Agentic commerce protocols compared: dates, backers, surfaces, requirements
Version 1. 4 rows, 9 columns.
By Martin DejnickiUpdated
Short answer
The dataset compares four agentic commerce routes: the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), Shopify Catalog and Shopify Agentic Storefronts. For each it gives the date of first public launch, the backers the owner names, where buyers transact, what a merchant must do, and, for UCP and ACP, the number of spec versions published on October 18, 2026.
Of the four routes compared, Shopify Catalog launched first, on May 21, 2025, and UCP last, on January 11, 2026
Date of the first public spec or launch of each agentic commerce route, as its owner states, by type, May 2025 to January 2026
- Dates are the first public spec or launch each owner states, read on October 18, 2026.
- The four routes are the ones this page compares, not every agentic commerce launch.
- Open standard and Shopify product are Deploi's grouping of the owners' own descriptions.
- A launch date marks first publication, not availability to every merchant or how much a route is used; the dataset holds no order volume or sales.
Source: launch posts on the Google Ads & Commerce Blog (UCP), the Stripe blog (ACP), the Shopify Changelog (Shopify Catalog) and Shopify news (Agentic Storefronts). Read on .
About this dataset
The dataset compares four agentic commerce routes: the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), Shopify Catalog and Shopify Agentic Storefronts. For each it gives the date of first public launch, the backers the owner names, where buyers transact, what a merchant must do, and, for UCP and ACP, the number of spec versions published on October 18, 2026. Values are as the owners' own pages state them.
- Version
- 1
- Coverage in time
- Launches from May 21, 2025 to January 11, 2026; spec versions as of October 18, 2026
- Coverage in space
- Worldwide (protocol and platform announcements)
- Last updated
- October 19, 2026
- License
- CC BY 4.0. Deploi's compilation is CC BY 4.0. The underlying figures belong to Google, Stripe, OpenAI, Shopify Inc. and the protocol projects and are cited to the sources listed.
Variables
The CSV header uses the column name.
| Column name | Label | Type | Unit | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowKey | Row key | string | Stable key of the row; matches provenance rowKey. | |
| launchDate | First published | date | date | Date of the first public spec or launch announcement, as the owner states it |
| backers | Backers | string | text | Organizations the owner names as authors or partners; empty when the sources name none |
| surfaces | Surfaces | string | text | Where buyers transact, as the owner states it |
| merchantRequirement | Merchant requirement | string | text | What a merchant must do or be eligible for, as the owner states it |
| specVersions | Published spec versions | number | versions | Versions listed on the spec's own version or changelog page on October 18, 2026, counted by Deploi; empty for products without a spec |
| protocolLabel | Route | string | text | Display name of the protocol or product |
| routeType | Type | string | text | Open standard (a published specification with named backers) or Shopify product, Deploi's grouping of the owners' own descriptions, as the page's comparison section states it |
| status | Status | string | text | launched when launchDate is before the harvest date (2026-10-18), otherwise announced |
The data
| Row key | First published | Backers | Surfaces | Merchant requirement | Published spec versions | Route | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ucp | Jan 11, 2026 | Google in collaboration with industry leaders including Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and Walmart endorsed by over 20 global partners like Adyen, American Express, Best Buy, Flipkart, Macy's Inc, Mastercard, Stripe, The Home Depot, Visa, Zalando | AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app | active Merchant Center account and products eligible for checkout | 4 | UCP | Open standard | launched |
| acp | Sep 29, 2025 | Stripe and OpenAI | ChatGPT (Instant Checkout) | Implement the ACP specification; to participate in ChatGPT, you'll need to apply | 5 | ACP | Open standard | launched |
| shopify-catalog | May 21, 2025 | AI channels, the Shop app, and all future partners of Shopify Catalog | Store must be eligible for Shopify Catalog | Not stated | Shopify Catalog | Shopify product | launched | |
| agentic-storefronts | Dec 10, 2025 | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot (others coming soon); Google AI Mode and Gemini rolling out | enabled automatically for eligible stores | Not stated | Agentic Storefronts | Shopify product | launched |
Where each value comes from
Every value, the document it was read from, the exact place in it and the date it was read. Computed values show their formula.
