{"id":22173,"date":"2026-03-23T17:41:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T16:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/?p=22173"},"modified":"2026-03-23T17:41:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T16:41:08","slug":"universal-commerce-protocol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/en\/blog\/insights\/universal-commerce-protocol\/","title":{"rendered":"Universal Commerce Protocol: data consistency matters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Google has launched the <strong>Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)<\/strong>, an open standard developed together with Shopify, Walmart, Target, Etsy, and Wayfair that enables <strong>AI agents to manage the entire online purchase journey<\/strong>: from product search to payment, through to shipping and returns. The protocol already works on AI Mode in Google Search and on Gemini, and is <strong>supported by over 20 global partners<\/strong> including Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, and American Express.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For those managing e-commerce, catalogs, or brand communications, the message is clear: <strong>the quality of product data and digital assets<\/strong> becomes the prerequisite for <strong>being discovered and selling within AI-powered experiences<\/strong>. This article explains what UCP is, how it works in practice, and how to prepare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#1-cose-un-dam-in-parole-semplici\">What is Google&#8217;s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#2-cose-un-pim-in-parole-semplici\">Where it comes into play: AI Mode and Gemini<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#3-dam-vs-pim-quando-la-differenza-conta\">How UCP works (simple flow)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#4-quando-il-focus-e-sugli-asset-senza-dimenticare-i-dati\">Universal Commerce Protocol: what changes for merchants?<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#4-quando-il-focus-e-sugli-asset-senza-dimenticare-i-dati-1\">Merchant Center: requirements and attributes, including native_commerce<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#5-quando-il-focus-e-sui-dati-ma-con-asset-sempre-coerenti\">Native checkout vs Embedded checkout: differences and use cases<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#6-dam-pim-per-lexperience-di-prodotto\">Payments and trust: Google Pay\/Wallet and implications<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#7-perche-unificarli-effetti-su-time-to-market-e-costi-operativi\">Identity linking (OAuth): when it&#8217;s needed and what it enables<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#8-automazione-utile-meno-attivita-ripetitive-meno-errori\">SEO impact: from ranking to &#8220;readability&#8221; for agents<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#8-automazione-utile-meno-attivita-ripetitive-meno-errori-1\">Final UCP Checklist: what to do today<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#domande-frequenti-faq\">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-cose-un-dam-in-parole-semplici\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>What is Google&#8217;s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Universal Commerce Protocol is an <strong>open, open-source standard<\/strong>, presented by <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/products\/ads-commerce\/agentic-commerce-ai-tools-protocol-retailers-platforms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Google on January 11, 2026<\/strong><\/a> during the National Retail Federation. It creates a common language between AI agents, e-commerce platforms, and payment systems, designed to <strong>cover the entire purchase cycle<\/strong>: product discovery, checkout, order confirmation, tracking, and returns management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1921\" height=\"929\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-1-8.png\" alt=\"UCP diagram showing the full purchase journey, from product discovery to checkout, tracking and returns.\" class=\"wp-image-22360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-1-8.png 1921w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-1-8-650x314.png 650w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-1-8-1290x624.png 1290w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-1-8-768x371.png 768w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-1-8-1536x743.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-1-8-350x169.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1921px) 100vw, 1921px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-dark-green-thron-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-79b98d3fbcdeff65a8b48e462fd6a614\">Until now, connecting an AI agent to an online store required custom integrations. UCP eliminates this fragmentation with a single protocol, <strong>compatible with already widespread standards<\/strong> like Agent2Agent (<a href=\"https:\/\/a2a-protocol.org\/latest\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-orange-thron-color\">A2A<\/mark><\/a>), Agent Payments Protocol (<a href=\"https:\/\/ap2-protocol.