How to Integrate Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) with AI Agents?

Agentic looking is shortly turning into mainstream.

Folks don’t simply need AI brokers to analysis merchandise anymore. They need brokers to truly purchase issues for them: examine choices, place orders, deal with funds, and full all the transaction.

That’s the place issues began to interrupt.

Immediately’s commerce stack is fragmented. Each service provider, platform, and cost supplier makes use of proprietary integrations. So even when an agent is sensible sufficient to make choices, it struggles to behave at scale as a result of it has no frequent solution to discuss to those programs.

That is precisely the hole Google’s Common Commerce Protocol (UCP) is designed to repair.

UCP creates a standardized, safe approach for AI brokers, retailers, platforms, and cost suppliers to speak. As a substitute of constructing customized integrations for each retailer or service, brokers can work together with commerce programs by a shared protocol, making agent-driven buying lastly sensible, interoperable, and scalable.

What Is the Common Commerce Protocol (UCP)? 

The Common Commerce Protocol is an open commerce normal that connects digital brokers with commerce programs. It offers a standard framework for locating merchandise, managing carts, executing funds, and dealing with post-purchase duties. UCP doesn’t change present e-commerce platforms or cost programs. As a substitute, it acts as a shared language that permits AI brokers, functions, retailers, and cost suppliers to work together easily.

The Core Concept Behind UCP

UCP is an answer primarily to an integration problem. Prior to now, every AI assistant or platform needed to depend on distinctive integrations with each service provider or commerce system. This technique was not scalable.

• A uniform commerce actions set
• Unambiguous position definitions for brokers, retailers, and cost processors
• Versatile schemas relevant throughout sectors
• This technique of working reduces the necessity for engineering dramatically and on the identical time permits faster innovation

Why UCP Issues?

Immediately’s e-commerce ecosystem is very fragmented. Every purchasing channel reminiscent of web sites, cellular apps, and third celebration platforms requires customized integrations with each service provider. Because of this, a retailer promoting throughout a number of channels should handle many advanced integrations. This problem grows as AI purchasing brokers grow to be a standard approach for folks to buy.

UCP solves this by introducing a single normal protocol that covers all the purchasing journey, from product discovery to checkout and order administration. This simplifies integrations and permits the ecosystem to unlock a number of vital advantages.

• Unified integration: Reduces advanced N×N commerce integrations to a single integration level for AI brokers and interfaces.
• Shared language: Defines frequent schemas and APIs so all commerce programs can talk persistently finish to finish.
• Extensible, modular design: Makes use of modular parts that may evolve with out breaking present integrations.
• Safety-first strategy: Ensures safe, tokenized funds with verified person consent for each transaction.

For purchasers, this implies smoother interactions and fewer deserted carts. Consumers can transfer shortly from looking or chatting to finishing a purchase order, usually with out re-entering particulars. As Google explains, UCP is designed so customers can confidently pay utilizing Google Pay, with cost and delivery data already saved in Google Pockets.

Also Learn: Prime 10 Agentic AI Chrome Extensions

Why Google Launched UCP?

The commerce has slowly however absolutely migrated into the realm of chat and robots. Immediately the customers demand AI programs to behave as a substitute of merely informing. Google rolled out UCP to spearhead this alteration whereas nonetheless protecting the doorways open and the ecosystem secure. Agentic commerce is the time period used for AI programs which might be able to independently doing industrial work. Such brokers are in a position to: 

• Search for and consider merchandise 
• Alter the choice in line with the person’s style 
• Execute purchases in a secure method 
• Deal with returns, give refunds, and provide help 

How Common Commerce Protocol (UCP) Works?

UCP works by breaking the commerce journey into a transparent sequence of actions that AI brokers can comply with. Every step represents a particular interplay, from discovering a product to finishing the transaction and dealing with what comes subsequent. Collectively, these steps outline how an agent strikes by a purchase order in a managed and predictable approach. Let’s break this down and have a look at every step individually:

Step 1: Arrange the enterprise server and add pattern merchandise to your retailer

In an effort to make it simpler for companies to rise up and working, Google has arrange a pattern repository. The repository accommodates a Python server that’s prepared for use for internet hosting Enterprise APIs, together with a UCP SDK that gives pattern product knowledge and reference implementations. These parts work collectively to assist the person visualize and perceive how a UCP-compliant enterprise server might be configured and examined.

