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Data sharing and privacy for selling with agentic storefronts

Allowing AI channels to access your products through Shopify Catalog follows a generalized framework similar to other sales channels.

With Shopify Catalog, your products are represented with the depth and consistency that AI channels rely on. This can help you to reach more customers with agentic storefronts through better product discovery and ranking.

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Understanding data sharing on AI channels

AI channels access the following data through agentic storefronts:

  • Product data such as titles, descriptions, images, pricing, and availability information.
  • When an order is placed within an AI channel that offers direct checkout, such as Google AI Mode and Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, or Meta, the channel has access to order details such as the customer's name, email address, phone number, and physical address.

Your private Shopify admin data and protected information remain confidential and aren't shared. AI channels don't have access to your full order history, orders from other sales channels, or your general customer database.

Review the following benefits to having your product data shared with AI channels through Shopify Catalog:

  • Better discovery: Well-structured data lets AI channels rank and recommend your products more effectively to relevant customers.
  • Accurate representation: Product data is automatically structured and syndicated to AI channels, so that your products are displayed correctly wherever they appear.

Choosing which AI channels can access your data

You can manage which agentic storefronts have access to your products through Shopify Catalog. For more information about global agentic storefronts controls and individual channel controls, refer to Understanding your agentic storefronts settings and Configure your agentic storefront's settings.

By default, your store is opted in to agentic storefronts with the Allow Shopify to manage for me setting. This means that the following scenarios apply to your store:

  • Agentic storefronts can access Shopify Catalog to find your products.
  • Selling by direct checkout in AI channels is active where applicable.
  • New agentic storefronts are added automatically as they join.

Turning off Allow Shopify to manage for me gives you control for individual channels. For each AI channel, you have the following settings:

  • Catalog access and Direct checkout: When both settings are activated, the channel can access and use your product data through Shopify Catalog to help customers find your products, and then buy them directly in the AI channel.
  • Catalog access: When only this setting is activated, the channel can access and use your product data through Shopify Catalog to help customers find your products in the AI channel. For making purchases, customers are redirected from their AI chat to your online store.
  • Neither setting activated: Channels can't access your product data through Shopify Catalog going forward.