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-orange-thron-color\">AP2<\/mark><\/a>) and Model Context Protocol (<a href=\"https:\/\/modelcontextprotocol.io\/docs\/getting-started\/intro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-orange-thron-color\">MCP<\/mark><\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Simply put: UCP is a set of shared rules that <strong>allows any AI agent to &#8220;talk&#8221; with any online store<\/strong> without needing custom connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-cose-un-pim-in-parole-semplici\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>Where it comes into play: AI Mode and Gemini<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The first practical use of UCP happens within <strong>AI Mode<\/strong> in Google Search and in the <strong>Gemini<\/strong> app. Here the AI agent doesn&#8217;t return a list of links: it interprets a request, compares products, checks prices and availability, and <strong>can complete a purchase without the person ever visiting the seller&#8217;s site<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This model is called <strong>agentic commerce<\/strong>, or conversational shopping: the AI <strong>acts on behalf of the buyer<\/strong>, with direct payment within the conversational experience via Google Pay and Google Wallet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The operational consequence is that the purchase decision shifts &#8220;upstream&#8221; of the e-commerce site. If product data isn&#8217;t complete, up-to-date, and consistent across channels, the agent doesn&#8217;t propose that product. There&#8217;s no longer a landing page, no second chance to convince: <strong>either the data is ready, or the sale doesn&#8217;t happen<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-dam-vs-pim-quando-la-differenza-conta\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>How UCP works (simple flow)<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sellers publish an <strong>AI-readable profile<\/strong> on their site (at the address \/.well-known\/ucp), declaring the services they offer: checkout, order management, discounts, accepted payment methods. The AI agent reads this profile, verifies what&#8217;s compatible with its own capabilities, and initiates an <strong>automated negotiation<\/strong> called <a href=\"https:\/\/shopify.engineering\/ucp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">capability discovery<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At that point a purchase session opens: the agent <strong>checks stock and prices in real time<\/strong>, can <strong>apply discount codes<\/strong> and <strong>manages payment<\/strong> through tokenization, <strong>protecting payment data<\/strong> by replacing it with a temporary code. After the order, the protocol covers the entire <strong>order lifecycle<\/strong>: confirmation, shipping tracking, returns and refunds, with automatic notifications sent from the system to the store (the so-called webhooks).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1921\" height=\"901\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-2-5.png\" alt=\"Smartphone showing discounted headphones, availability and a buy button within a guided chat.\" class=\"wp-image-22362\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-2-5.png 1921w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-2-5-650x305.png 650w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-2-5-1290x605.png 1290w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-2-5-768x360.png 768w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-2-5-1536x720.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-2-5-350x164.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1921px) 100vw, 1921px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>An example<\/strong>: a user asks &#8220;looking for noise-canceling headphones&#8221;. The agent reads the store&#8217;s UCP profile, checks availability and active promotions, adds the product to cart, and completes payment with the person&#8217;s digital wallet. All in a few seconds, <strong>without ever opening the website<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The same mechanism applies to any sector working with a product catalog. <strong>In retail and e-commerce the advantage is immediate<\/strong>: fewer abandoned carts, purchase completed within the AI experience, zero transitions between platforms. The same goes for companies in design or ceramics, where <strong>product discoverability is essential<\/strong>: an architecture firm searching for &#8220;porcelain stoneware with stone effect for bathroom&#8221; could receive the answer directly from an AI agent, which queries manufacturers&#8217; catalogs, compares formats and availability, and proposes the most suitable solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-quando-il-focus-e-sugli-asset-senza-dimenticare-i-dati\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>Universal Commerce Protocol: what changes for merchants?<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-quando-il-focus-e-sugli-asset-senza-dimenticare-i-dati-1\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Merchant Center: requirements and attributes, including native_commerce<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>All UCP requirements and new attributes point in the <strong>same direction<\/strong>: <strong>complete product data<\/strong>, <strong>high quality<\/strong> and <strong>consistent<\/strong> across every channel. <strong>Google Merchant Center<\/strong> is Google&#8217;s free tool where sellers upload and manage information about their products (prices, availability, images, descriptions) to make them visible on Google Shopping and other Google surfaces. For UCP, <strong>it remains the starting point<\/strong>. Complete and updated product feeds (prices, availability, shipping and return policies, customer support contacts) are the basic requirement for eligibility. Google has introduced <strong>dozens of new attributes designed for conversational shopping<\/strong>: answers to frequently asked questions about products, compatible accessories, substitute products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1921\" height=\"831\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-3-2.png\" alt=\"Three-step flow connecting seller, Google Merchant Center and Google Shopping.