Show all 28 traced values
| Row | Field | Value | Source | Where in the source | Read on | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ucp | First published | 2026-01-11 | New tech and tools for retailers to succeed in an agentic shopping era | Today, we’re launching the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a new open standard for agentic commerce that works across the entire shopping journey — from… | html | |
| ucp | Backers | Google in collaboration with industry leaders including Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and… | Under the Hood: Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) | UCP is developed by Google in collaboration with industry leaders including Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and Walmart endorsed by over 20 global partners… | html | |
| ucp | Surfaces | AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app | New tech and tools for retailers to succeed in an agentic shopping era | UCP will soon power a new checkout feature on eligible Google product listings in AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app | html | |
| ucp | Merchant requirement | active Merchant Center account and products eligible for checkout | Under the Hood: Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) | To participate in the Google implementation for UCP, you must have an active Merchant Center account and provide products eligible for checkout. | html | |
| acp | First published | 2025-09-29 | Developing an open standard for agentic commerce | The ACP specification is available for businesses and AI agents to implement starting today. | html | |
| acp | Backers | Stripe and OpenAI | Developing an open standard for agentic commerce | …Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), a new open standard codeveloped by Stripe and OpenAI that enables programmatic commerce flows between buyers, AI agents,… | html | |
| acp | Surfaces | ChatGPT (Instant Checkout) | Developing an open standard for agentic commerce | Today, we announced that Stripe is powering OpenAI’s newly launched commerce experience: Instant Checkout in ChatGPT. | html | |
| acp | Merchant requirement | Implement the ACP specification; to participate in ChatGPT, you'll need to apply | Agentic Commerce Protocol home page | Implement the ACP specification to configure your checkout for agentic commerce … If your business wants to participate in ChatGPT, you'll need to apply. | html | |
| shopify-catalog | First published | 2025-05-21 | Introducing Shopify Catalog (Shopify Changelog) | May 21, 2025 Introducing Shopify Catalog Introducing Shopify Catalog, Shopify’s global product catalog that enables seamless product searches across Shopify… | html | |
| shopify-catalog | Surfaces | AI channels, the Shop app, and all future partners of Shopify Catalog | The agentic commerce platform: Shopify connects any merchant to every AI conversation | This will enable non-Shopify merchants to sell products in AI channels, the Shop app, and all future partners of Shopify Catalog. | html | |
| shopify-catalog | Merchant requirement | Store must be eligible for Shopify Catalog | Shopify Help Center: Agentic Storefronts products | Agentic storefronts that find products through Shopify Catalog, such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, can access and display your products only when your… | html | |
| agentic-storefronts | First published | 2025-12-10 | Introducing Shopify Agentic Storefronts | Today we take a major step forward with Shopify Agentic Storefronts. | html | |
| agentic-storefronts | Surfaces | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot (others coming soon); Google AI Mode and Gemini rolling out | Introducing Shopify Agentic Storefronts | Agentic Storefronts help brands on Shopify instantly and accurately get discovered on AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot, with… | html | |
| agentic-storefronts | Merchant requirement | enabled automatically for eligible stores | Shopify Agentic Storefronts product page (US) | Agentic Storefronts is enabled automatically for eligible stores. | html | |
| ucp | Published spec versions | 4 versions | Computed by Deploi | specVersions = released spec versions listed on the spec's own version or changelog page; dated versions in versions.json: 2026-01-11, 2026-01-23, 2026-04-08… | computed | |
| acp | Published spec versions | 5 versions | Computed by Deploi | specVersions = released spec versions listed on the spec's own version or changelog page; changelog files: 2025-09-29, 2025-12-12, 2026-01-16, 2026-01-30… | computed | |
| ucp | Status | launched | Computed by Deploi | status = launched if launchDate is before the harvest date (2026-10-18), otherwise announced; an empty launchDate gives an empty cell; inputs ucp.launchDate =… | computed | |
| acp | Status | launched | Computed by Deploi | status = launched if launchDate is before the harvest date (2026-10-18), otherwise announced; an empty launchDate gives an empty cell; inputs acp.launchDate =… | computed | |
| shopify-catalog | Status | launched | Computed by Deploi | status = launched if launchDate is before the harvest date (2026-10-18), otherwise announced; an empty launchDate gives an empty cell; inputs shopify-catalog.launchDate… | computed | |
| agentic-storefronts | Status | launched | Computed by Deploi | status = launched if launchDate is before the harvest date (2026-10-18), otherwise announced; an empty launchDate gives an empty cell; inputs… | computed | |
