Starting with an AI agent finding your products is just the initial step. The ultimate objective is to ensure that this discovery translates into a successful sale.
While a shopper’s AI assistant can browse through your catalog, compare products, and determine the best match, the sale won’t materialize unless the agent can verify stock availability, shipping timelines, and complete the purchase process.
By taking a few simple steps, your store can be primed for AI-powered shopping. The industry is moving towards a standard set of protocols that enable agents to locate products, check stock, confirm shipping details, and finalize purchases. You don’t need to be a developer; all you need is an understanding of how each protocol benefits your store and what steps to take to prepare for their implementation.
In this guide, we will walk you through bridging the gap between product discovery and conversion, allowing you to capitalize on agentic commerce sales in a way that suits your business.
It’s beneficial to view each protocol as an additional sales channel rather than a conflicting standard that requires a decision. Just like how you accept multiple credit card types to reach different customer segments, AI protocols function in a similar manner.
Supporting various protocols enables you to reach shoppers across different platforms without having to choose one over the other. This approach is crucial because these protocols can be categorized into two groups, with only one currently accessible to shoppers.
Two of these protocols operate behind the scenes, integrating AI with your store’s operations, while the others serve as the channels through which your products are presented to shoppers. Here’s a breakdown of each protocol and its current status:
| Protocol | Where it works | What it does | Where it stands today |
| MCP (Model Context Protocol) | Behind the scenes | A standard method for AI assistants to connect to a store and interact with real-time data. | Introduced in WooCommerce 10.3 and currently in early release. Presently, it assists AI assistants in managing a store by finding, adding, and updating products and orders, but not yet facilitating checkout for shoppers. Future plans involve expanding its capabilities for shopping as the technology advances. |
| Abilities API | Behind the scenes | Informs an AI agent about a site’s functionalities to guide its actions. | Integrated into WordPress, this API enables WooCommerce to offer functions such as product search, order lookup, and order creation. As more extensions incorporate this API, AI agents gain enhanced capabilities. |
| ACP (Agentic Commerce Protocol) | Shopper-facing | Developed by OpenAI and Stripe, this protocol allows AI agents to showcase your products, add them to the cart, and complete purchases within an assistant like Copilot. The sale concludes within the assistant, while the customer, order, and fulfillment remain with your store. | Shoppers can discover and purchase your products through AI agents, while retaining your customer base and product catalog. This open standard links your product catalog to various AI agents through the Stripe Agentic Commerce Suite. Depending on the agent, shoppers can complete the checkout process within the assistant or be directed to your store for purchase completion. This rollout is currently underway for US businesses, with more agents joining as pilot programs open up. |
| UCP (Universal Commerce Protocol) | Shopper-facing | Backed by a consortium of companies, UCP was first launched by Google across AI products like Gemini and AI Mode in Search. | Still in development, Google’s version operates through Google Merchant Center and utilizes structured product data. By preparing your feed now, you’ll be ready to leverage UCP and appear on Google’s AI shopping platforms as access expands, with more AI tools expected to adopt this standard over time. |
Woo is responsible for developing the backend components, so your main task is to ensure you are using the latest version and maintaining clean data. Woo is gradually introducing these protocols to select groups of merchants, so stay tuned for updates on access and requirements.
The key lies in maintaining accurate and up-to-date data for your store. When an agent provides information to a shopper, it is essentially making a commitment on your behalf. Therefore, the data supporting this commitment must be accurate. Follow these five steps to achieve this:
Update your stock levels in real-time. This is crucial for both agents and customers. If an item is listed as available when it’s actually sold out, your store will struggle to fulfill promises. Ensure your stock data is continuously updated from a reliable source.
Include shipping and return details on product pages. Display delivery estimates, shipping options, and return policies alongside product information. Agents need quick access to this information to address customer queries effectively.
Set up Stripe for WooCommerce once to access ACP. Through Stripe’s Agentic Commerce Suite, a single setup allows AI assistants like Copilot or Gemini to discover and facilitate purchases of your products. While shoppers complete transactions within the AI assistant, they remain your customers. Stripe manages payments and fraud protection, while you retain control over your catalog and customer base. Note that this feature is exclusive to the Stripe extension, so stores using WooPayments (powered by Stripe) are currently unable to utilize it.
Submit your product feed to Google Merchant Center using the Google for WooCommerce extension. A well-maintained Merchant Center feed lays the foundation for UCP and ensures visibility across Google’s AI shopping platforms, including Gemini and AI Mode in Search. By preparing now, you’ll be ready for UCP adoption as it progresses.
Regularly review your data every quarter. AI visibility necessitates ongoing monitoring. Every quarter, search for your products on platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity using both product names and shopper-friendly descriptions. Rectify any inaccuracies, outdated information, or missing details to enhance your store’s performance.
Woo is also exploring OpenAI’s Product Feed Spec and other emerging standards to help you stay ahead of the curve. Stores with organized and accurate product data can swiftly adapt to these new standards, streamlining the adoption process. Keep an eye on the Agentic Commerce Hub for the latest updates on new features.
The effectiveness of these protocols is contingent on the platform they operate on. Closed platforms limit your options by dictating which protocols are supported and when. With WooCommerce being open source, your store aligns with open standards, enabling swift adoption of new protocols without being constrained by a single company’s timeline. Connect your catalog once and reach shoppers through any AI agent they prefer, eliminating the need for rebuilding for each new platform.
- Check the frequency of your inventory syncs. Consider real-time options if your current schedule updates stock daily.
- Review a popular product page to ensure shipping estimates and return policies are prominently displayed within the product data, not solely on a separate policy page.
- If you haven’t integrated Stripe for WooCommerce, install it and explore the path to the Agentic Commerce Suite. If already using it, ensure you are on the waitlist for agent features.
- If you haven’t synced your catalog with Google Merchant Center through Google for WooCommerce, do so promptly.
Imagine a specialized outdoor gear store operating on WooCommerce. With real-time inventory updates, detailed shipping and return information on every product page, and connectivity to both the Stripe Agentic Commerce Suite and Google Merchant Center, the store is well-prepared for AI-assisted shopping. When a shopper asks an AI assistant to assemble a backpacking setup meeting specific criteria, the agent can promptly check stock availability, confirm shipping details, and recommend suitable products. The customer can then complete the purchase within the assistant or finalize it on the store’s website.
A competing store that lacks real-time inventory updates, hides shipping information, and cannot make reliable promises will lose out to this prepared store. Despite offering similar products, the readiness of your store sets you apart.
Lindsey, an American expat based in Toronto, is a writer and editor with expertise in ecommerce and technology, assisting businesses in their growth journeys.
