Shopify Enables AI Agents to Complete Full Purchases
Shopify integrated the WebMCP standard to allow browser-based AI agents to execute full checkout processes on merchant sites with buyer authorization.
Shopify announced on Monday that browser-based AI agents can now complete full purchases on its merchants' sites. This update expands previous capabilities, which were limited to searching inventory and adding items to carts, to include the entire checkout process.
The system utilizes the WebMCP standard and the company's Universal Commerce Protocol to introduce three new tools: get_checkout, update_checkout, and complete_checkout. These tools allow agents to modify delivery addresses and shipping options before submitting a transaction, provided they have buyer authorization.
Staff product manager for agentic commerce Gil Greenberg stated that agents should use these WebMCP tools to complete orders rather than navigating HTML designed for humans, as the APIs ensure accurate commerce facts and required disclosures. This move contrasts with companies like Amazon and Adidas, which block AI agents from making purchases.
Shopify has established partnerships for agentic commerce with AI agents Muse and Instinct, with the partnership with Instinct announced the same day as the feature rollout.