Configuring the enterprise server:

mkdir sdk
git clone https://github.com/Common-Commerce-Protocol/python-sdk.git sdk/python
pushd sdk/python
uv sync
popd
git clone https://github.com/Common-Commerce-Protocol/samples.git 
cd samples/relaxation/python/server
uv sync

Utilizing a flower store for instance, Google performs the position of the enterprise for demonstration functions. As well as, we offer a easy product database primarily based on SQLite that accommodates the catalog knowledge for the demo surroundings which is identical because the pattern knowledge. This configuration permits the builders to make use of sensible product data for testing UCP workflows with out the necessity for a whole manufacturing database.

Step2: Put together your enterprise server to just accept requests from brokers

Subsequent, begin the enterprise server that hosts the Enterprise APIs on port 8182 and connects to the demo product database. The server runs within the background so shopper functions and AI brokers can join with out interruption. Run the command beneath to launch the enterprise server:

uv run server.py  
--products_db_path=/tmp/ucp_test/merchandise.db  
--transactions_db_path=/tmp/ucp_test/transactions.db  
--port=8182 & 
SERVER_PID=$! 

Step 3: Uncover enterprise capabilities together with your agent

Companies expose a JSON manifest at /.well-known/ucp that lists their out there companies and capabilities. This permits AI brokers to find options, endpoints, and cost configurations dynamically, with out counting on hard-coded integrations.

Now run the next command to let your agent uncover the enterprise companies and capabilities:

export SERVER_URL=http://localhost:8182 
export RESPONSE=$(curl -s -X GET $SERVER_URL/.well-known/ucp) 
echo $RESPONSE 
Response:  
{ 
"ucp": { 
"model": "2026-01-11", 
"companies": { "dev.ucp.purchasing": { "model": "2026-01-11", "spec": "https://ucp.dev/specs/purchasing", "relaxation": { "schema": "https://ucp.dev/companies/purchasing/openapi.json", "endpoint": "http://localhost:8182/" } } }, 
"capabilities": [ 
{ "name": "dev.ucp.shopping.checkout", "version": "2026-01-11", "spec": "https://ucp.dev/specs/shopping/checkout", "schema": "https://ucp.dev/schemas/shopping/checkout.json" }, 
{ "name": "dev.ucp.shopping.discount", "version": "2026-01-11", "spec": "https://ucp.dev/specs/shopping/discount", "schema": "https://ucp.dev/schemas/shopping/discount.json", "extends": "dev.ucp.shopping.checkout" }, 
{ "name": "dev.ucp.shopping.fulfillment", "version": "2026-01-11", "spec": "https://ucp.dev/specs/shopping/fulfillment", "schema": "https://ucp.dev/schemas/shopping/fulfillment.json", "extends": "dev.ucp.shopping.checkout" } 
] 
}, 
"cost": { 
"handlers": [ 
{ "id": "shop_pay", "name": "com.shopify.shop_pay", "version": "2026-01-11", "spec": "https://shopify.dev/ucp/handlers/shop_pay", "config_schema": "https://shopify.dev/ucp/handlers/shop_pay/config.json", "instrument_schemas": [ "https://shopify.dev/ucp/handlers/shop_pay/instrument.json" ], "config": { "shop_id": "d124d01c-3386-4c58-bc58-671b705e19ff" } }, 
{ "id": "google_pay", "title": "google.pay", "model": "2026-01-11", "spec": "https://instance.com/spec", "config_schema": "https://instance.com/schema", "instrument_schemas": [ "https://ucp.dev/schemas/shopping/types/gpay_card_payment_instrument.json" 
], "config": { "api_version": 2, "api_version_minor": 0, "merchant_info": { "merchant_name": "Flower Store", "merchant_id": "TEST", "merchant_origin": "localhost" }, "allowed_payment_methods": [ { "type": "CARD", "parameters": { "allowedAuthMethods": [ "PAN_ONLY", "CRYPTOGRAM_3DS" ], "allowedCardNetworks": [ "VISA", "MASTERCARD" ] }, "tokenization_specification": [ { "type": "PAYMENT_GATEWAY", "parameters": [ { "gateway": "example", "gatewayMerchantId": "exampleGatewayMerchantId" } ] } ] } ] } }, 
{ "id": "mock_payment_handler", "title": "dev.ucp.mock_payment", "model": "2026-01-11", "spec": "https://ucp.dev/specs/mock", "config_schema": "https://ucp.dev/schemas/mock.json", "instrument_schemas": [ "https://ucp.dev/schemas/shopping/types/card_payment_instrument.json" ], "config": { "supported_tokens": [ "success_token", "fail_token" ] } } 
] 
} 
} 

