Google UCP Update Lets Merchants Enable Cart Transfer to Site
Google's UCP update adds cart transfer to merchants' own sites, a YouTube Business Agent beta and analytics dashboards, rolling out in the U.S. first.
Updated
The brief
- Cart transfer via the Cart API is rolling out gradually in the U.S., with Australia and Canada to follow early next year.
- UCP already powers direct checkout for hundreds of thousands of brands and retailers across Google.
- The AI performance insights report is now generally available in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and the U.S. for English-language organic AI traffic.
Google is rolling out cart transfer and expanded checkout testing in the Merchant Center hub for the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), the company announced in a holiday shopping post by Ashish Gupta, Google's VP and GM of Merchant Shopping.
Merchants using the hub for UCP-powered checkout can now turn on a path that lets shoppers move items from Google to the merchant's own site to complete the purchase. The new options are rolling out gradually in the U.S., with Australia and Canada to follow early next year.
Google says UCP already enables direct checkout for hundreds of thousands of brands and retailers across its surfaces. The same post announces a U.S. beta of Business Agent for YouTube ads and extends the AI performance insights report to five countries.
Cart Transfer Comes to the Merchant Center Hub
Google's developer docs list cart transfer as a capability named "Transfer to merchant cart," which a merchant activates by supporting the Cart API. The docs now include a checklist for that option that skips full product feed setup, product warnings, and customer support details.
A sandbox in the same tab lets merchants test cart and checkout requests that Google might send. The Cart capability is not entirely new: Search Engine Journal reported on it as a draft in March, and Google mentioned in its Google Marketing Live post in May that shoppers could transfer items directly to a merchant's site. Merchants with hub access can choose the transfer feature as part of Merchant Center validation.
According to the Merchant Center help page linked from the post, merchants complete the technical setup, submit an interest form, and wait to be selected to start using the hub.
Analytics Dashboard in the Works
Google says analytics will soon be part of the UCP hub. Developer docs, last updated September 3, describe a UCP Analytics Reporting dashboard located in the same Merchant Center tab.
The feature will be available to all merchants with UCP enabled and the Performance role. It will offer insights into the checkout process, from clicking the Buy button to completing a purchase, plus metrics like average order value and cancellations. It also provides account linking information and highlights top-selling UCP products. The data is not accessible through the Merchant API yet, the docs note.
Business Agent Opens a YouTube Ads Beta
Google is launching a U.S. beta program for Business Agent on YouTube ads and inviting retailers to join. Qualifying participants who sign up get a branded agent embedded in their YouTube ads, letting viewers browse products and ask questions without leaving the platform. Google did not specify qualification criteria or the beta's duration.
Business Agent first went live in Search on Jan. 12, when Google launched it alongside UCP.
AI Performance Insights Reaches Five Countries
The AI performance insights report in Merchant Center is now open to merchants in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and the U.S. The post's heading calls the report generally available. According to the help page, it is currently available for English-language queries in those five countries, covers organic AI traffic only, and lists no click metric.
Search Engine Journal covered the pilot in July, when it was limited to select U.S. accounts. The report guides merchants on which product attributes to include, but it still does not indicate whether AI Mode sent any visitors to their site.
Why It Matters
Cart transfer addresses concerns retailers raised in January about what they lose when transactions happen on Google. One retailer noted that customers never visit the store, never see accessory suggestions from other sellers, and feel less connected to the brand. The transfer pathway sends customers directly to the merchant's checkout page with their cart ready.
The two analytics tools measure at different depths. AI performance insights reports share of voice, frequency, and products showing. The UCP analytics dashboard starts at clicks on the Buy button and counts purchases.
The hub's options appear in the UCP integration tab in Merchant Center. Whether the analytics dashboard is live yet remains an open question; merchants who already have the UCP integration tab can check for an Analytics tab themselves.
Based on Search Engine Journal; blog.google
Filed under google, merchant-center, ucp, e-commerce, youtube-ads
Amara Osei
Show full bio
News editor covering industry trends and analytics at Marketing Herald.
More from the wire
- Google Expands Agentic Commerce Tools Ahead of Holiday Shopping Rush
- Instacart Bets on Lower Markups to Drive Its Next Growth Phase
- Costco's Digital Sales Top $33 Billion, Up More Than 20%
- Lowe's Pilots Drone Delivery Near Charlotte With Wing and DoorDash
- Amazon Gives Away 5-Year Purchase Data in Marketing Cloud