Shopify Expands Agentic Commerce to Billion-Item Catalog
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
The e-commerce giant is allowing shoppers to connect third-party AI agents to their accounts to automate product discovery and purchasing.
Shopify is accelerating its push into agentic commerce by allowing a wider array of AI agents to browse and buy from its listings, according to reporting from The Verge. The company announced Tuesday that it will enable shoppers to configure AI agents to make purchases on their behalf, granting these tools access to a catalog of more than one billion items across both Shopify storefronts and off-platform listings.
This move expands upon a September partnership with Meta, which integrated the Muse agent for AI-powered shopping and checkout. While that initial effort required a specific partnership, Shopify is now permitting the use of any agent. To utilize the feature, customers link their chosen agent to their account via Shop, Shopify's consolidated order and tracking platform. Transactions are completed using the one-click Shop Pay feature within the agent conversation, and all resulting orders are routed back to the Shop app.
Shopify is positioning the technology as a "personal shopper" capable of following user-defined rules, such as adhering to specific budget guardrails or prioritizing fast shipping. However, the system requires humans to approve every purchase.
The shift comes as e-commerce becomes a primary battleground for AI investment. The Verge notes that major players including Google and Amazon are pursuing similar agent-driven shopping goals, contributing to ongoing industry friction between Amazon and AI firms such as Perplexity and Meta's Muse regarding the ability of agents to shop for human users.