\" class=\"wp-image-22364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-3-2.png 1921w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-3-2-650x281.png 650w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-3-2-1290x558.png 1290w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-3-2-768x332.png 768w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-3-2-1536x664.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-3-2-350x151.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1921px) 100vw, 1921px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>native_commerce<\/strong> attribute, for example, signals that the seller is available for native checkout within AI Mode and Gemini. Those already using <strong>free listings<\/strong>, the free product cards that Google shows in search results, have an advantage: they already have a data foundation to build on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5-quando-il-focus-e-sui-dati-ma-con-asset-sempre-coerenti\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>Native checkout vs Embedded checkout: differences and use cases<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Native checkout<\/strong> integrates payment logic within the AI interface via API. It&#8217;s the <strong>recommended path<\/strong> for accessing the most advanced features, like multi-product carts and loyalty programs. Embedded checkout instead loads the seller&#8217;s interface in a frame integrated into the page, and is designed for those with customized flows or specific branding needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In both cases the seller remains the Merchant of Record: maintains complete control over data, customer relationships, and <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/merchant\/ucp\/faq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">terms of sale<\/a>. Google never becomes the seller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6-dam-pim-per-lexperience-di-prodotto\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>Payments and trust: Google Pay\/Wallet and implications<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>UCP handles payments through tokenization<\/strong> with Google Pay and Google Wallet. <strong>A Google Pay button on the site isn&#8217;t necessary<\/strong>: it&#8217;s enough that the <strong>PSP<\/strong>, the provider that manages online payments on behalf of the seller (for example Stripe, Adyen or Nexi), can process tokens. Most global PSPs are already compatible. <strong>PayPal will also be available soon<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"7-perche-unificarli-effetti-su-time-to-market-e-costi-operativi\"><strong>Identity linking (OAuth): when it&#8217;s needed and what it enables<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For personalized experiences, UCP provides for <strong>account linking of buyers via OAuth 2.0<\/strong>. This means <strong>sellers can recognize the person and offer them benefits tied to their loyalty program<\/strong>, dedicated price lists, or access to order history, all within the AI experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"block-box-topic-block_352edf20614fa91f08aa98f9b45232ef\" class=\"block-box-topic block-box-topic--icona\">\n            <div class=\"block-box-topic__icona\">\n            <i class=\"fa-classic fa-solid fa-cart-shopping\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>        <\/div>\n    \n    \n    \n            <div class=\"block-box-topic__testo\">\n            <p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The linking <strong>works only with explicit consent from the person<\/strong>. At the moment this feature is on the roadmap: <strong>Google plans to release it in the coming months of 2026<\/strong>, along with multi-item carts, support for the Gemini app, and advanced post-purchase assistance.<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"8-automazione-utile-meno-attivita-ripetitive-meno-errori\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>SEO impact: from ranking to &#8220;readability&#8221; for agents<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With agentic commerce, <strong>the concept of visibility changes<\/strong>. Classic ranking factors (keywords, links, text quality) remain, but a new layer is added: the <strong>ability of product data to be read and used by AI agents<\/strong> to make a purchase decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An agent queries product feeds, UCP profiles, and structured data. If this information is incomplete, inconsistent across channels, or updated with delays, the product isn&#8217;t proposed. <strong>Product data and digital assets no longer support the purchase experience: they<\/strong> <strong><em>are<\/em><\/strong> <strong>the purchase experience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1921\" height=\"788\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-5-11.png\" alt=\"THRON platform turning product data into a product sheet and AI message with purchase prompt.\" class=\"wp-image-22366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-5-11.png 1921w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-5-11-650x267.png 650w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-5-11-1290x529.png 1290w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-5-11-768x315.png 768w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-5-11-1536x630.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Slide-5-11-350x144.