You can now buy products in Google AI Mode without leaving the search results

Google's AI mode now allows you to make purchases without visiting online stores. That is, if you trust AI Overviews...

Google just made it possible to shop for items directly in the AI Mode. Users in the US can now search for items and make purchases from Etsy and Wayfair without leaving Google or Gemini.

This was made possible with the new Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) that Google developed with its enterprise partners, including Etsy, Wayfair, Shopify, and more.

The new shopping experience works like this: when you ask Google for recommendations on certain products (e.g., "cozy throw blanket recommendations"), AI will automatically show a listing from one of the supported sites. You can then add the item to the cart and buy it on the spot. Checkout uses your saved Google Pay/Wallet details to complete the purchase.

Shopping Google AI Mode — UCP-powered shopping journey in Google search | Image: Google

UCP was announced last month, and Google confirmed its rollout to the public in a February 11 blog post. This feature is currently only available to users in the US and is limited to products from Etsy and Wayfair. But Google says that integrations with Shopify, Target, Walmart, and more vendors are coming soon.

Besides the ability to purchase items without visiting external stores, the AI Mode will also feature special product ads. Ads have been a part of the AI Mode for a few months already, and Google is now expanding them with a dedicated shopping format. This new sponsored placement will appear directly below the organic AI-generated results, and will be labeled as “Sponsored.”

Google’s recent moves clearly point to the company’s aspiration to keep users on the search platform as long as possible. We already saw this with AI Overviews, which effectively “dealt” with content websites by serving up instant answers directly within the search UI. Now, that same logic is being applied to e-commerce.

From the user perspective, these instant purchases will make online shopping faster and more convenient than ever. However, it will also require a high level of trust in AI-generated answers, and that is a hurdle Google still hasn't quite cleared with everyone.