Ecommerce is entering a new era, one where AI agents, not just human shoppers, discover products, compare options, and even complete purchases on behalf of users.
To make this possible, the industry needed a common standard. That standard is the Agentic Commerce Protocol.

What Is the Agentic Commerce Protocol?

The Agentic Commerce Protocol is a new open standard designed to help ecommerce stores become readable, understandable, and actionable for AI shopping agents.

In simpler terms:

It’s a universal format that tells AI systems how to:

• Understand your products

• Read your product feed

• Determine what is eligible to buy

• Validate availability, price, and options

• Initiate checkout

• Complete the order on the shopper’s behalf

Think of it like the modern version of a “language” that allows your store to communicate directly with AI tools such as:

• ChatGPT

• AI shopping assistants

• Autonomous purchasing agents

• Voice-based shopping systems

• Recommendation models

• Personal digital agents powered by LLMs

Without the Agentic Commerce Protocol, AI agents can’t confidently interpret your products, and they definitely can’t complete purchases.

Why the Protocol Exists

Until now, ecommerce stores relied mostly on humans reading pages, clicking through steps, and going to checkout.

AI agents don’t behave that way.

They need:

• Structured data, not messy product pages

• Machine-readable attributes, not vague descriptions

• Clear pricing

• Exact availability

• A safe, predictable checkout flow

The Agentic Commerce Protocol provides all of this in a standardized way, so AI agents can interact with your store as easily as a developer interacts with an API.

How the Agentic Commerce Protocol Works

The protocol is built around a set of structured data formats and predictable endpoints.
Here’s a simplified breakdown of how it operates in real interactions:

1. Product Data Structuring

Your catalog is transformed into a standardized schema.
Every product includes fields such as:

• Title

• Description

• Category

• Images

• Variants

• Options

• Pricing

• Inventory

• Shipping

• Return policy

• Purchase eligibility

This creates clarity and uniformity, which is essential for AI agents.

2. Feed Generation

Your store produces a machine-readable product feed, usually in JSON, that follows the protocol’s requirements.

This feed is what AI tools ingest when users ask:

“Find me a heating pad under $50.”
“Show me blue hoodies for mid-winter season”
“Buy a protein supplement I purchased last month.”

The feed tells the AI agent what you sell and under what conditions.

3. Interaction Layer

AI agents can ask questions like:

• “Is this item in stock?”

• “What sizes are available?”

• “What color options exist?”

The protocol ensures the agent receives consistent, reliable answers.

4. Eligibility & Validation

Before an agent places an order, it must confirm:

• Correct SKU

• Availability

• Price accuracy

• Shipping method

• Tax calculation

The protocol defines how all of these checks happen.

5. AI-Driven Checkout

This is where ChatGPT Instant Checkout comes into play.

AI agents can:

• Add items to a cart

• Pass shopper information

• Select shipping

• Process payment

• Confirm the order

The Agentic Commerce Protocol ensures that this process is real-time, secure, and predictable.

Why Agentic Commerce Matters

You’re not just preparing for today - you’re preparing for the next decade of ecommerce.

Here’s what’s already happening:

• Users are starting to shop inside ChatGPT.

• AI agents can build carts and complete orders.

• Product discovery is shifting from search engines to AI conversations.

• Recommendation engines are becoming personal AI assistants.

If your store isn’t compliant with the Agentic Commerce Protocol, AI agents simply cannot understand or purchase your products, giving an advantage to competitors who adopt early.

The Agentic Commerce is not just another industry trend, it’s the foundation of AI-native shopping.