Another big update. Commerce is coming to Google’s AI properties. It is happening now and, while you will not feel the impact overnight, this is one of those structural shifts that quietly changes how digital commerce works.
What is UCP?
UCP, or Universal Commerce Protocol, is Google’s new agentic commerce framework. It is built on A2P, a payments standard, and powered primarily by product feed data. In simple terms, it enables AI-driven environments to not just recommend products but to sell them.
UCP is launching in the US across Google’s AI Mode, AI Overviews and Gemini. Initial integrations include Etsy and Wayfair, with more expected to follow. Shopify feels like a natural next step. This is not a surface-level feature update. It is infrastructure.
Why this matters
Google’s AI surfaces are built for discovery, comparison and decision-making. They are designed to help users explore options, refine preferences, shortlist products and validate choices. Until now, the final step, purchase, happened somewhere else. UCP closes that loop.
By embedding sales capability directly into the environments where users research and decide, Google is fundamentally shortening the path from intent to transaction. The distance between consideration and checkout is becoming smaller.
Adoption will take time
It is unlikely that we will see huge numbers immediately. Adoption will depend on trust. Consumers need confidence that transactions are secure, that returns are straightforward and that the AI genuinely understands what they are looking for. The experience needs to feel seamless and reliable.
Mobile commerce is a useful benchmark. It did not dominate from day one. It grew as user experience improved and trust increased. AI commerce will likely follow a similar curve. Slow build, then scale.
OpenAI is moving too
OpenAI is heading in the same direction. Its reported A2C, or Agent-to-Consumer, protocol is expected to bring transactional capability into ChatGPT. Unlike Google, it is widely reported that OpenAI will charge a transaction fee of around 4 percent.
That is not insignificant. It may be a tougher proposition for merchants on paper. However, if AI agents truly deliver sales end-to-end, from identifying a problem or need through to checkout, the economics begin to resemble performance media rather than platform commission. If AI becomes the full funnel, the commercial model starts to look different.
What this means for brands
This is not about tactical reaction tomorrow. It is about recognising that product feeds are no longer just inputs for Shopping ads. Feeds are becoming commerce infrastructure.
AI environments rely on structured product data to discover products, compare options, personalise recommendations and enable transactions. That shifts feeds from operational hygiene to strategic growth lever. Brands that invest in enriched, structured and expanded feed strategies will be better positioned as AI commerce scales. Those that do not may struggle for visibility in agent-led discovery.
The bigger shift
You will not feel this change immediately. There will not be a single moment where everything flips. But commerce is moving closer to conversation. Discovery, validation and purchase are converging into the same interface.
The platforms are building the rails now. If your feed strategy is not evolving with them, this is the moment to start. AI is no longer just influencing the journey. It is becoming part of the transaction itself.
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