Kolsquare's New AI Smart Search Does the Thinking for You

Kolsquare today rolled out a new AI Smart Search feature to all users, revolutionising the search for the best creators for your campaigns.

AI Smart Search has autocomplete built-in to a redesigned search bar and is complemented by a new results view in list format, and Lookalikes function.

The result? An intuitive tool that understands what you mean, not just what you type. Interesting creators and lookalikes are surfaced in seconds, meaning you save time scrolling and filtering, and enabling you to spend more time on strategy, relationships and creative.

In essence, the change has evolved Kolsquare's search functionality from a database you query to an assistant that proposes.

"Search is where every campaign starts, and for too long it has worked like a filing cabinet," said Kolsquare Chief Marketing Officer Peggy Studer. "You had to know exactly what you were looking for and how to ask for it. The AI Smart Search works the other way around: you tell it what you need, and it comes back with options you wouldn't have thought to look for."

Influencer Marketing is Moving Fast. The Search for Creators Needs to Keep Up.

The creator economy is moving at speed, as the creator pool continues to grow and brands demand more from their campaigns. Goldman Sachs Research estimates there were about 67 million creators worldwide in 2025, and predicts that number to grow at around 10% year-on-year to reach 107 million by 2030.

Only about 3% of those are full-time professionals. The rest is a long tail brands have to sift through.

Kolsquare data counts around 1.1 million Instagram creators in the U.S. with 5,000 or more followers and around 116,000 in the U.K. as of February 2026. Since June 2022, those pools have grown 15% and 26%, respectively.

Budgets are moving just as fast. U.S. creator ad spend was projected to reach $37 billion in 2025, up 26% year over year and growing about four times faster than the media industry overall, according to IAB. Yet a third of brands say identifying the right creators is their biggest hurdle.

Most influencer platforms haven't caught up with the market. They make you search like a database. You pick a search type, guess the right keyword, stack filters and build lists by hand. The hours add up, and the results depend on how well you phrased the query.

Casting has the same limit. Teams tend to book the creators they already know, because finding new ones that fit takes time nobody has.

Kolsquare rebuilt its search around those two problems: understanding intent and widening the pool.

What's New

AI Smart Search: It Understands Intent

Describe what you're looking for in your own words. AI Smart Search finds creators by the topics they talk about, not just the exact words they use. Type "mum," and results also include creators posting about young motherhood and parenting, even if they never use the word.

Every creator is placed on a "meaning map" built from their bio, their last 50 posts and the visual style of their recent images. Your query lands on the same map, and the search returns the creators closest to it.

AI Smart Search sits in the search bar as a suggestion, "Find KOLs that talk about this topic," so there's no new tool to learn. Smart searches can be saved and reused.

Lookalikes: Creators You Haven't Found Yet

Found one creator who fits? Type their handle, choose "Lookalike," and the search returns creators with a similar style and subject matter, ranked by similarity. The reference creator sits above the results for easy comparison, and the filters you already use still apply. Switch to Content view to see the reference creator's latest posts alongside content from the lookalikes.

Lookalikes also live on creator profiles. The Related tab now shows the five most similar creators, and a "Discover Similar KOLs" button launches a fresh lookalike search in one click. A redesigned network section lists the 20 accounts that mention a creator most, with audience, growth and engagement data. Lookalike searches can be saved, too.

"The best creator for your next campaign is often one you've never heard of," said Peggy Studer. "With Lookalikes, one good find leads to the next. Casting is no longer limited by who's already in your address book."

Results You Can Act On at a Glance

Results now appear in a list view, with key metrics on every row. Each search also shows the most relevant posts behind the results, so you see why a creator matches.

Relevance is now calculated per social account rather than per creator profile. A creator who is a strong match on Instagram but not on TikTok ranks accordingly.

A Faster Search Bar and Filters That Match How You Work

The search bar has been redesigned, with autocompletion suggestions from the first keystroke. Instagram is selected by default.

Three new filter families help narrow results:

• Show only creators already in your lists or campaigns
• Separate brand accounts from creator accounts
• Separate sponsored content from organic content, on supported networks

The last filter gives brands a clearer view of a creator's commercial activity before they reach out.