Find the Right Products for Your Project with the New CADdetails Search
Finding the right product for a project should be simple. That's why search remains one of the most important tools on CADdetails: in our 2026 AEC user survey, nearly 80% of respondents said they begin their experience by entering a query directly into the search bar.
As the CADdetails product library has grown, traditional keyword-based search has made it harder to surface the most relevant results, especially when manufacturers and design teams use different terminology to describe similar products. So, we rebuilt it.
The new search experience reads project intent, industry terminology, and natural language queries, so it surfaces more relevant results. Whether you're searching by product type, performance requirement, application, or a highly specific project need, the new CADdetails search is built to get you to the right products faster.
In this blog, we’ll explore:
Why We Rebuilt Search on CADdetails
Designed Around How You Actually Search
What’s Next for Search on CADdetails
Why We Rebuilt Search on CADdetails
Searching for building products isn't as straightforward as searching on a typical e-commerce website. Design professionals like you use a wide range of terminology depending on your role, project stage, technical requirements, and regional preferences:
Product performance requirements
Technical specifications
Industry abbreviations
Application-based language
CSI-related terminology
Material types
Regional terminology and naming conventions
For example, if you’re looking for acoustic ceiling products, you might search for:
Acoustic ceiling panels for open office noise
Ceiling products with high NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) rating
Sound-absorbing ceiling system for conference room
Decorative acoustic ceiling clouds
Suspended ceiling for sound control
While these terms may describe related solutions, traditional keyword-based search often treats them as completely separate queries. Language itself adds another layer of complexity: approximately 40% of English words have multiple meanings, making it difficult for keyword-based search systems to accurately determine your intent.
Instead of relying solely on exact keyword matches, the new search engine recognizes related terminology and surfaces products based on contextual relevance—closer to how you actually think and work. The table below highlights the key differences between traditional keyword-based search and the smarter, semantic CADdetails search experience.
| Traditional Search (Keyword-Based) | New CADdetails Search (Semantic) |
|---|---|
| Matches keywords | Understands search intent |
| Limited synonym recognition | Recognizes related AEC terminology |
| Less forgiving of misspellings | Handles imperfect searches |
| May miss relevant products | Surfaces more relevant products |
| Static ranking logic | Context-aware relevance ranking |
| Fewer discovery opportunities | More opportunities for product visibility and specification |
For a deeper look at the underlying difference, see this explainer on keyword vs. semantic search.
Designed Around How You Actually Search
A key goal of this redesign was to align search with the way you work in the real world. Here's a closer look at what's changed.
Faster, More Relevant Search Results
The new search prioritizes results by intent, not just keyword matches, so you can find the products that best fit your project requirements with fewer searches and less scrolling. We've also redesigned the results page to make products easier to browse, evaluate, and compare at a glance.
More product results visible on each page
Cleaner, easier-to-scan search results
Improved product cards with a more consistent layout
Better visibility for product information and key details
What this means for you: review more product options in less time and compare key details without leaving the results page.
Product-First Search Results
We've redesigned search results to put products, instead of files, at the center of the experience. Before, filtering by file type (CAD or BIM, for example) surfaced a technical file preview rather than the product itself. This was useful for grabbing a specific resource, but it took extra steps to identify and compare the products behind those files. The new product-first experience keeps the product front and center no matter how you search or filter.
Product images displayed across search results
More consistent visual presentation throughout the search experience
Faster product recognition and evaluation
Greater emphasis on the products behind the files
What this means for you: identify relevant solutions and compare options at a glance, then download the CAD, BIM, 3D, or spec files once you've confirmed it's the right product.
Better Relevance Matching
The new search engine is built to understand the intent behind a search, helping you discover relevant products even when you don't use exact product names or keywords. By recognizing industry terminology, related concepts, and contextual meaning, results now align more closely with what you're actually looking for.
Improved recognition of AEC-specific terminology and technical language
More accurate ranking based on relevance and search intent
Better visibility for products across a wider variety of search queries
Stronger matching for multi-word and project-focused searches
For example, when you search a specific phrase or product requirement, the system prioritizes results that closely match the full query while also surfacing related products relevant to your project.
What this means for you: spend less time refining searches and more time evaluating the products that fit your design and construction goals.
Smarter Filtering & Sponsored Results
We've also enhanced filtering and sponsored placement logic so you can narrow your search and discover products aligned with your project requirements.
Improved on-page filters for faster, more precise product discovery
Sponsored placements shown only when relevant to the user's search
Sponsored Company filters that make it easier to explore a manufacturer's full product offering
Increased visibility opportunities for manufacturers within relevant searches
What this means for you: narrow down on the right products faster with filters and sponsored results that are more closely aligned with your search intent.
What’s Next for Search on CADdetails
Rebuilding search isn't a one-time update—it's an ongoing investment in helping you discover the right products, technical content, and manufacturer information. We’ll keep improving the CADdetails search experience with:
Smarter relevance models
Stronger product metadata
Enhanced semantic understanding
AI-assisted discovery
More personalized results
Our goal remains the same: faster, more relevant product discovery for design professionals like you.
Find What You Need on CADdetails
Search shouldn't slow down the design and specification process. Between product-first results, better relevance matching, and smarter filtering, the new CADdetails search is built to get you from query to spec faster.
Try the new CADdetails search now: visit CADdetails and run your first search →
Cover image by Zhang qc on Unsplash
