Google's UCP makes agent-first shopping the new normal - what marketers need to know

Google introduces a new AI shopping protocol: What marketers need to know

Agent-powered commerce just moved from concept to rollout. At NRF, Google announced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard that lets AI agents handle discovery, checkout, and post-purchase without one-off integrations. Backed by Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, Walmart, and more than 20 partners including Stripe, Visa, and Macy's Inc., this is a serious push to make agent-led shopping common.

If your growth relies on Search, Shopping, or retail media, this shift matters. Below is the short version, then concrete steps to act on it.

Quick navigation

• What is Google's Universal Commerce Protocol
• Google expands AI presence with Gemini Enterprise for CX
• What marketers should know about agentic commerce
• The future of marketing: AI transformations by 2026

What is Google's Universal Commerce Protocol

UCP is an open framework that gives AI agents a shared language to work with retailers, platforms, and payment providers. Instead of building custom connections for each agent, brands can support cross-platform functionality at scale. It's built to interoperate with existing standards like Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), Agent2Agent (A2A), and Model Context Protocol (MCP).

In practice, Google will start using UCP on eligible product listings in AI Mode on Search and inside the Gemini app. Shoppers can complete purchases directly in those flows using Google Pay and, soon, PayPal. Shipping details can carry over from Google Wallet, while the retailer stays the seller of record. Google is also testing a new ads pilot-Direct Offers-so brands can push real-time discounts when a shopper shows strong intent.

If payments are a sticking point for your team, review your current setup with Google Pay and your PSP to ensure you're compatible with agent-led checkout.

Google expands AI presence with Gemini Enterprise for CX

To support agentic commerce end to end, Google introduced Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience (CX). It's a full-stack AI system with configurable agents that unify product discovery and customer service across channels. These agents can answer product questions, build carts, and resolve issues-without bouncing the shopper across pages.

Early adopters include Kroger, Woolworths, and Papa John's. Retailers like Lowe's and Reebok are testing Google's new Business Agent in Search, which acts like a virtual sales rep and can enable direct checkout. Google is also partnering with brands on AI-driven creative production; in early tests, ad performance improved with a 60% higher return on ad spend.

What marketers should know about agentic commerce

1) Merchant data optimization will determine discoverability

Google is adding new attributes in Merchant Center to help AI agents match products to nuanced questions. Think: answers to common questions, compatibility notes, and relevant pairings. The more structured, high-signal data you provide, the more likely your products surface in conversational queries.

• Expand your product feed with FAQs, use cases, materials, care, and compatibility.
• Map PIM/ERP fields to new Merchant Center attributes; avoid free-text where structured fields exist.
• Keep variant-level specifics tight: dimensions, fit, model compatibility, replenishment data.

2) Expect the funnel to compress

With UCP and Business Agents, a shopper can go from "What fits my needs?" to "Buy now" in a single interaction. That shortens your window to influence. Every touchpoint-copy, creative, offer, policy-has to convert.

• Treat product pages and feeds like performance assets, not just catalogs.
• Add clear guarantees, shipping clarity, and returns info in agent-readable fields.
• Instrument event tracking for agent-originated sessions to attribute revenue correctly.

3) Use Direct Offers to nudge action in the moment

When intent spikes, speed matters. Direct Offers lets you drop timely promos based on explicit shopper needs. Test value ladders (e.g., free shipping, bundle savings, timed discounts) and measure incrementality, not just CTR.

• Define trigger conditions: high-intent queries, cart thresholds, category-specific margins.
• Set guardrails: frequency caps, margin floors, and exclusions for low-supply SKUs.
• Run holdout groups to quantify true lift from offers.

4) Train your AI agent like a brand rep

Business Agent shows up inside Google Search with your brand's voice. Treat it like onboarding a top salesperson. It should understand inventory, bundles, cross-sells, policies, and your tone.

• Provide brand style guidelines, escalation rules, and approved messaging blocks.
• Feed live inventory, PDP Q&A, and ratings to steer recommendations.
• Script upsell/attach logic by category and price point; measure AOV impact.

The future of marketing: AI transformations by 2026

Agent-first shopping will change how budgets and teams operate. The channel is still Search, but the interface is an agent. That shifts your levers from keywords and ad groups to data quality, structured content, and real-time offers.

• Data readiness: Audit product data depth, freshness SLAs, and schema coverage quarterly.
• CX alignment: Merge performance, CRM, and service ops around a shared product knowledge base.
• Measurement: Separate agent-led journeys in analytics; build new benchmarks for conversion lag, AOV, and LTV.
• Experimentation: Pilot Direct Offers, test Business Agent scripts, and compare ROAS vs. traditional PLAs.
• Tech stack: Ask your commerce and payments vendors about UCP timelines and integration paths.
• Compliance: Pre-approve promotional rules, returns language, and price-matching so agents can act fast without risk.

The takeaway: agents are becoming the gateway and the guide. If your product data is clean, your offers are responsive, and your agent is trained like a pro, you'll capture intent the moment it appears.

Next steps for your team

• Update Merchant Center feeds with new attributes and FAQ-style content.
• Define Direct Offer triggers and guardrails; launch a controlled pilot.
• Stand up a Business Agent playbook: tone, scripts, escalation, and measurement.
• Review payment readiness for agent checkout via Google Pay and PayPal.
• Set up dashboards isolating agent-led traffic, conversion, and AOV.

Skill up your team

If you want structured, practical training for marketers working with AI agents, see our AI Certification for Marketing Specialists or explore programs by role at Complete AI Training.