Google Moves to Simplify AI-Driven Shopping as Retailers Show Support

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Google has introduced a new open standard designed to help AI tools work seamlessly across the online shopping journey, connecting retailers with shoppers who are ready to make a purchase. The announcement was made Sunday, Jan. 11, at the National Retail Federation's annual conference in New York.

The protocol, known as the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), is designed to enable different AI agents to communicate with retailers and payment systems using a shared system, rather than establishing custom technical connections for each platform. It covers product discovery, purchasing and post-purchase support, according to Google.

Google said it co-developed the standard with a group of major e-commerce platforms and retailers, including Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target and Walmart. More than 20 additional brands and payment companies, such as Visa, Mastercard and Stripe have also endorsed the protocol.

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How the protocol is supposed to work

The UCP is designed to serve as a common language for various aspects of the shopping experience.

Instead of requiring separate integrations for each AI system and retailer, UCP provides a baseline set of rules and formats that everyone can adopt and use. It's built to be compatible with other emerging standards for AI agents and payments.

Google plans to use the standard to support a new checkout feature in AI Mode in Search and its Gemini app, enabling shoppers to complete purchases directly with participating merchants through these AI interfaces. Eligible US retailers can offer checkout using payment details saved in Google Wallet and Google Pay, with support for PayPal coming later.

Retailers remain the merchant of record and can customize how they use the protocol.

Retailer tools and ecosystem support

In addition to the open standard itself, Google said it is introducing tools aimed at helping retailers interact with high-intent shoppers using AI. For instance, a Business Agent feature that allows brands to host conversational experiences in search results, answering customer questions in the brand's own voice, is now live.

The branded agent is available in the Merchant Center to help products surface more easily in conversational and agentic shopping experiences.

Google is also piloting a feature called Direct Offers, which lets retailers push exclusive discounts to shoppers at moments when they appear likely to make a purchase. These initiatives are part of a broader effort to incorporate more retail-specific capabilities into Google's AI and commerce tools.

What this means for consumers

At this stage, the announcement is focused on technical standards and tools for businesses and developers. Google said the protocol will start powering direct checkout from eligible retailers in the US soon and will expand globally, adding more capabilities in the months ahead.

There is no immediate change for most consumers at launch, and the broader impact will depend on how quickly retailers and AI platforms adopt the standard.

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