Shopify opens checkout process to browser-based AI shopping agents
E-commerce platform Shopify has extended support for browser-based AI agents to include checkout, letting them complete purchases rather than just search and add items to carts. The move contrasts with retailers like Amazon and Adidas, which block such agents.
Shopify announced on Monday that browser-based AI agents can now complete purchases on Shopify merchants' sites, going beyond their previous ability to search for products and add items to carts. The move stands in contrast to some other retailers, including Amazon and reportedly Adidas, which are blocking AI agents from making purchases on their platforms.
Shopify had previously supported the WebMCP technology for its storefronts and shopping carts, allowing browser-based AI agents to search a merchant's inventory and add products to a cart. The company has now extended WebMCP support to the checkout process, including its Shop Pay payment system. This means agents can read the checkout screen, update it, and submit a transaction with the buyer's authorization, without relying on screenshots or scraping web pages.
Three new tools
The update introduces three new tools — get_checkout, update_checkout, and complete_checkout — that let agents inspect a checkout, change details such as the customer's address or delivery option, and then place an order once the buyer has authorized it. The feature is rolling out to all eligible Shopify merchants, according to Gil Greenberg, a staff product manager working on agentic commerce at Shopify, who announced the update on X.
Shopify already runs a hosted Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lets agents operate server-to-server, while the proposed WebMCP standard is designed for agents working inside a buyer's browser. Both rely on Shopify's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), which provides a common way to search for and discover products, build carts, and complete checkout.
Leading AI agents such as Muse and Instinct already have direct partnerships with Shopify for agentic commerce, with the Instinct partnership announced the same day. Greenberg said agents operating in a buyer's browser should use the WebMCP tools built for storefronts and checkout rather than navigating HTML designed for humans, since these tools provide structured, efficient access to accurate commerce information and required disclosures.
