ThumbtackHome Resource CenterA First Look at Our New AI Experience

A First Look at Our New AI Experience

Marco Zappacosta•Co-Founder & CEO of Thumbtack •Last updated Apr 30, 2026

Last updated Apr 30, 2026

Most home projects start with a moment of hesitation. A leak, a crack, a noise you can’t quite place, and suddenly you’re left figuring out what’s wrong, what it’s called, and who can come fix it. For years, homeowners have been expected to solve that uncertainty by typing the right thing into a search bar. But traditional keyword searches only work when you already know what you’re looking for — and home projects rarely start that way.

At Thumbtack, we’ve always believed that finding the right pro to help you care for your home should feel a lot more straightforward. Now, with our newest AI-powered experience, we’re rethinking how that process works from the very beginning.

What’s new: A seamless path from problem to pro

More than half of homeowners admit they get it wrong when trying to diagnose issues in their house, and almost all struggle to find the right pro for the job. That uncertainty doesn’t just slow things down — it follows homeowners through every stage of the process.

Instead of asking homeowners to turn their problem into the right keywords, we’ve replaced traditional search altogether.

Our entire experience was rebuilt from the ground up to help homeowners hire Thumbtack pros with the same confidence as receiving a recommendation from someone you trust. That meant making AI a core part of the experience — using the power of LLMs to guide you from the moment you need help to identifying the pro who can get the job done right.

Here’s what homeowners will find in the new experience:

Describe your problem your way — Imagine your faucet won’t stop dripping. Instead of struggling to select from a rigid list of pro categories, you can simply snap a photo, record a voice note or describe the issue in text. However you choose, our new experience helps capture your project clearly from the start.
Understand project scope through personalized guidance — Instead of static prompts, the conversation solves specifically for you and your needs. As you share more, we ask tailored questions like “Is the leak coming from the base or the handle?” or “Do you know the faucet brand?” That back-and-forth diagnostic unlocks context and clarity, so you can scope your project and move forward with confidence. We then turn everything into a clear project summary you can confirm or tweak in seconds, so everyone is aligned before the job even starts.
Identify and connect with the right pros — Based on the details you provide, we identify the pros best suited for your specific job — and show you exactly why. Whether it’s deep experience with your type of project, strong customer ratings, availability that matches your timeline, or the best value for your budget, every recommendation comes with clear reasoning. From there, it’s easy to reach out and connect with the pros you choose to keep your project moving forward.
Track details all in one place — In your new project hub, you can view project details, seamlessly communicate with pros, and stay on track with AI-generated conversation summaries. Your phone number stays private and protected so you’re always in control of who you engage with and when. When you’re ready, you can confidently choose the right pro and get that drip taken care of once and for all.

In early testing, almost every customer found it valuable to express their issues through photos or voice or free text, and those using the new experience were more confident moving forward with their projects than those using traditional search.

For homeowners, it means more certainty. You can describe what you need naturally, clearly define scope, and hire with confidence.

For pros, it means better jobs. With clearer project details and a more educated homeowner, they spend less time fielding questions and more time doing the work they love.

What’s next: A better future for homeowners and the pros who power it

This is just the start. We believe this is the future of home care: AI-powered guidance, brought to life by skilled pros. Together, they unlock something entirely new. Homeowners get clarity and confidence from the start, and pros get better, relevant opportunities to do their best work.

We’re testing this experience nationwide now, with plans to launch to all users in 2026. As always, we’ll keep learning from our community and improving the experience across both sides of the marketplace. A new standard for home care starts now.