Building an AI-Powered Search Engine for the Automotive Industry
CYTK and Xmartlabs joined forces around a shared ambition: build the most innovative, effective AI-powered search platform for automotive professionals — and fundamentally rethink what that could look like.
May 2020
Partnership begins
2022
Platform rebuild
Today
Ongoing collaboration
Overview
Revolutionizing how repair information is accessed and used
CYTK has revolutionized how automotive repair information is accessed and used. Through a partnership with Xmartlabs that began in May 2020, CYTK transformed its initial voice-command app into a modern search platform that helps mechanics quickly find and understand the information they need.
From the start, the vision was bigger than search alone — CYTK is building toward becoming the central interface through which automotive technicians find, interpret, and act on repair intelligence — a mobile-first platform purpose-built for the shop floor.
CYTK brought deep domain knowledge of the automotive industry and a clear product vision; Xmartlabs brought the engineering depth and AI expertise to bring it to life. What followed was a holistic, collaborative rethink of how search and data architecture could serve industrial professionals at their best.
Challenge
Increasing efficiency in a rapid-moving industry
Automotive repair is a demanding and fast-paced industry that’s ever-evolving. There are vast amounts of technical information spread across multiple sources, and finding it is often time-consuming — manual searches through traditional repair manuals, complex terminology, and industry-specific knowledge slow down even the most experienced technicians.
CYTK aimed to speed up this process for automotive mechanics through technology. This came with a double challenge: not only did the platform have to be highly performant, but it also had to be intuitive for the diverse needs of automotive technicians, considering their unique working environment and preferences. Addressing this required a fundamental rethink of the platform’s architecture and AI strategy. Together, both teams aligned on three core principles:
01
Search had to get smarter, not just faster
Mechanics search using industry shorthand, symptoms, and part names — not clean keyword queries. The platform needed to understand automotive language the way a senior technician does.
02
Data architecture had to become the foundation
Heavy reliance on real-time calls to external data sources created unpredictable latency. The opportunity was to pre-process, standardize, and index data so every query hit a purpose-built layer.
03
AI had to be applied where it actually adds value
The path forward wasn’t more ML complexity — it was a clearer strategy for where intelligence belongs. Keep core search deterministic and fast; apply AI precisely where it improves UX.
Solution
A holistic approach, built in close partnership
Working side by side as strategic consultants and technology partners, both teams rebuilt CYTK’s search capabilities across three interconnected pillars — each one informed by the domain expertise CYTK brought and the engineering rigor Xmartlabs delivered.
01
Rebuilt data pipelines & architecture
Standardized data ingestion from multiple external APIs into a centralized taxonomy indexed on Elasticsearch — replacing fragile real-time calls with a structured, pre-processed layer.
02
Optimized search for relevance & precision
Implemented synonym handling, intelligent scoring adjustments, pagination, and multi-source result merging. Search went from a pain point to a competitive advantage.
03
A targeted, pragmatic AI roadmap
Keep the core deterministic — fast, reliable, predictable — while applying AI selectively where it meaningfully improves how users find, understand, and navigate information.
Where AI actually moves the needle
Rather than adding AI complexity for its own sake, both teams identified the specific use cases where intelligence creates real value for technicians.
Chat-based exploration
Mechanics ask questions in natural language and receive synthesized, context-aware answers from across the platform’s data sources.
Manual & guide processing
Transforming complex repair documentation into proprietary, searchable content — making static materials part of the live search index.
Future-proofing intent classification
Laying the groundwork for LLM-powered intent detection, to be activated once data maturity justifies it.
Keep the core deterministic — fast, reliable, predictable — while applying AI precisely where it meaningfully improves the user experience.
Results
Record engagement — driven entirely by product quality
The rebuilt platform delivered immediate, measurable impact across every key metric. Notably, these results were achieved without active marketing campaigns — organic usage surged because the platform became genuinely faster, more accurate, and more useful.
27K+
Daily interactions
An all-time platform record, up 22% year-over-year
~91%
Monthly revenue retention
Across the active shop base
7.1
Vehicles loaded per shop
All-time record, up 27% year-over-year
~40K
Total vehicles
Indexed on the platform, also a record
Deeper engagement, not just more searches
With improved taxonomy and relevance scoring, users weren’t just querying more frequently — they were doing more with what they found. Average interactions per shop reached their highest level ever recorded.
A sticky, loyal user base
Shops returned to the platform at 130% of the prior year’s rate, with thousands active the vast majority of their available months — a clear signal the platform had become a trusted part of daily workflow.
Leaner engineering, higher value
By aligning technology choices with actual business needs, the collaboration avoided unnecessary ML infrastructure and DevOps complexity — freeing up capacity for the work that genuinely moves the product forward.
“What makes Xmartlabs different isn’t just their technical ability which is exemplary — it’s their people. We’ve had the same team alongside us for years, and that consistency has created a deep level of trust and collaboration. They’ve been there through every phase of the journey — the wins, the challenges, and everything in between. Their leadership and team show real commitment, not just to the work, but to us as partners. That kind of relationship is rare, and it’s made a meaningful impact on what we’ve been able to build together.”
Bryan Levenson
Founder & CEO
CYTK
Technology
Built for performance, designed to scale
Every technology choice was made deliberately — prioritizing reliability, maintainability, and fit for the demands of the automotive domain.
Search & Indexing
Elasticsearch with centralized taxonomy, synonym handling, multi-source merging, and intelligent scoring adjustments.
Data Pipelines
Python-based ETL pipelines ingesting and standardizing data from multiple external automotive APIs into a unified, queryable layer.
Infrastructure
Cloud infrastructure on AWS and Google Cloud — scalable, reliable, and built to grow with the platform’s data volume and user base.
Mobile
Native iOS and Android apps bringing the full search experience to the vehicle — built for speed and reliability under real working conditions.