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1921px) 100vw, 1921px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The problem, for many companies, is that this data and content currently lives fragmented across the frontends of various channels: one version on the website, a different one on the marketplace, yet another in the PDF catalog. Each channel has its own copy, often out of sync. In a world where <strong>an AI agent queries these sources and compares them in real time<\/strong>, every misalignment becomes a reason for exclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s the same mechanism that <strong>GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)<\/strong> has made evident for editorial content: the language models underlying LLMs like Gemini or Perplexity, when they need to generate an answer, <strong>select and cite the most coherent and reliable sources<\/strong>. If information is contradictory across sources, it gets discarded. <strong>The same thing happens with product data<\/strong>. An AI agent that finds one price on Merchant Center and a different price on marketplaces has no way to determine which is correct, and therefore <strong>moves on<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"block-box-topic-block_07511f6de8c584a424a3927ae2f28cda\" class=\"block-box-topic block-box-topic--icona\">\n            <div class=\"block-box-topic__icona\">\n            <i class=\"fa-classic fa-solid fa-circle-info\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>        <\/div>\n    \n    \n    \n            <div class=\"block-box-topic__testo\">\n            <p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The consistency of information, messaging, and data across all channels isn&#8217;t a technical optimization: it&#8217;s the <strong>prerequisite for existing in an AI model&#8217;s responses<\/strong>, whether it&#8217;s a blog article or a product sheet.<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/capabilities\/quantumblack\/our-insights\/the-agentic-commerce-opportunity-how-ai-agents-are-ushering-in-a-new-era-for-consumers-and-merchants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">McKinsey<\/a>, by 2030 the US retail market could generate up to 1 trillion dollars orchestrated by agentic commerce. Those who control the quality, structure, and consistent distribution of assets and product information across all channels find themselves in a <strong>position of advantage<\/strong>. This is the space where those like THRON operate, combining DAM and PIM in <strong>a single intelligent platform<\/strong>: one source for digital assets, product data, and channel activation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"8-automazione-utile-meno-attivita-ripetitive-meno-errori-1\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Final UCP Checklist: what to do today<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The first UCP features are being tested in the United States. Expansion to <strong>Europe<\/strong> is expected <strong>in 2026<\/strong>, without official dates. Preparing now means <strong>being ready<\/strong> when the protocol <strong>arrives in Italy as well<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Verify that your <strong>Google Merchant Center<\/strong> account is complete, accessing the &#8220;Diagnostics&#8221; section to identify errors or missing data: product feed, shipping and return policies, customer support contacts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enrich product sheets with <strong>conversational attributes<\/strong>: answers to frequently asked questions, related products, accessories, substitutes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check <strong>data consistency<\/strong> between your website, Merchant Center, and all other channelsin the selling process. Platforms that unify digital asset management and product data with distribution across all channels, such as <strong>THRON<\/strong>, reduce the risk of misalignment at the source.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ensure that checkout supports <strong>tokenization<\/strong> (Google Pay or compatible PSP).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Define who on the team has <strong>responsibility for product data<\/strong>: marketing, e-commerce, IT, or a cross-functional group. Centralizing assets and product information in a single platform simplifies this <strong>governance<\/strong>, especially when there are many channels to feed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Monitor the roadmap on&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ucp.dev\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ucp.dev<\/a>&nbsp;<\/strong>and the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/merchant\/ucp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Google documentation<\/strong><\/a> to keep track of updates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>But this preparation goes beyond the single protocol<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Protocols and AI agents are becoming a&nbsp;<strong>new layer of intermediation between&nbsp;brands&nbsp;and people<\/strong>.&nbsp;The more&nbsp;<strong>quality data<\/strong>&nbsp;they receive, the longer they keep people on their platforms. And the longer they keep them, the more&nbsp;they&nbsp;<strong>monetize their attention<\/strong>, through ads and offers integrated into the experience. There&#8217;s a&nbsp;dual level:&nbsp;<strong>driving consumption<\/strong>&nbsp;of more interactions (to show more ads) and&nbsp;<strong>facilitating immediate purchase<\/strong>&nbsp;(to take a cut of the transaction).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those who have&nbsp;<strong>governance&nbsp;over digital assets and product data<\/strong>&nbsp;will be able to leverage the opportunities of agentic&nbsp;commerce without becoming dependent on it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-center is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>&#8220;An AI agent doesn&#8217;t visit your website, it reads product data. THRON Platform delivers them complete and consistent across every channel, from a single source. When the agent makes a recommendation, your product is there.