Shopify Opens Its Merchant Catalog and Shop Pay Checkout to Third-Party AI Agents

Shopify announced on Tuesday that it will allow shoppers to configure artificial intelligence agents to search and purchase products on their behalf, significantly expanding access to its catalog of more than one billion listings. The catalog spans products hosted both on and off Shopify storefronts.

The rollout expands on an initiative from September, when Shopify partnered with Meta to allow Meta's Muse AI agent to browse and purchase items for users. According to a report by The Verge (https://www.theverge.com/news/1010365/shopify-opens-its-catalog-up-to-more-ai-agents), consumers can now connect any AI agent without requiring a direct partnership integration between Shopify and the agent developer.

To use the capability, customers link their chosen agent to their account on Shop, Shopify's consumer platform that consolidates order records, tracks deliveries, and provides product recommendations. During an interaction with an AI agent, shoppers execute transactions using Shopify's one-click Shop Pay system within the chat interface, and completed orders route back to the Shop app.

Shopify is positioning the capability as a customizable personal shopper. Users can configure parameters for the agent, such as establishing budget limits or filtering for products with fast shipping. To prevent unauthorized orders, human buyers must explicitly approve each purchase before it is completed.

The move comes as major technology and retail companies position AI agents as direct participants in e-commerce. While competitors such as Amazon have pushed back against third-party AI tools like Perplexity and Meta's Muse making purchases on behalf of users, Shopify's open model permits consumer-authorized agents across its commerce network.