Good morning. This week’s story is a turf war. Meta launched a shopping agent, Shopify opened the door to it, and Amazon shut it out. If you sell on Shopify, you may already be part of it.
In today’s brief:
- Shopify let Meta’s shopping agent in. Amazon didn’t.
- ChatGPT ads come to Shopify
- Try this: check what Shopify shares with AI channels
The number: AI-referred visits to US retail sites converted 60% better than all other traffic in July, according to Adobe. Growth is slowing, though: AI's share of visits rose 62% year on year, down from far steeper jumps earlier in 2026. Source: Adobe.
Agents · lead story
Shopify let Meta’s shopping agent in. Amazon didn’t.
Image source: Meta, original announcement.
The brief: Meta launched Muse, a personal AI agent that can browse and buy on your behalf, in the US on 8 September. The same day, Shopify added Meta as an AI channel for merchants. On 20 September, Amazon started blocking Muse from its site.
The details:
- Muse can open a browser, fill in forms and complete purchases, and asks before it buys. Payments run through Stripe Link, which issues one-time-use cards.
- Shopify shares your products with Meta by default through Shopify Catalog. Direct checkout is on by default for eligible stores that sell to the US, Canada or Mexico.
- Amazon told reporters that shopping agents should identify themselves and respect a business’s choice to opt out, and that it asked Meta to remove Amazon from Muse. Meta didn’t comment.
- On 21 September, Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke announced a partnership to bring Shop Pay checkout to Muse.
- The legal side is unsettled: in August, a US appeals court threw out Amazon’s injunction against Perplexity’s Comet shopping browser.
Why it matters for your store: Marketplaces are deciding whether to let AI agents in, and so are you, whether you meant to or not. On Shopify, the default shares your catalog with every AI channel and turns on direct checkout wherever it’s supported. That’s probably good for reach. But Meta’s direct checkout has limits worth knowing: Google Analytics and browser pixels don’t fire (only server-side events do), and subscriptions, bundles and customizable products aren’t supported.
Your move · ACT: Open Sales channels › Agentic in your Shopify admin this week and make a deliberate call on the Meta channel: catalog access, direct checkout, and how you'll measure the sales. The steps are in Try this, below.
Evidence: Meta and Shopify announcements, Shopify Help Center and the court record. Amazon's position comes from spokesperson statements to TechCrunch and GeekWire. Not tested by AC Brief.
Ads
ChatGPT ads come to Shopify
Image source: OpenAI, original announcement.
The brief: On 16 September, OpenAI said US-based Shopify merchants can run ChatGPT ads through a free Shopify app that pulls products straight from Shopify Catalog.
The details:
- OpenAI said the app expands to its other ad markets from 23 September. Its help page still listed the US only when we checked.
- It’s also testing Sponsored Agents: after clicking an ad, a shopper can chat with a business’s own labelled agent. It’s a limited alpha with select US advertisers, and OpenAI isn’t taking requests to join.
- Other additions include a HubSpot integration and AI-suggested ad copy and images.
Why it matters for your store: Paid placement is arriving inside AI answers, and on Shopify it runs on the same catalog data as organic AI discovery. Clean product data now pays twice.
Your move · TEST (US Shopify stores): If you already run paid social, install the app and test one best seller with a small budget you're happy to spend on learning. Everyone else: WATCH for your market.
Evidence: OpenAI announcement, OpenAI Help Center and the Shopify App Store listing. Not tested by AC Brief.
Shelf watch
Where AI shopping stands this week
- Meta AI · NEW: a Shopify AI channel since 8 September. Direct checkout for shoppers in the US, Canada and Mexico; the Muse app itself is US-only.
- Amazon · BLOCKED: blocking Meta’s Muse agent since 20 September (reported).
- Google AI Mode · CHANGED: AI performance insights in five countries (covered in Issue 006); UCP cart transfer rolling out in the US.
- ChatGPT · CHANGED: ads through a Shopify app for US merchants; Sponsored Agents in alpha.
- Copilot · STEADY: Copilot Checkout for US shoppers.
Try this · 10 minutes
Check what Shopify shares with AI channels
- In your Shopify admin, go to Sales channels › Agentic. Staff accounts need the Agentic and product-view permissions.
- Check Allow Shopify to manage for me. If it’s on, every AI channel gets your catalog, direct checkout is on wherever it’s supported, and you’re enrolled in new channels automatically.
- To decide channel by channel, turn it off, then open each channel (Meta, Google, Copilot) and set Shopify Catalog access and Direct checkout. Save. If you switch off Shopify Catalog access entirely, Shopify says sharing can take up to 7 days to stop.
- Run Search preview on your top search term and check the listing-quality meter: description, images, reviews, variants and store policies.
Not on Shopify? Ask ChatGPT and Gemini this about your own best seller, then compare the answers with your site:
I'm deciding whether to buy [product] from [brand]. What does it cost, is it in stock, what's the return window, and how long is delivery to [city]? Cite your sources.
Tool radar
Three tools, three verdicts
- USE · Shopify search preview: it lives in Sales channels › Agentic and shows how your products might appear in each AI channel. Treat it as a rough guide; Shopify says channels re-rank results.
- USE · Merchant Center AI performance: free if you sell in one of the five countries. We covered it in Issue 006.
- SKIP · Paid “llms.txt generator” apps: Google says its AI search features need no special files, and Shopify stores already serve an editable /agents.md and /llms.txt.
Quick hits
Everything else
- Six banks, including Bank of America, Capital One, ING and NatWest, published voluntary principles for “trusted agentic commerce” on 22 September. Read the principles.
- PayPal says its customers can now check out through Muse at PayPal merchants. PayPal’s post.
Before you go
Have you checked what Shopify shares with AI channels on your behalf? Reply with what you found and what you decided. The most useful answers go into next week’s brief, anonymously.
New here? Score your store with our free AI Shelf Checklist. Know someone who runs an online store? Forward them this email. They can subscribe free at acbrief.com.
— Said