&#8221;<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized is-style-default\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Foto-Davide.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-22195\" style=\"width:100px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Foto-Davide.png 500w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Foto-Davide-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Foto-Davide-350x350.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<cite><strong><strong>Davide Chiarotto<\/strong><\/strong>CEO and&nbsp;Chief&nbsp;Product&nbsp;Officer&nbsp;at THRON<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"domande-frequenti-faq\">Frequently Asked Questions (<strong>FAQ<\/strong>)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/banner_FAQ-2048x467-1.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/banner_FAQ-2048x467-1.webp 2048w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/banner_FAQ-2048x467-1-650x148.webp 650w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/banner_FAQ-2048x467-1-1290x294.webp 1290w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/banner_FAQ-2048x467-1-768x175.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/banner_FAQ-2048x467-1-1536x350.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.thron.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/banner_FAQ-2048x467-1-350x80.webp 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is the Universal Commerce&nbsp;Protocol&nbsp;(UCP)?<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>An open standard from Google that allows AI agents to manage the entire online purchasing journey through a shared language between sellers, AI platforms, and payment providers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Where is UCP used and what does it enable?<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>It works on AI Mode in Google Search and on Gemini. It enables direct checkout within the AI experience, without the person having to visit the seller&#8217;s site.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Where do you start to implement it?<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>From Google Merchant Center: complete product feeds, updated policies, consistent data across all channels. No immediate technical interventions are needed, but systematic work on data quality is essential.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is&nbsp;native_commerce&nbsp;and why is it important?<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>It&#8217;s the attribute in Merchant Center that signals availability for native checkout within Google&#8217;s AI surfaces. It makes products directly purchasable from AI Mode and Gemini.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What&#8217;s the difference between Native&nbsp;and&nbsp;Embedded checkout?<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>Native checkout handles payment within the AI interface via API. Embedded loads the seller&#8217;s interface in an integrated frame on the page, for customized flows. In both cases the seller remains the Merchant of Record.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What payments does it support (Google&nbsp;Pay\/Wallet)?<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>Google&nbsp;Pay&nbsp;and Google&nbsp;Wallet&nbsp;via tokenization, with PayPal coming soon. The PSP (the provider that handles online payments) must be compatible with Google tokens.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Does Google become the seller (Merchant of Record)?<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>No. The seller remains the Merchant of Record in every UCP transaction. They maintain complete control over data, customer relationships, and terms of sale.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Is UCP an open standard? Where can you find the specification?<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>Yes, it&#8217;s open source. The complete specification is published on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ucp.dev\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ucp.dev<\/a>&nbsp;and hosted on <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/Universal-Commerce-Protocol\/ucp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GitHub<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Does UCP change SEO for e-commerce?<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>Yes. Visibility no longer depends solely on ranking in SERPs: the quality, completeness, and consistency of product data determine whether an AI agent will recommend that product.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Is UCP available in Italy?<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>Not yet. The first features are being tested in the United States. Expansion to Europe is expected during 2026, with no official timeline.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Google\u2019s Universal Commerce Protocol is, what changes for those selling online, and why consistent product data matters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":22330,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22173"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22173\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22375,"href":"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22173\/revisions\/22375"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thron.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}