Step 4: Invoke a checkout functionality together with your agent

Run this command to your agent to create a checkout session with the pattern merchandise:

export RESPONSE=$(curl -s -X POST "$SERVER_URL/checkout-sessions" -H 'Content material-Kind: utility/json' -H 'UCP-Agent: profile="https://agent.instance/profile"' -H 'request-signature: take a look at' -H 'idempotency-key: 0b50cc6b-19b2-42cd-afee-6a98e71eea87' -H 'request-id: 6d08ae4b-e7ea-44f4-846f-d7381919d4f2' -d '{"line_items":[{"item":{"id":"bouquet_roses","title":"Red Rose"},"quantity":1}],"purchaser":{"full_name":"John Doe","electronic mail":"[email protected]"},"forex":"USD","cost":{"devices":[],"handlers":[{"id":"shop_pay","name":"com.shopify.shop_pay","version":"2026-01-11","spec":"https://shopify.dev/ucp/handlers/shop_pay","config_schema":"https://shopify.dev/ucp/handlers/shop_pay/config.json","instrument_schemas":["https://shopify.dev/ucp/handlers/shop_pay/instrument.json"],"config":{"shop_id":"d124d01c-3386-4c58-bc58-671b705e19ff"}},{"id":"google_pay","title":"google.pay","model":"2026-01-11","spec":"https://instance.com/spec","config_schema":"https://instance.com/schema","instrument_schemas":["https://ucp.dev/schemas/shopping/types/gpay_card_payment_instrument.json"],"config":{"api_version":2,"api_version_minor":0,"merchant_info":{"merchant_name":"Flower Store","merchant_id":"TEST","merchant_origin":"localhost"},"allowed_payment_methods":[{"type":"CARD","parameters":{"allowedAuthMethods":["PAN_ONLY","CRYPTOGRAM_3DS"],"allowedCardNetworks":["VISA","MASTERCARD"]},"tokenization_specification":[{"type":"PAYMENT_GATEWAY","parameters":[{"gateway":"example","gatewayMerchantId":"exampleGatewayMerchantId"}]}]}]}},{"id":"mock_payment_handler","title":"dev.ucp.mock_payment","model":"2026-01-11","spec":"https://ucp.dev/specs/mock","config_schema":"https://ucp.dev/schemas/mock.json","instrument_schemas":["https://ucp.dev/schemas/shopping/types/card_payment_instrument.json"],"config":{"supported_tokens":["success_token","fail_token"]}}]}}') && echo $RESPONSE 

As quickly because the checkout session is created, your agent will achieve entry to a checkout id issued by the server that may additional be used for making updates to the checkout session:

RESPONSE: 
{ 
"ucp": { "model": "2026-01-11", "capabilities": [ { "name": "dev.ucp.shopping.checkout", "version": "2026-01-11" } ] }, 
"id": "cb9c0fc5-3e81-427c-ae54-83578294daf3", 
"line_items": [ { 
"id": "2e86d63a-a6b8-4b4d-8f41-559f4c6991ea", 
"item": { "id": "bouquet_roses", "title": "Bouquet of Red Roses", "price": 3500 }, 
"quantity": 1, 
"totals": [ { "type": "subtotal", "amount": 3500 }, { "type": "total", "amount": 3500 } ] 
} ], 
"purchaser": { "full_name": "John Doe", "electronic mail": "[email protected]" }, 
"standing": "ready_for_complete", 
"forex": "USD", 
"totals": [ { "type": "subtotal", "amount": 3500 }, { "type": "total", "amount": 3500 } ], 
"hyperlinks": [], 
"cost": { "handlers": [], "devices": [] }, 
"reductions": {} 
} 

Step 5: Apply reductions to the checkout request together with your agent

Run this command to allow your agent to use reductions to the checkout session, utilizing the checkout id from the earlier step:

export CHECKOUT_ID=$(echo $RESPONSE | jq -r '.id') && export LINE_ITEM_1_ID=$(echo $RESPONSE | jq -r '.line_items[0].id') && export RESPONSE=$(curl -s -X PUT "$SERVER_URL/checkout-sessions/$CHECKOUT_ID" -H 'Content material-Kind: utility/json' -H 'UCP-Agent: profile="https://agent.instance/profile"' -H 'request-signature: take a look at' -H 'idempotency-key: b9ecd4b3-0d23-4842-8535-0d55e76e2bad' -H 'request-id: 28e70993-e328-4071-91de-91644dc75221' -d "{"id":"$CHECKOUT_ID","line_items":[{"id":"$LINE_ITEM_1_ID","item":{"id":"bouquet_roses","title":"Red Rose"},"quantity":1}],"forex":"USD","cost":{"devices":[],"handlers":[]},"reductions":{"codes":["10OFF"]}}") && echo $RESPONSE | jq 

