Agentic commerce has landed in Google, as of last month, with the rollout of new agentic AI tools to third-party e-commerce platforms.
With Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), products from Etsy and Wayfair can be searched for and bought directly in AI Mode and Gemini.
It appears that agentic shopping will be a key focus for Google’s Gemini plans moving forward. As ChatGPT develops its own in-platform shopping plans, these rollouts will be critical to stay competitive in the field.
In a blog post, Vidhya Srinivasan, VP and GM of Ads and Commerce at Google, said the Universal Commerce Protocol was introduced to “standardize how businesses connect with AI agents across the entire shopping journey.”
Etsy and Wayfair co-developed the protocol alongside other retail partners, including Walmart and Target.
“Agentic commerce is no longer just a concept, it’s reality,” Srinivasan wrote in a letter announcing the changes. “Our goal is two-fold: One, remove the gruntwork of shopping so consumers can focus on the fun parts. Two, work hand in hand with the industry on the building blocks needed to make agentic commerce seamless and secure.”
Alongside these commerce integrations, Google is also testing sponsored ads within AI Mode. After introducing more visual, Pinterest-style results, the company is now trialling sponsored listings inside the AI shopping experience.
Why do we care?
While Google’s rollout of agentic commerce isn’t causing shockwaves just yet, it’s a signal of what’s to come. Big Tech has agentic shopping locked on target, and this will be a competitive battleground over the next few years.
Traditional click-through paths are likely to look unrecognisable over the next ten years, and monetisation within zero-click environments will be essential for affiliate programmes.
The tech exists; we’ve seen initiatives pushed through by both impact.com and Partnerize for this, and others have expressed plans to do the same. The exciting part will be the results and data that emerge over the coming months, which could entirely redefine how affiliate performance is measured and monetised in the future.
