Using AI channels with direct checkout

Shopify's agentic storefronts for Google AI Mode and Gemini and Microsoft Copilot allow customers to complete their purchases in the AI channel's Shopify-powered direct checkout without having to leave their chat conversation.

Purchasing in direct checkouts is activated by default for eligible stores, but you can deactivate direct checkout. You can remove Microsoft Copilot's access to your products through Shopify Catalog in the Agentic section of your Shopify admin. For Google AI Mode and Gemini, products are made available to those channels through the Google & YouTube sales channel.

Requirements for using agentic storefronts with direct checkout

Review the following eligibility requirements for using agentic storefronts with direct checkout:

• The Google AI Mode and Gemini agentic storefront can be used only by stores that are based in the United States and that sell to customers in the United States. You must be using the Google & YouTube sales channel, and you need to have Product sync activated in the Product feed section of the sales channel.
• The Microsoft Copilot agentic storefront can be used by all eligible stores that sell to customers in the United States.
• Your products must be eligible for Shopify Catalog.
• You must read and agree to the Shopify Agentic Storefronts Supplemental Terms of Service.
• You must have your Terms of service, Privacy policy, and Return and refund policy completed in Settings > Policies in your Shopify admin. Learn more about adding store policies.

Considerations for agentic storefronts with direct checkout

Review the following considerations for selling with agentic storefronts that have direct checkout:

• You don't need to do anything for your products to be discovered by AI channels through Shopify Catalog. For more information, refer to Shopify Catalog and product discovery for agentic storefronts. For Google AI Mode and Gemini, product discovery is powered by the Google & YouTube sales channel with product syncing activated.
• If you remove access to your product data through Shopify Catalog for an agentic storefront, then your product data is filtered out of any data that's provided to that agentic storefront through Shopify Catalog.
• When your store is eligible, purchasing through an AI channel's direct checkout is active by default in your Shopify admin, and it has to remain active for your products to be directly bought by customers in the AI channel.
• If you deactivate direct checkout for an agentic storefront, then customers using the AI channel can still discover your products, but they're redirected to your online store to complete their purchase.
• Agentic storefront direct checkouts display only to customers based in the United States.
• Certain features of Shopify, such as custom pixels or product bundles, aren't supported for some agentic storefront channels. Learn more about unsupported features for direct selling with agentic storefronts.
• Shopify Functions, such as shipping, discount, and cart and checkout validation functions, are supported or run in agentic storefront direct checkouts.
• Any automatic discounts or discount codes that you set up are supported in agentic storefront direct checkouts.
• Ensure that your product descriptions include any relevant legal disclosures in the first 6,000 characters.
• There are no fees associated with selling in agentic storefront direct checkouts. You pay only your standard payment processing fees.

Unsupported features for agentic storefront direct checkouts

The following features are unsupported for direct selling in agentic storefront direct checkouts:

• For Shopify Plus merchants, some checkout blocks, such as those for custom fields, upsells, or specific validations, might not display in agentic storefront direct checkouts. Your customer can still complete the checkout, but the on-screen checkout experience might display differently than your online store checkout. If you rely on an app to display important information or collect input during checkout, then that experience might not be available in agentic storefront direct checkouts. Learn more about checkout blocks considerations in agentic storefront direct checkouts.
• Agentic storefront direct checkouts support a subset of accelerated checkout options activated on your store.
• The following types of products aren't supported in agentic storefront direct checkouts:
  • Subscriptions
  • Product bundles
  • Digital products
  • Customizable products
  • B2B-only products
• Google Analytics and custom pixels won't fire in all agentic storefront direct checkouts. The checkouts fire only server-to-server pixels (started, completed), so none of the standard or custom client side pixels fire.
• Local delivery, pickup in store, and pickup points aren't supported as delivery methods in agentic storefront direct checkouts.
• You can't require customers to sign in to their account before checkout.

Checkout blocks considerations in agentic storefront direct checkouts

Agentic storefronts, such as Microsoft Copilot and Google AI Mode and Gemini, might render their customer checkout differently than your online store checkout. To help ensure customers can complete their purchase, Shopify loads only the checkout blocks that are essential to completing checkout. Some checkout customization blocks, such as those for custom fields, upsells, or specific validations, might not display in agentic storefront direct checkouts.

In agentic storefront direct checkouts, only customizations that support blocking checkout, and have checkout blocking enabled in their settings, are eligible to load. Learn more about managing your app's behavior controls.

Meeting this requirement doesn't guarantee that a block will load in agentic storefront direct checkouts. Some checkout blocks might not be available, including, but not limited to, the following block types:

• Blocks that change what the buyer is purchasing, for example, changing quantities, adding or removing items, offering add-ons or upsells, or adding surcharges or other additional charges.
• Loyalty or rewards experiences.
• Address autocomplete and client-side validation.
• Blocks that collect buyer consent during checkout for data usage and communication preferences.
• Chat or messaging experiences.
• Blocks that are placed in the checkout header, footer, or payment method section.
• Informational-only blocks, for example, trust badges, reviews, or terms or disclaimer text.

This experience preserves consistency and continuity for customers checking out directly in agentic storefronts, and also ensures that orders are valid for Shopify merchants.

Managing agentic storefronts with direct checkouts

You can manage which AI channels can access your products through Shopify Catalog, and you can decide if customers make purchases directly in an AI channel or if they're redirected to your online store.

Opt in or out of a Shopify agentic storefront

You can choose to deactivate Shopify Catalog access for specific agentic storefronts with Shopify, but your products might still be displayed or referenced by AI channels through other external discovery and listing methods, such as web crawling and indexing. If you need to completely hide a product from AI channels, then refer to Hiding products from being discoverable by AI channels.

There's no option in your Agentic section to deactivate Shopify Catalog access for Google AI Mode and Gemini, because product discovery in those channels is powered by the Google & YouTube sales channel.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Sales channels > Agentic.

2. Deactivate Allow Shopify to manage for me.

3. Hover over the channel that you want to manage, and then click the icon.

4. Activate or deactivate Shopify Catalog access.

5. Click Save.

Opt in or out of direct checkout on AI channels

Agentic storefront direct checkouts are active by default for eligible stores, to let customers buy your products directly in AI channels. You can manage your settings for individual agentic storefronts and decide whether customers can check out directly in a channel, or whether they're redirected to your online store to complete their purchase.

If you opt out of direct checkout with an agentic storefront, then your products can still be discovered and included in the AI channel's search results through Shopify Catalog, but they can't be purchased through a direct checkout.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Sales channels > Agentic.

2. Deactivate Allow Shopify to manage for me.

3. Hover over the channel that you want to manage, and then click the icon.

4. Activate or deactivate Direct checkout.

5. Click Save.

How customers complete their orders

If you have the Direct checkout setting activated for a particular agentic storefront, then customers can click Buy directly in the agentic storefront interface. Customers can fill out their shipping and payment details in the AI channel's Shopify-powered direct checkout, and then complete their purchase without visiting your online store by clicking a Pay now button and paying with a credit card or debit card. The button wording and language might differ by AI channel.

If you have the Direct checkout setting deactivated, then customers can still find your product in the AI channel, but if they want to complete a purchase, then they're redirected to your online store where they can add the product to the cart and complete their order.