1688 Image-Based Product Search

SkillSearch

Perform image-based product search on the 1688 platform. Use an image URL to find visually similar supplier products, returning title, price, minimum order quantity, monthly sales, repurchase rate, trade score, and seller identity. Triggered when users mention 1688 image search, 1688 visual search, find supplier by image, reverse image search 1688, 1688 product sourcing by image, or Alibaba 1688 image search. Even if the user does not explicitly mention \"image search,\" this skill should be triggered whenever a user provides an image URL and wants to find matching or similar products on the 1688 wholesale platform.

Available today. Use it from your connected AI after setup.

Connect ahel once, and every AI you use reads what you have installed.

Then ask your AI: use the 1688 Image-Based Product Search skill

What this skill tells your AI

The instructions your AI receives, as published by nexscope-ai/nexscope-ecommerce-skills in ecommerce-1688-search-by-image/SKILL.md and read by ahel’s review.

This skill performs visual product searches on the 1688 platform using an image URL, helping cross-border sellers find visually similar supplier products for sourcing.

Core Concepts

1688 Image Search uses visual recognition to find products with similar appearance on the 1688 wholesale marketplace. It returns supplier product data including title, price, minimum order quantity, monthly sales, repurchase rate, trade score, and seller identity badges.

Data Fields

FieldDescription
offerIdProduct ID on 1688
titleProduct title
imageUrlProduct main image
priceWholesale price (CNY)
consignPriceDropship price (CNY)
salesQuantityMonthly sales volume
estimatedSalesAmountEstimated monthly revenue
quantityBeginMinimum order quantity
repurchaseRateRepurchase rate
tradeScoreProduct trade score
compositeServiceScoreComposite service experience score
sellerIdentitiesSeller identity (Super Factory / Verified Supplier / TrustPass member)
offerIdentitiesProduct badge (Premium Selection)
sendGoodsAddressTextShipping origin
deliveryTimeDelivery time (24/48 hours)
isOnePsaleSupports dropshipping (Yes/No)
isJxhyPremium sourcing (Yes/No)
hasPromotionHas promotion (Yes/No)
isPatentProductPatent product (Yes/No)

Parameter Guide

Image Rules:

  1. Only png, jpg, jpeg formats are supported. webp, gif, and other formats are NOT supported.
  2. Base64 string must be pure encoded content WITHOUT the data:image/jpeg;base64, prefix.
  3. Image source — one of imageUrl, imageBase64, or imageId must be provided (at least one required).
ParameterRequiredDefaultDescription
imageUrlConditional-Public image URL (max 1000 chars). Only png/jpg/jpeg formats supported
imageBase64Conditional-Pure Base64 encoded image string, without data:image/...;base64, prefix. Only png/jpg/jpeg supported
imageIdConditional-1688 image ID from previous search result (speeds up pagination)
pageNo1Page number, starting from 1
pageSizeNo20Results per page (1-50)
priceStartNo-Min price filter (CNY)
priceEndNo-Max price filter (CNY)
filterNo-Filter conditions, comma-separated (see supported filters below)
sortNo{"monthSold":"desc"}Sort as JSON: {field: direction} (see supported sort fields below)
keywordNo-Keyword to further filter results
productCollectionIdNo-Product collection ID (see supported IDs below)

Supported Filters

Multiple filters can be combined with commas (e.g. 1688Selection,totalEpScoreLv1,qrr0).

Filter ValueDescription
1688Selection1688 Premium Selection
certifiedFactoryCertified factory
totalEpScoreLv1Composite experience 5-star
totalEpScoreLv2Composite experience 4-star
totalEpScoreLv3Composite experience 3-star
totalEpScoreLv4Composite experience 2-star
qrr0No quality refunds
qrr1Quality refund rate <1%
qrr5Quality refund rate <5%
qrr10Quality refund rate <10%
shipInTodaySame-day shipping
shipIn24Hours24-hour shipping
shipIn48Hours48-hour shipping
noReason7DReturn7-day no-reason return
isOnePsaleDropshipping supported
isOnePsaleFreePostDropshipping with free shipping
new7Listed within 7 days
new30Listed within 30 days
isQqyxGlobal premium selection
JPFLJapan express line
USFLUS express line
KRFLKorea express line
VNFLVietnam express line
SAFLSaudi Arabia express line
RUFLRussia express line
KZFLKazakhstan express line
HKFLHong Kong express line
MOFLMacau express line
TWFLTaiwan express line

Supported Sort Fields

FieldDirectionDescription
priceasc/descPrice ascending/descending
monthSoldasc/descMonthly sales ascending/descending
rePurchaseRateasc/descRepurchase rate ascending/descending

Sort format example: {"price":"asc"} for price low to high.

