shopify and Google Pioneer Worldwide Commerce Protocol to Fuel AI-powered Shopping
Shopify is spearheading a new era of retail wiht teh introduction of the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard co-developed with Google designed to seamlessly integrate AI agents into the online shopping experience. This protocol aims to unlock a future where consumers can complete purchases natively within AI platforms, marking a notable shift towards agentic commerce.
The UCP is engineered to simplify the process for AI platforms to facilitate complete commerce experiences, including streamlined embedded checkout options. As part of this rollout, Shopify merchants will soon have the ability to sell directly within Google AI Mode and the Gemini app, with all transactions processed through their existing Shopify Admin dashboards.
Beyond Google, Shopify is expanding its reach through a bolstered integration with Microsoft. Merchants can now leverage Copilot Checkout, a new embedded checkout experience within Microsoft Copilot, further extending their sales channels.
“The shift to agentic commerce will require a shared language across the ecosystem-and the Universal Commerce Protocol provides that framework,” stated a senior official at Google. “Through our collaboration with partners like Shopify we’re ensuring the protocol is interoperable and ready to meet the evolving demands of retailers and their customers.”
In a move to broaden the protocol’s impact, shopify is also opening its Shopify Catalog to brands that do not currently utilize Shopify as their primary ecommerce platform. This new “agentic plan” allows these merchants to list their products within Shopify’s catalog and sell across various AI channels without needing to operate a dedicated Shopify online store.
According to Shopify’s Chief Technology Officer, building the Shopify Catalog is a monumental undertaking. “Building the Shopify Catalog is a remarkably complicated task, it’s effectively at the level of complexity of building another search engine or another open AI style kind of operation becuase you need to understand at a very semantic level. Doing all that, yet, fully automatically at the scale of multiple billions of products,” he explained.He further described the catalog as a dynamic entity, constantly updating “like soup,” with availability and product listings changing “every second with millions of items.”
Several prominent brands are already preparing to capitalize on these new capabilities. Monos, Gymshark, and Everlane are slated to begin selling directly through Google’s AI experiences, while retailers like Keen, Pura Vida, and Kyte Baby are already actively utilizing Copilot Checkout.
“Shopify has a history of building checkouts for millions of unique retail businesses. We have taken everything we’ve seen over the decades to make UCP a robust commerce standard that can scale,” said a Shopify VP.
This announcement comes on the heels of Shopify’s Winter ’26 Edition launch, featuring over 150 updates, and reports indicating Shopify merchants generated US$14.6 billion in global sales during the recent black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) period.
Why: Shopify and Google are collaborating to create a new standard for online shopping called the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP).This is driven by the rise of AI agents and the need for a seamless way to integrate purchases within these platforms.
Who: The key players are Shopify, Google, and Microsoft, along with numerous merchants like Monos, Gymshark,
