A shopper types a question into Google about your product: does this jacket run small, is it waterproof, will it fit a wide foot? The Google Merchant Center Business Agent is Google’s way of letting shoppers ask questions like that and chat with your brand on Google Search. If you run a store and keep hearing about it, here is what it is, and what it isn’t yet.
Business Agent is, in Google’s words, “a conversational experience on Google Search that allows shoppers to chat with your brand”, and it draws on your website and Merchant Center data[1]. Google says it begins its rollout in the US, and it doesn’t attach a beta or launched label to it[1]. So treat it as a US-first feature with more still to come[1].
How the Google Merchant Center Business Agent works
Think of it as a chat layer on top of information you already publish. The agent draws on your website and your product data in Merchant Center[1]. If that material is thin, inconsistent or out of date, there is less for it to use.
That’s why the groundwork matters. If your feed is patchy, start with the basics in our beginners’ guide: https://oxfordimpulse.com/beginners-guide-google-merchant-center-feed/ . And if you want the wider picture of the platform, the overview is here: https://oxfordimpulse.com/complete-guide-google-merchant-center/ .
Good to know
Until you finish customising, shoppers see a standard Google-branded version of the agent[1].
Who can customise it
Customisation has four entry requirements, and you need all of them[1]:
- A US-based e-commerce store
- A verified Merchant Center account
- At least 50 approved free listings
- A claimed brand profile
Watch out
One requirement is a US-based e-commerce store, and Google says the rollout begins in the US[1]. If you’re in the UK or Europe, don’t plan around it today.
How to turn it on
If you meet all four requirements, the route in Merchant Center is this[1]:
- Open Marketing, then Business Agent.
- Under “How your Business Agent appears”, select Customize.
- Make your changes and select Save.
- Select Save and turn on customized agent.
On Shopify, open the Google & YouTube app, go to Overview, find the Business Agent card and select Publish[1]. You can turn customisations off at any time[1].
What Google says is coming
Google lists three things as coming soon: training the agent with your business data, performance insights and agentic checkout[1]. Agentic checkout refers to a shopper completing a purchase through the AI experience itself. Don’t treat any of the three as available.
Conversational attributes
Conversational attributes are optional product fields[2]. Google names six: question_and_answer, document_link, related_product, item_group_title, variant_option and popularity_rank[2].
Google states they won’t affect the approval status of your existing products[2]. You can add them through a supplemental data source, your primary source or the Merchant API[2].
Tip
If you try question_and_answer, base it on real questions from your customer service inbox, not guesswork.
AI performance insights in Merchant Center
The other feature is reporting. In Merchant Center, go to Analytics, then Products, then the AI performance tab[3]. It covers AI Mode and AI Overviews, and it counts organic traffic only, so paid clicks aren’t included[3].
Coverage is specific. Google currently lists it for English-language queries in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and the United States[3]. If your audience is elsewhere, check whether the tab covers you. Treat it as one report, not a full picture of your performance.
Automatic image improvements
Google also has an automatic image improvements setting. You’ll find it under Products, then the Automations tab, then View details[4]. The setting is turned off by default, and it tries to remove text, watermarks, overlays or logos from images[4].
It is also worth uploading clean images in the first place. Our image rules are here: https://oxfordimpulse.com/google-merchant-center-image-requirements/ .
The Merchant API MCP alpha
MCP stands for Model Context Protocol, a standard way for AI tools to connect to external data and actions. Google has published a Merchant API MCP Access Service, with the endpoint https://merchantapi.googleapis.com/mcp[5]. It has 13 tools, mainly read-only, which means most of them are for looking at data rather than changing it[5].
Watch out
Google calls this an “experimental alpha version subject to change at any time without prior notice”[5]. Treat it as a developer experiment, not something to build a live workflow on. If you don’t have a developer, you can skip it for now.
What to do this week
Check your Merchant Center account against the four requirements if you’re in the US. Wherever you are, review your product data quality and check whether the AI performance tab covers your audience. You can also look at adding conversational attributes. None of this promises a place in AI answers.
If you want help with your product data, our team covers the groundwork in our Merchant Center service: https://oxfordimpulse.com/google-merchant-center/ .
FAQs
What is the Google Merchant Center Business Agent?
It’s a conversational experience on Google Search where shoppers can chat with your brand. It uses your website and Merchant Center data[1]. Google says it begins its rollout in the US.
Is Business Agent available in the UK?
Google says the rollout begins in the US, and customisation requires a US-based e-commerce store[1]. Don’t assume UK availability. Check Google’s Business Agent help page for updates.
Is Business Agent in beta?
Google doesn’t give it a beta or launched label[1]. It describes the rollout as beginning in the US. Stay with that wording rather than guessing at a status.
Who can customise Business Agent?
How do you turn on Business Agent in Merchant Center?
Go to Marketing, then Business Agent, and select Customize under “How your Business Agent appears”. Select Save, then Save and turn on customized agent[1]. You can turn customisations off at any time.
How do you turn it on with Shopify?
Open the Google & YouTube app, go to Overview and find the Business Agent card. Select Publish[1].
What are conversational attributes?
How do you add conversational attributes?
Use a supplemental data source, your primary source or the Merchant API[2]. Choose the route that fits how you already manage your product data.
Where do you find AI performance insights?
Sources
- Google Merchant Center Help: Get started with Business Agent support.google.com
- Google Merchant Center Help: How to use conversational attributes support.google.com
- Google Merchant Center Help: About AI performance insights support.google.com
- Google Merchant Center Help: Allow Merchant Center to improve your product images support.google.com
- Google for Developers: Merchant API MCP Access Service (Alpha) developers.google.com
