Google unveils AI-powered Universal Cart for agentic commerce

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

Google introduced its new Universal Cart and expanded its Universal Commerce Protocol at the I/O 2026 developer conference, signaling a significant push into AI-powered agentic commerce.

The initiative aims to integrate shopping capabilities directly across Google‘s ecosystem, enabling artificial intelligence to actively manage and facilitate user purchases from discovery through checkout.

Universal Cart provides an AI-powered shopping experience that operates across Google Search, Gemini, YouTube, and Gmail, as well as with participating merchants.

The system is designed to continuously monitor deals, price drops, and inventory, suggesting alternatives or identifying incompatibilities for users, according to a company statement.

Integration with Google Wallet allows Universal Cart to manage payment methods, loyalty programs, and merchant offers, streamlining the purchasing process.

Major retailers including Nike, Sephora, Target, Ulta Beauty, Walmart, Wayfair, and Shopify merchants are expected to roll out support for Universal Cart this summer.

The launch significantly expands Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), which is gaining increased adoption among retailers and technology partners.

UCP-powered checkout capabilities are set to expand to Canada, Australia, and the U.K., with plans to extend to YouTube in the U.S.

Future integrations for UCP include hotel bookings and local food delivery services, further embedding transactional capabilities within Google’s platforms.

Google’s strategy seeks to keep more of the entire purchase journey within its owned experiences, moving beyond merely directing users to external retailer websites.

This initiative underscores the growing importance of structured product information and Merchant Center optimization for advertisers and retailers.

The company also indicated that YouTube is becoming an increasingly vital e-commerce channel for businesses looking to engage with consumers directly through Google’s commerce tools.

Source: Search Engine Journal