Smarter Search, Cleaner Forms, and Almost 200 of You
A lot has happened since our last update. The last few weeks have been about making search results sharper, part request forms cleaner, and the whole experience more transparent for everyone. Oh, and we're approaching 200 users - thank you for being part of this.
Here's what's new.
Smarter Search Results
The AI search report behind hank keeps getting more intelligent. Three improvements stand out:
Visual Analysis in Search
Product images are now analysed individually and the findings feed directly into how results are scored and ranked. If a photo shows something that doesn't match the description, the system notices. This means the results you see are not just text-matched - they're visually verified where possible.
Gross Prices, Not Surprises
Price extraction now reliably recognises and displays gross prices (including VAT). No more mental arithmetic to figure out what you'll actually pay.
Better Fitment Filtering
The system now checks more precisely whether a found part actually fits the specified vehicle. Irrelevant hits are filtered out earlier, so you spend less time scrolling through mismatched results.
Cleaner Part Request Forms
Creating a part request should feel effortless. We've tightened up the form in three ways:
Two-Line Vehicle Selection
The vehicle selection is now stacked in two clear lines instead of cramped side-by-side fields. It's easier to read and harder to mis-tap on mobile.
Year Warnings
If you enter a model year that falls outside the known production range for that vehicle, the form warns you immediately. It's a small thing that saves a lot of confusion later.
Production Years Everywhere
Vehicle models now show their production years throughout the interface - in search suggestions, in dropdowns, and in the selection itself. No more guessing whether that "Golf Mk6" covers 2008 or 2009.
Onboarding That Actually Guides
New users used to land on the dashboard and... wait. Now we nudge them toward their first meaningful action right after sign-up - whether that's posting their first part request or exploring how hank works.
And a few minutes after registration, a welcome email drops into their inbox with clear first steps. No overwhelm, just a friendly pointer in the right direction.
More Transparency Around Links
30-Day Link Validity
Emails now clearly state that links - for AI reports, ratings, and similar - are valid for 30 days. If a link expires, there's a dedicated page explaining what happened instead of a dead-end error.
AI Report Disclaimer
AI-generated reports now include a note that link availability within the report is at your own risk. We fetch and verify what we can, but the web changes fast. This sets expectations honestly rather than pretending we control external sites.
UI Fixes
Dark Mode Gone Rogue
Browsers that force a dark mode on websites were making our modals unreadable. That's fixed now - hank stays light and legible regardless of your browser settings.
Happy hanking!
Robert - hank team
