“Show me the second one.” Why catalog context matters.
The small follow-up that reveals whether your shopping assistant understands the conversation.
A conversation is more than its last message
Customers naturally say “show pictures”, “only gold”, or “what about the second one?”. If the assistant searches the entire catalog again, it breaks continuity and may show an unrelated product.
Remember the selection, not just the sentence
The current platform stores catalog context with selected product identifiers, facets, and an expiry policy. Follow-up filters refine the relevant selection while isolated business workspaces keep one catalog separate from another.
Clarify instead of guessing
When context expires or a reference is ambiguous, ask a targeted question. Configure whether to clarify or offer a permitted default. Never invent a product attribute merely because it sounds plausible.
A practical acceptance test
Ask for products within a budget, request pictures, narrow the material, and ask about the second item. Verify that identifiers, attributes, and images remain consistent. Repeat after the context expires and confirm the assistant asks for clarification.