terms of service and applicable data protection law, including GDPR, CCPA and China's PIPL. Seller and company details can be business or personal data; handle them accordingly.

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Product search by image on 1688, Alibaba and AliExpress: factory, wholesale and retail prices, suppliers and full product details from one photo.