Supported Product Collection IDs

IDUsage
262105288Cross-border product collection
262105286Cross-border product collection
262105253Cross-border product collection
262105281Cross-border product collection
262105280Cross-border product collection
262105277Cross-border product collection
262105276Cross-border product collection
262105274Cross-border product collection
262105269Cross-border product collection
262185282Cross-border product collection

Usage

  • API Endpoint: POST /alibaba1688/imageSearch (see references/api.md for full parameters, responses, and error codes)
  • Python Script: python scripts/alibaba1688_image_search.py '<JSON parameters>'

Output strategy (script default behavior):

  • Prints the full JSON response to stdout

Data reading tip: Use jq or ConvertFrom-Json to extract specific fields from the response as needed.

Usage Examples

1. Basic image search

Search 1688 for products visually similar to this image: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/719mRAn2VrL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

2. Search with filters

Search 1688 for products similar to this image: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/719mRAn2VrL._AC_SL1500_.jpg -- filter by 1688 Premium Selection, sort by price descending, page 1

3. Search with sorting

Search 1688 for products similar to this image: https://example.com/product.jpg -- sort by price from high to low

4. Paginated search

Search 1688 for products similar to this image: https://example.com/product.jpg -- page 2, 50 results per page

5. Price range filter

Search 1688 for products similar to this image: https://example.com/product.jpg -- price range 10-100 CNY

Display Rules

  1. Present data clearly: Show results in a structured table with key columns: product image, title, price, dropship price, monthly sales, minimum order quantity, repurchase rate, and seller identity
  2. Image display: When the response includes imageUrl for products, display them inline for visual comparison
  3. Price display: Always show price in CNY format
  4. Seller badges: Display seller identity badges (Super Factory / Verified Supplier / TrustPass member) and product badges (Premium Selection) prominently
  5. Result count: Always inform the user of total results and current page/total pages
  6. Pagination hint: When more pages are available, suggest the user can request the next page
  7. Filter/sort limitation: If the user requests a sort or filter not in the supported list, do NOT attempt any workaround. Inform the user of the supported options
  8. No secondary processing: Results are real-time and not stored in a database, so secondary SQL/data processing is not available

Important Limitations

  1. Data real-time nature: Results are live searches, not stored in any database.
  2. Logic constraint: If the user requests sort or filter conditions not in the preset supported list, do NOT call any other tool or logic to compensate.
  3. Image input: One of imageUrl, imageBase64, or imageId is required. For page > 1, prefer passing imageId from the first page result to speed up queries.
  4. Image format: Only png, jpg, jpeg are supported. webp, gif, and other formats will be rejected.
  5. Base64 format: The imageBase64 value must be the raw Base64 string only — do NOT include the data:image/jpeg;base64, prefix.
  6. Page size: Maximum 50 results per page.

User Expression & Scenario Quick Reference

Applicable -- Visual product sourcing scenarios on 1688:

User SaysScenario
"Search 1688 by image" / "Find supplier by product image on 1688"Basic image search
"Find same-style products on 1688 with this image"Find same-style products
"Cross-border sourcing by image"Cross-border supplier sourcing
"Is this Amazon product available on 1688"Reverse sourcing from Amazon image
"Filter 1688 Premium Selection similar products"Filtered image search
"Sort similar products by monthly sales"Sorted image search
"Show page 2 results"Pagination

Not applicable -- Needs beyond 1688 image search:

  • Text/keyword-based 1688 search
  • 1688 product rankings/trending
  • Amazon image search (use ecommerce-amazon-search-by-image)
  • Image generation or editing
  • Product review analysis
  • Price history or trend analysis

Boundary judgment: When users say "find supplier" or "find same style," if they provide an image URL and the intent is to find visually similar products on 1688, this skill applies. If they want keyword-based search or ranking data on 1688, use other tools instead.

Authentication

Set NEXSCOPE_API_KEY. Visit https://www.nexscope.ai/help/skills-external-access?co-from=skillNS to manage credits.

Signals

GitHub stars
67
Forks
9
Last commit
Sep 2026
Advanced
Catalog kind
skill
Gateway key
ecommerce-1688-search-by-image
Source
github.com/nexscope-ai/nexscope-ecommerce-skills