Your agent will obtain the next response with the low cost utilized:

RESPONSE:  
{ 
"ucp": { "model": "2026-01-11", "capabilities": [ { "name": "dev.ucp.shopping.checkout", "version": "2026-01-11" } ] }, 
"id": "cb9c0fc5-3e81-427c-ae54-83578294daf3", 
"line_items": [ { 
"id": "2e86d63a-a6b8-4b4d-8f41-559f4c6991ea", 
"item": { "id": "bouquet_roses", "title": "Bouquet of Red Roses", "price": 3500 }, 
"quantity": 1, 
"totals": [ { "type": "subtotal", "amount": 3500 }, { "type": "total", "amount": 3500 } ] } ], 
"purchaser": { "full_name": "John Doe", "electronic mail": "[email protected]" }, 
"standing": "ready_for_complete", 
"forex": "USD", 
"totals": [ { "type": "subtotal", "amount": 3500 }, { "type": "discount", "amount": 350 }, { "type": "total", "amount": 3150 } ], 
"hyperlinks": [], 
"cost": { "handlers": [], "devices": [] }, 
"reductions": { 
"codes": [ "10OFF" ], 
"utilized": [ { "code": "10OFF", "title": "10% Off", "amount": 350, "automatic": false, "allocations": [ { "path": "subtotal", "amount": 350 } ] } ] 
} 
} 

Key Parts of the Common Commerce Protocol

A UCP server, which is commonly the service provider backend, reveals a number of companies. Each service corresponds to particular capabilities that may be distinguished among the many useful areas reminiscent of product discovery or checkout. Widespread examples embody ucp.purchasing.catalog, ucp.purchasing.checkout, and ucp.purchasing.orders. Retailers go for the capabilities they require, whereas the AI brokers will talk with the retailers as per the enabled capabilities.

Capabilities an Core Service

Extensions: Capabilities additionally allow using extensions to supply specialised features. Extensions give retailers the possibility so as to add options like coupon reductions or subtle success strategies with out having to alter the first schemas.

Discovery

Every UCP enabled enterprise offers a manifest at https://<business-domain>/.well-known/ucp. This offers an inventory of the companies out there, capabilities which might be supported, API endpoints, potential variations, extensions, and particulars in regards to the cost handlers.

Transports

UCP will not be restricted to a particular transport. The identical functionality payloads can transfer over REST, JSON RPC, or agent native protocols like Mannequin Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent2Agent (A2A) and even non-native ones.

Funds

UCP is built-in with numerous cost suppliers by its pluggable cost handlers which embody Stripe, Google Pay, and Store Pay. The cost tokens are encrypted and routed throughout checkout.

Collectively, these elements empower UCP to transform AI purchasing dialogues into precise transactions. The traditional transaction is as follows:

1. The agent will get the service provider’s UCP manifest
2. It determines the related capabilities (as an illustration, checkout)
3. It calls these APIs together with the consumer’s order particulars and chooses a cost handler
4. UCP takes care of every thing else (counting any reductions or success choices that have been mentioned)

Advantages for the Commerce Ecosystem 

• Retailers and Retailers: UCP lets retailers promote throughout AI-driven purchasing surfaces with out shedding management over branding, knowledge, or checkout. They continue to be the Service provider of File whereas reaching customers by Google Search AI Mode, chatbots, and voice assistants utilizing a single integration.
• AI Platforms and Brokers: AI platforms like Google AI Mode, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot can provide commerce options with out constructing customized integrations for every retailer. A unified API hurries up service provider onboarding and permits scalable agent-driven commerce.
• Builders: UCP is open supply and developer pleasant, with clear documentation, SDKs, and reference implementations. Builders can construct utilizing acquainted instruments like REST and JSON and undertake solely the capabilities they want.
• Cost Suppliers: Cost suppliers can combine as soon as and work throughout many retailers utilizing UCP’s modular, tokenized cost circulation. This removes the necessity for platform-specific integrations.
• Customers: UCP permits customers to browse and purchase straight by AI assistants with out switching between apps or web sites, making a quicker and extra seamless purchasing expertise.

Conclusion

The Common Commerce Protocol may reshape digital commerce within the AI period. It brings AI brokers, retailers, and funds collectively underneath one normal whereas preserving service provider management and enabling seamless purchasing throughout chat, search, and voice. As AI assistants affect extra buy choices, UCP goals to maintain commerce open, safe, and scalable.

What’s your tackle agent-driven purchasing? Share your ideas within the feedback beneath.