When you search for a complete part number on Octopart, chances are you’re only going to get one hit.

Makes sense, right? You know what you’re looking for, so you go right to it. You type the part number into Octopart and call it a day.

But what if that part has limited availability? Perhaps the price has suddenly skyrocketed? Or maybe you’ve been using this part for so long that you can’t remember why you chose it in the first place? Sure, it gets the job done, but what if there’s a better component out there just waiting to be discovered?

That’s where Similar Parts comes in. Similar Parts uses a powerful algorithm that matches key specifications from the original part search to find and return other parts that have similar (and in some cases, better) specs. The key specs used for matching have been hand picked by our team of electrical engineers, ensuring that these specs are relevant and useful.

Say you’re doing a search for an AC/DC wall adapter and your old standby, the VEC65US12, is out of stock. Don’t panic! This is where Similar Parts comes in to save the day. Thanks to Similar Parts, your search results will now include matching adapters with the same Min Input Voltage, Max Input Voltage, and Output Voltage.

Your single search result will be matched with key specs of other similar parts using our powerful algorithm.

Think of it as automated part discovery. The parts returned by Similar Parts will always be within the same category as the original search and are algorithmically generated, not cross-referenced. These components may have better availability, lower prices, or possibly even better suited to your project than the original search. At the same time, it's important to check every spec of these alternate parts, as some specifications may be different and might not be suitable for your project.

We’ve designed the algorithm to think like an applications engineer, giving you even more options for designing your project and selecting parts. So next time your search only returns one result, break out of your routine and consider trying a Similar Part suggestion.