The Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) is a new open standard developed by Google, Shopify, and other major ecommerce players to enable AI agents and digital platforms to interact directly with merchant systems. It allows them to perform product discovery, create carts, initiate checkout, and handle post-purchase support — all without needing to visit a traditional ecommerce website. This protocol is set to reshape how ecommerce operates, particularly as AI agents become central to online shopping experiences.
As consumer behavior shifts toward voice assistants, AI-powered search tools, and autonomous shopping agents, ecommerce businesses need to understand what the Universal Commerce Protocol is, how it works, and what changes it will force across the ecommerce stack. Let’s explore the practical and strategic implications of UCP for merchants, platforms, and ecommerce developers.
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