---
title: Augmented Reality (AR)
description: >-
  What augmented reality is, how it overlays digital content onto the physical
  world, and the forms it takes in retail and e-commerce.
shortDefinition: >-
  Technology that superimposes digital content (3D models, images, information)
  onto a live view of the real world.
relatedTerms:
  - ar-try-on
  - virtual-fitting-room
  - pose-estimation
heroImage: /glossary-images/augmented-reality-example.webp
keywords:
  - augmented reality
  - AR
publishedAt: '2026-06-10'
updatedAt: '2026-06-10'
noindex: false
canonicalPath: /glossary/augmented-reality
---

## What is augmented reality?

**Augmented reality (AR)** is a technology that overlays digital content such as 3D models, images, or information onto a live view of the physical world, usually through a phone camera or headset. Unlike virtual reality (VR), which replaces the environment entirely, AR adds to the user's real surroundings.

![A phone displaying a 3D armchair placed in a real room via AR](/glossary-images/augmented-reality-example.webp)

## Types of AR in e-commerce

![The three common AR formats in e-commerce: product placement, face and body anchored, marker-based](/glossary-images/ar-types-in-ecommerce.webp)

- **Product placement**: visualizing items at scale in the user's space (furniture in a living room).
- **Face and body anchored AR**: [AR try-on](/glossary/ar-try-on.md) of glasses, makeup, watches, or shoes, anchored via face tracking or [pose estimation](/glossary/pose-estimation.md).
- **Marker-based AR**: digital content triggered by scanning a code or printed marker, used in packaging and campaigns.

Delivery has shifted from dedicated apps toward **browser-based AR** (WebAR), which runs directly on a product page without a download.

## AR vs. generative AI in shopping experiences

AR renders pre-built 3D models live; generative AI synthesizes new imagery from photos. In practice e-commerce uses both: AR for rigid products in real time, and generative approaches in [virtual fitting rooms](/glossary/virtual-fitting-room.md) for apparel, where fabric behavior can't be convincingly rendered from a fixed 3D asset.

<Faq>
  <FaqItem question="What's the difference between AR and VR?">
    VR replaces your environment with a fully digital one, requiring a headset. AR keeps the real world visible and adds digital elements to it, which is why it works on an ordinary smartphone.
  </FaqItem>
</Faq>