Google unveils Universal Commerce Protocol for AI shopping

Google announced the launch of the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) today at the National Retail Federation (NRF) conference, establishing a new open standard for AI-based shopping.

Google developed the protocol in collaboration with major industry players—including Shopify, Walmart, Target, Wayfair, and Etsy—to let AI agents handle the entire buying process, from product discovery to post-purchase support, across disjointed platforms.

The tech giant plans to implement UCP within its Search AI mode and Gemini apps soon. This integration will enable users in the U.S. to research products and seamlessly check out using Google Pay and their stored shipping details in Google Wallet, with PayPal support expected to follow.

Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke praised this initiative, emphasizing how “agentic” AI can create unexpected, positive experiences by helping users find the perfect products. Furthermore, Shopify recently announced a similar checkout integration with Microsoft’s Copilot.

In addition, Google is introducing new incentives and tools to assist sellers in capturing consumer attention within these AI interfaces. Brands can now provide targeted discounts to users, particularly when they are seeking recommendations in AI search modes.

Furthermore, merchants can incorporate branded AI-powered Business Agents directly into Google Search to answer customer queries, a feature already being used by retailers like Lowe’s, Michaels, and Reebok.

Beyond consumer-facing features, the company introduced Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience (CX), a new suite designed to help large retailers and restaurants handle shopping and service interactions.

The increasing influence of technology is evident in these aggressive moves into AI commerce; for example, Adobe recently documented a nearly 700% surge in traffic to seller sites driven by generative AI over the last holiday season.