UCP Protocol Guide: Let Google AI Agent Discover Your Products

What is UCP?

UCP (Universal Commerce Protocol) is an open shopping protocol released by Google in January 2026. It defines the standard communication method between AI Agents and e-commerce systems.

UCP File Structure

The UCP configuration file is located at /.well-known/ucp and is a JSON format file:

{
  "version": "1.0",
  "merchant": {
    "name": "Your Brand",
    "domain": "yourbrand.com",
    "merchant_center_id": "123456789"
  },
  "capabilities": [
    "discovery",
    "checkout",
    "order_tracking",
    "customer_service"
  ],
  "endpoints": {
    "product_catalog": "https://yourbrand.com/products.xml",
    "checkout": "https://yourbrand.com/api/checkout"
  }
}

Configuration Steps

1. Create Configuration File

Use GeoAction's Agent Config Generator, fill in your merchant information, and automatically generate the UCP configuration file.

2. Upload to .well-known Directory

Upload the generated file to your website's /.well-known/ucp path.

For different platforms:

Shopify: Use Files feature or create a redirect

WordPress: Upload to root directory or use a plugin

Custom Site: Place directly in public or static directory

3. Configure Merchant Center

If you have a Google Merchant Center account, ensure:

Product data is synced

Account is verified

Domain is linked

4. Verify Configuration

Visit https://yourdomain.com/.well-known/ucp to confirm the file is accessible.

Then use GeoAction's GEO Audit tool to verify the configuration is correctly detected.

Capability Descriptions

Capability	Description	Requirements
discovery	Product discovery	Provide Product Feed URL
checkout	Online checkout	Implement Checkout API
order_tracking	Order tracking	Implement Order Status API
customer_service	Customer service	Provide contact information

Best Practices

Start with Discovery: Let AI discover your products first

Keep Data Synced: Ensure Product Feed updates in real-time

Test Checkout Flow: Thoroughly test before enabling checkout

Monitor Performance: Track traffic and conversions from AI Agents

FAQ

Q: Is a Merchant Center account required?

A: Not mandatory, but having Merchant Center provides better product display.

Q: Must the file format be JSON?

A: Yes, the UCP specification requires JSON format.

Q: Which countries/regions are supported?

A: Currently piloting in the US, but all global merchants should start preparing.