Amazon Rufus is a free AI shopping assistant built into the Amazon app. You can ask it questions in plain English — like 'What's a good vacuum for pet hair under $100?' — and it will suggest products, explain differences, and summarize customer reviews to help you decide faster.
Online shopping can feel overwhelming. Hundreds of products, mixed reviews, confusing specs — and you just need a good blender. Amazon's AI assistant Rufus lets you ask shopping questions the same way you'd ask a knowledgeable friend, right inside the app you probably already use every day.
What is Amazon Rufus?
Rufus is Amazon's built-in AI assistant, available in the Amazon shopping app. Instead of typing keywords into a search bar, you can ask full questions: "What coffee maker is easiest to clean?" or "I need a birthday gift for a 7-year-old who loves dinosaurs." Rufus reads product details and customer reviews to give you a real answer.
Open the Amazon app and find Rufus
Open the Amazon shopping app on your phone or tablet. Look for a small chat bubble or sparkle icon near the search bar at the top of the screen. Tap it to open the Rufus chat panel. If you don't see it yet, make sure your app is updated to the latest version.
Ask a plain-English shopping question
Type your question as if you're texting a friend. You don't need product codes or category names. Good examples:
What's the best robot vacuum for a small apartment with a cat?
I need noise-canceling headphones under $80 that work with Android.
What's the difference between an air fryer and a convection oven?
Rufus will respond with product suggestions and a brief explanation of why they fit.
Use follow-up questions to narrow down your choice
You don't have to start over every time. Rufus remembers your conversation, so you can refine:
Which of those is easiest to set up for someone who isn't tech-savvy?
Does the first one come in black?
What do customers complain about most with that model?
That last question is especially useful. Asking about complaints often reveals real-world downsides that the product listing glosses over.
Ask Rufus to compare two specific products
Once you have a short list, ask Rufus to compare them directly. Tap a product to open it, then use the Rufus chat to ask:
Compare this to the [other product name]. Which one lasts longer?
What's the main difference between this model and the one you suggested earlier?
Rufus will pull key specs and review highlights side by side, saving you the work of opening multiple tabs.
Ask Rufus to summarize customer reviews
Product pages can have thousands of reviews. Ask Rufus to do the reading for you:
What are people saying about the battery life?
Are there complaints about it breaking after a few months?
Is this good for older adults who don't like complicated gadgets?
Rufus summarizes patterns it finds across real reviews — not just the five-star ones.
Check the answer against the actual product page
AI assistants can make mistakes. Before you add anything to your cart, scroll down the actual product listing to verify the key details Rufus mentioned — return policy, warranty, what's included in the box. If the numbers don't match, trust the product page.
Use Rufus for gift ideas when you're stuck
Gift shopping is where Rufus really shines. Instead of browsing aimlessly, ask:
What's a good gift for a 70-year-old woman who loves gardening? Budget around $50.
My dad is learning to play guitar. What accessories would help a beginner?
What are popular gifts for a new baby that parents actually find useful?
You'll get a focused list instead of thousands of unfiltered results.
A few things Rufus can't do
Rufus only searches Amazon's catalog — it won't compare prices with other stores. It also relies on the reviews Amazon has, which can include fake or incentivized reviews. For big-ticket purchases, consider cross-checking with an independent review site before deciding.
What to try next
Now that you know how to shop smarter with Rufus, you might want to explore the other AI tools built into your everyday apps. Check out all the AI tools Amazon and other stores now offer, or learn what else you can ask an AI chatbot to help with — the uses go well beyond shopping.
