Shopify automatically enrolls stores in new AI shopping channels

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

Shopify automatically enrolled eligible merchant stores into new artificial intelligence shopping channels by default, a setting that could affect merchant operations and analytics, according to company information.

The e-commerce platform’s default setting, labeled “Allow Shopify to manage for me,” shares product data with AI agents such as Meta‘s Muse, Google, Microsoft Copilot, and ChatGPT, enabling direct checkout for customers within chat applications.

Products from eligible stores were shared with Meta on September 8, 2026, the same day Meta launched its AI agent, Muse, said Alex Heath, a Meta spokesperson. Customers can complete purchases without leaving the chat app on Meta, Google, and Microsoft Copilot for qualifying stores, utilizing Shopify’s direct checkout system.

Shopify’s AI channels currently charge no additional fees, with merchants only responsible for standard payment processing costs, Shopify stated. However, Meta expects to implement a small transaction cut for Muse over time, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on September 8, 2026.

Merchants can disable auto-enrollment or individual AI channels through their Shopify settings. Disabling catalog access, which stops product data sharing, can take up to seven days to become effective, according to Shopify.

Website tracking codes, such as Google Analytics and custom pixels, do not fire during direct checkouts within these AI chat applications. This absence of data could impact merchant analytics and marketing attribution efforts.

Slobodan Manic, an e-commerce consultant, noted that the automatic enrollment represents a strategic move by Shopify to integrate with emerging AI commerce platforms, potentially expanding reach for its merchants while introducing new data management considerations.

Source: Search Engine Journal