Google has announced a new open standard and a set of AI-powered tools to help retailers sell products in an emerging “agentic shopping” environment, where AI systems act on behalf of consumers.
The company introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard that allows AI agents, retailers, and payment systems to work together across the shopping journey, from product discovery to checkout and post-purchase support. Google said the protocol is intended to reduce the need for separate integrations for each AI agent or platform.
“We believe in an agentic commerce future that is open, collaborative and built for everyone to succeed,” said Vidhya Srinivasan, vice president and general manager for ads and commerce at Google, in a statement.
UCP has been co-developed with retailers and platforms, including Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and Walmart. It is also endorsed by companies such as Flipkart, Visa, Mastercard, and Stripe.
According to Google, UCP is compatible with existing standards, including Agent2Agent (A2A), the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), and the Model Context Protocol (MCP). The company said the goal is to create a common language that allows AI agents to interact with retailers and payment providers without friction.
As part of the rollout, UCP will soon power a new checkout feature on eligible Google product listings shown in AI Mode in Search and in the Gemini app. Shoppers in the US will be able to complete purchases during product research using Google Pay, with payment methods and shipping details stored in Google Wallet. Support for PayPal is expected to follow.
Google said retailers will remain the seller of record and will be able to customise the integration. The company added that the system is designed to reduce cart abandonment by enabling purchases earlier in the shopping process.
In addition, Google launched Business Agent, a branded AI agent that allows shoppers to chat directly with retailers on Search. The agent can answer product questions in a brand’s voice and guide users toward a purchase.
Business Agent will go live with retailers including Lowe’s, Michaels, Poshmark, and Reebok. Eligible US retailers can activate the feature through the Merchant Centre.
In the coming months, Google said retailers will be able to train these agents using their own data, access customer insights, provide product offers, and enable direct purchases within the chat experience.
To support discovery in conversational shopping, Google also announced new data attributes in the Merchant Centre. These are designed to help AI systems understand product details beyond keywords, such as common questions, compatible accessories, and alternatives.
Finally, Google also introduced Direct Offers, a new Google Ads pilot that allows retailers to show targeted discounts directly within AI Mode. The system uses AI to determine when an offer is relevant to a shopper who shows strong buying intent.
“With Direct Offers, advertisers can present exclusive deals to shoppers who are ready to buy,” Google said. The pilot initially focuses on discounts, with plans to expand to bundles and free shipping.
The Big Tech company said it is working with brands including Petco, e.l.f. Cosmetics and Samsonite to test the feature.
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