---
title: Agentic commerce
description: >-
  Learn how to build AI agents that can search hundreds of millions of Shopify
  products, manage universal carts across multiple merchants, and deliver
  seamless checkout experiences using the Shopify Catalog MCP server and web
  components.
source_url:
  html: 'https://shopify.dev/docs/agents'
  md: 'https://shopify.dev/docs/agents.md'
---

# Agentic commerce has arrived

Build unified agentic experiences that can securely act on behalf of users by leveraging Shopify MCP servers and Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP).

[#### Start building\
\
](https://shopify.dev/docs/agents/get-started/authentication)

[Discover products and checkout with an agent.](https://shopify.dev/docs/agents/get-started/authentication)

## The Universal Commerce Protocol

The [Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)](https://ucp.dev/documentation/core-concepts/) is an open standard that establishes a common language and a set of primitives that allow agents, merchants, Payment Service Providers (PSPs), and Credential Providers (CPs) to communicate consistently and securely across the web.

Shopify provides MCP tools that are UCP-compliant to build with this interoperable and extensible protocol.

[View the spec](https://ucp.dev/specification/overview/)

![UCP logo](https://shopify.dev/assets/assets/images/agents/ucp_logo-CedEyFlC.svg)

## How Shopify does UCP

UCP defines the interactions between four primary distinct actors, each playing a specific role in the commerce lifecycle: Platform (agents and applications), Merchants, Credential Providers, and Payment Service Providers.

Shopify provides MCP tools that implement UCP's core capabilities and negotiate this lifecycle:

* **Discovery**: Search products across Shopify merchants, retrieve details, and help buyers find what they're looking for.
* **Checkout**: Create checkout sessions, collect buyer information, attach payment information, and complete purchases.
* **Orders**: Track confirmed transactions, fulfillment events, and post-purchase adjustments like refunds and returns.

Together, these capabilities enable your agent to provide an end-to-end commerce flow.

![\[object Object\]](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/number-1.png)![\[object Object\]](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/number-1-dark.png)

#### Product discovery and Shopify Catalog

Agents can query all eligible Shopify merchants, apply relevant filters, and display results in interactive product cards directly in the chat using the Catalog MCP server.

Once the buyer selects a product, your agent retrieves the variant details needed to create a checkout session, connecting discovery to the next step in the flow.

[Learn more about Catalog and discovery](https://shopify.dev/docs/agents/catalog)

![Checkout Kit overview](https://shopify.dev/assets/assets/images/agents/catalog-light-wSL3czp-.png)

![\[object Object\]](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/number-2.png)![\[object Object\]](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/number-2-dark.png)

#### Create and submit checkout

With the products selected by buyers in discovery your agent can create a checkout, update the checkout with relevant buyer and payment information, and complete the checkout via MCP.

If the checkout requires buyer actions that aren't supported via MCP, the agent can open web checkout in the browser or present it using Checkout Kit for a native, embedded checkout experience.

[Learn more about Checkout](https://shopify.dev/docs/agents/checkout)

![Checkout Kit overview](https://shopify.dev/assets/assets/images/agents/zoomedcheckoutlight-6vMgJOBz.png)

Coming soon

![\[object Object\]](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/number-3.png)![\[object Object\]](https://shopify.dev/images/icons/32/number-3-dark.png)

#### Track orders and post-purchase events

After checkout completes, an Order represents the confirmed transaction. Your agent can track order status, fulfillment updates, and adjustments like refunds, returns, or cancellations.

Orders provide buyers with visibility into what was purchased, how items will be delivered, and what has happened since order placement.

[Explore the UCP Order specification](https://ucp.dev/specification/order/)

![Order tracking overview](https://shopify.dev/assets/assets/images/agents/order-light-DsWFrEev.png)