| ucp | Route | UCP | Computed by Deploi | protocolLabel = display label set by Deploi from the row key: ucp = UCP; acp = ACP; shopify-catalog = Shopify Catalog; agentic-storefronts = Agentic… | computed | |
| acp | Route | ACP | Computed by Deploi | …= display label set by Deploi from the row key: ucp = UCP; acp = ACP; shopify-catalog = Shopify Catalog; agentic-storefronts = Agentic… | computed | |
| shopify-catalog | Route | Shopify Catalog | Computed by Deploi | …by Deploi from the row key: ucp = UCP; acp = ACP; shopify-catalog = Shopify Catalog; agentic-storefronts = Agentic Storefronts; display label set by… | computed | |
| agentic-storefronts | Route | Agentic Storefronts | Computed by Deploi | …the row key: ucp = UCP; acp = ACP; shopify-catalog = Shopify Catalog; agentic-storefronts = Agentic Storefronts; display label set by Deploi from the row key | computed | |
| ucp | Type | Open standard | Computed by Deploi | routeType = ucp and acp = Open standard (a published specification with named backers); shopify-catalog and agentic-storefronts = Shopify product; grouping… | computed | |
| acp | Type | Open standard | Computed by Deploi | routeType = ucp and acp = Open standard (a published specification with named backers); shopify-catalog and agentic-storefronts = Shopify product; grouping… | computed | |
| shopify-catalog | Type | Shopify product | Computed by Deploi | …specification with named backers); shopify-catalog and agentic-storefronts = Shopify product; grouping set by Deploi from the owners' own descriptions | computed | |
| agentic-storefronts | Type | Shopify product | Computed by Deploi | …specification with named backers); shopify-catalog and agentic-storefronts = Shopify product; grouping set by Deploi from the owners' own descriptions | computed |
Methodology
Caveats: Agentic commerce protocols compared: dates, backers, surfaces, requirements
- Dated spec and product claims only. The dataset holds no adoption, merchant count or sales figure for any route.
- Shopify Catalog and Agentic Storefronts are Shopify products. The sources read name no backers for them and list no spec versions, so those cells are empty.
- Dates are the first public announcement or spec the owner states, not general availability to every merchant.
- Spec versions are those listed on the protocol's own version or changelog page on October 18, 2026, counted by Deploi. New versions can appear later.
- Google's launch post says UCP will soon power checkout on eligible Google listings, so the surfaces column records the announcement, not whether each surface is live for every shopper.
- Backers are the organizations the owner names. The dataset does not verify their involvement.
Deploi's charts and compilation are licensed CC BY 4.0. The underlying facts belong to their sources, which are named on every page. How Deploi Shopify Data works.
Sources
Tier A sources are primary documents: filings, official releases and official price pages. How sources are ranked.
- Tier AAgentic Commerce Protocol home page
Agentic Commerce Protocol project (agenticcommerce.dev) · HTML · Read on
- Tier ADeveloping an open standard for agentic commerce
Stripe · HTML · Read on
- Tier AShopify Agentic Storefronts product page (US)
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
- Tier AShopify developer docs: About Catalogs
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
- Tier AIntroducing Shopify Catalog (Shopify Changelog)
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
- Tier AShopify Help Center: Agentic Storefronts products
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
- Tier AIntroducing Shopify Agentic Storefronts
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
- Tier AThe agentic commerce platform: Shopify connects any merchant to every AI conversation
Shopify Inc. · HTML · Read on
- Tier ANew tech and tools for retailers to succeed in an agentic shopping era
Google · HTML · Read on
- Tier AUnder the Hood: Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)
Google · HTML · Read on
- Tier AUCP published spec versions (versions.json)
Universal Commerce Protocol project (ucp.dev) · TEXT · Read on
- Tier AACP changelog 2025-09-29
Agentic Commerce Protocol project (GitHub) · TEXT · Read on
Cite and reuse
Deploi's charts and compilation are licensed CC BY 4.0. The underlying facts belong to their sources, which are named on every page.
APA
Deploi. (2026). Agentic commerce protocols compared: dates, backers, surfaces, requirements (Version 1) [Data set]. https://deploi.ca/shopify/data/datasets/agentic-protocols Retrieved October 19, 2026.
BibTeX
@misc{deploi_agentic_protocols_2026,
author = {{Deploi}},
title = {Agentic commerce protocols compared: dates, backers, surfaces, requirements},
year = {2026},
version = {1},
url = {https://deploi.ca/shopify/data/datasets/agentic-protocols},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19}
}Downloads
- Data: Agentic commerce protocols compared: dates, backers, surfaces, requirements CSV
Changes
- · Agentic commerce protocols compared: dates, backers, surfaces, requirements
First release. Launch dates, backers, surfaces and requirements read from the owners' announcements and documentation on October 18, 2026, with spec versions counted by Deploi and the protocolLabel, routeType and status columns for the timeline of protocol launches.