Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) is set to change how people discover and buy products online, which will fundamentally change how we approach SEO for eCommerce websites.

Instead of sending users to a website to complete a purchase, Google now allows shoppers to buy products directly within its AI-powered experiences, including Search and Gemini. The entire purchase can happen inside Google’s interface.

For SEOs and ecommerce marketers, this means thinking beyond clicks and website traffic. The focus shifts towards enabling direct, simple purchases inside Google. Developers will manage the technical work, but marketers still play a key role. Your responsibility is to prepare the product data, make sure everything meets Google’s requirements, and help create a smooth journey from discovery to purchase.

Preparing Your Google Merchant Center

The first step is preparing your Google Merchant Center account. Before developers begin any technical work, your Merchant Center setup needs to be correct, because Google relies on this information to power the checkout experience.

Even though Google hosts the checkout, you are still the Merchant of Record. This means your store policies apply in the same way as they do on your own website. Customers need to see these policies clearly before they buy.

Start by reviewing your store policies and making sure they are easy to understand. Your return policy should clearly explain whether returns cost anything and how long customers have to return an item, such as a 30-day return window. You should also include a direct link to the full policy.

Customer support details must also be included. Google places a “Contact Merchant” link on the customer’s receipt, and this information comes directly from Merchant Center. For example, if someone buys a pair of shoes through Google’s checkout, they should be able to see straight away whether returning the item costs £5 and how they can contact your support team if there is a problem.

Optimising Your Product Feed for AI Commerce

After your policies are set up, the next step is improving your product feeds. UCP depends on structured product data, so you will need to include a few extra attributes.

Many marketers choose to do this through a supplemental feed in Merchant Center. This allows you to add new information without affecting your main shopping feed.

One important attribute is native_commerce. This works as the on-switch for UCP. When the value is set to TRUE, you are telling Google that the product can be purchased directly through its checkout system. If it is left blank or set to FALSE, the product will continue to send users to your website as normal.

Some products also require safety warnings or legal notices. These can be added using the consumer_notice attribute. If a product needs a warning, such as a choking hazard or a California Proposition 65 notice, it must be included so Google can show the warning clearly before purchase.

Another helpful attribute is merchant_item_id. Sometimes the stock-keeping unit (SKU) used in your marketing feed does not match the internal product ID used by your development team. This field allows you to link those identifiers together so the product remains consistent across systems.

For example, imagine you sell a wooden desk. In your supplemental feed you might set native_commerce to TRUE so the desk can be purchased through Google. If the product requires a Prop 65 warning about wood dust exposure, you would include that information in the consumer_notice field.

Identifying Products That Cannot Use UCP

Not every product can be sold through UCP. Some types of products are not supported and should be excluded.

Customised products are one example. Items that require personalisation, such as engraved mugs, cannot be handled through the standard checkout flow.

Subscriptions and digital goods are also excluded. This includes things like monthly coffee subscriptions, online courses, or in-game currency.

Age-restricted products such as alcohol, tobacco, or weapons must also remain outside the system.

For these products, the native_commerce field should be left blank or set to FALSE so they are not included in the direct checkout experience.

Choosing the Right Checkout Approach

Once your product data is ready, you will need to decide which checkout approach your developers should implement. There are two options available.

The first is native checkout, which is the option Google recommends. With native checkout, Google controls the entire checkout screen. Your systems send data to Google through APIs, but the customer completes the purchase inside Google’s interface.

This creates a very quick and simple buying experience. A user might ask Gemini to find a red cotton t-shirt. Gemini shows several options, including your product. The user selects “Buy” and completes the purchase in a couple of steps using their saved Google Pay details, without visiting your website.

The second option is embedded checkout. In this case, Google loads your own checkout page inside an iframe within the Google interface. The user still feels like they are inside Google, but the checkout process runs on your website.

This option is useful if your products require more complex choices before purchase. For example, a company selling custom-built PCs might need buyers to choose RAM, graphics cards, storage, and other components before completing the order.

Keeping the Customer Relationship

One concern with third-party checkouts is losing the connection with the customer. By default, UCP works as a guest checkout, meaning the buyer may not create an account with your store.

Google offers a solution called Streamlined Linking. Developers can use OAuth 2.0 to allow customers to link their Google account with an account on your store during checkout.

This happens within the Google interface, so there are no extra redirects or complicated steps. The customer enjoys a fast checkout, while your business can still capture customer data, apply loyalty points, and provide personalised offers later.

Managing the Post-Purchase Experience

Once customers begin purchasing through Google, your operations team needs to be ready to manage these orders properly.

Your business must enable Google Pay. This means registering in the Google Pay and Wallet Console and confirming that your payment service provider supports Google Pay transactions.

You also need a way to send order updates back to Google. Because the purchase happens inside Google, customers expect to receive updates there as well.

Your system should send automated webhooks whenever an order status changes. This includes when an order is created, shipped, or delivered. Updates should also be sent if an order is cancelled, refunded, or returned.

For example, when your warehouse prints a shipping label for a customer’s jacket, your system sends a webhook to Google. Google then notifies the buyer that their order from your brand has been shipped.

Preparing for AI-Driven Shopping

When your Merchant Center data is organised, eligible products are enabled for native commerce, and account linking works smoothly, your store becomes ready for this new type of shopping.

As Google’s AI continues to recommend products within search and conversational experiences, customers will move from discovery to purchase much more quickly. Businesses that prepare their systems and product data early will be in a stronger position to capture these fast buying moments.