You start a visual search with a photo instead of by typing descriptive words into the search bar. You can use photos you take with your smartphone or pictures you grab off the internet. The search results you’ll get will be a set of images similar to the one you entered, not a list of links. You can click on the different product images to shop around.

With a little practice, visual search can make shopping easier and save you money. Here are five tricks made possible by visual search, available mostly on mobile phone apps. Along with the apps mentioned below, Home Depot, Houzz (for home goods) and ASOS (fashion deals) also have good visual search tools.

→ Find an older item. Google Lens—the Google app’s visual search tool—and eBay’s app are great for these kinds of searches, especially when it comes to antiques and items with detailed designs. For example, searching with a photo of a dish from my grandma’s china set provided a place where I could find a replacement for a broken dish.
Tip: If the first app you use isn’t helpful, try another. The more apps you use, the more chances you have for a successful search.

→ Locate a specific model. Amazon Lens found the exact sneakers I wanted. To use it, click on the camera icon in the Amazon app’s search bar and take a picture of a product.
Tip: To help pinpoint your search, some apps let you enter keywords next to your search bar image. Entering a brand name on Amazon’s app weeded out lookalike shoes.

→ Score designer goods for less. Poshmark, a leading mobile app for pre-owned clothing and accessories, is great at turning up bargains. Using its Posh Lens and a picture of a $78 bargain designer bag from T.J. Maxx, I turned up a pretty good match for just $22!
Tip: Study all of a listing’s product images to verify the item has all the details you want.

→ Track down handmade items and artwork. Etsy, Google and eBay excel at this kind of search. When I searched for a companion to an old metal pig figurine I bought years ago at a flea market, the exact item popped up on all three apps.
Tip: On the eBay app, tap the camera icon in the search bar, take a picture and click Use Photo when you’re done. To refine your search, you can filter results by “New” or “Used,” “Item Location,” “Price” and many other terms.

→ Compare prices. Visual searches with Google Lens, eBay, Amazon Lens and Posh Lens can help confirm that you didn’t miss any bargains.
Tip: Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. Items that look similar may not be the same, and one might be cheap for a reason.