Walmart launches Agent Gateway and agent profiles for AI shopping agents
In short
Walmart announced on Wednesday two tools for third-party AI agents that shop for customers: an Agent Gateway and agent profiles. Customers will be able to approve purchases and set spending limits, and the gateway is meant to keep their broader shopping history from the agent. The move contrasts with Amazon, which has blocked some AI agents.
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Walmart announced on Wednesday two new tools to help third-party AI agents shop on customers' behalf: agent profiles and an agent gateway, Business Insider reported. TechCrunch said Walmart President and CEO John Furner spoke about the technology at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco on Wednesday, and that it will support agentic shopping from both Walmart and Sam's Club. [ 1 , 5 ]
The Agent Gateway is Walmart's new MCP server, designed to help approved agents connect to Walmart over the model context protocol, TechCrunch reported. The Verge described it as currently available in beta, and said Walmart says it enables agents to shop without the hiccups they can meet when navigating a browser. According to TechCrunch, an agent can search Walmart's online inventory and make purchases for its user. [ 1 , 2 ]
Walmart said the gateway can share a relevant preference, such as a favorite laundry detergent brand, without giving the agent the customer's entire purchase history. The Verge quoted Walmart as saying it will help an agent find a customer's usual items, such as sourdough bread or a particular brand of milk, without sharing the broader shopping history. [ 2 , 5 ]
The Verge reported that agents will connect to new Agent Profiles within Walmart accounts. By default Walmart will require approval for all agent purchases, but customers can let an agent shop within a budget such as up to $100, review the agent's purchases separately and turn the agent off at any time. Business Insider said the profiles link all transactions to the bot that performed them. [ 2 , 5 ]
Walmart also set terms for agents. The Verge reported that agents must not take actions beyond what the shopper intends, cannot change a customer's payment method and can only access information needed for their task, and that Walmart says it will block agents that do not comply. Business Insider reported that Walmart said it will honor its usual returns policy and that agents will see the same pricing as a human on Walmart.com. [ 2 , 5 ]
The announcement came after Amazon blocked AI agents. The Verge said Amazon blocked Perplexity's shopping agent and Meta's Muse. Business Insider said Amazon blocked Muse saying agents violate its conditions of use, and that it has also sued Perplexity and restricted agents from Google and OpenAI. TechCrunch said Walmart had already announced a partnership with Meta's Muse and offers integrations with apps including ChatGPT and Gemini. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
Why it matters
Walmart and Amazon are taking opposite approaches to AI agents that shop for customers, according to TechCrunch, The Verge and Business Insider. The documents do not say how many customers will use agents.
Key facts
- Walmart announced on Wednesday an Agent Gateway and agent profiles to help third-party AI agents shop on customers' behalf. [ 1 , 5 ]
- The Agent Gateway connects approved agents to Walmart through the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and is currently in beta, The Verge reported. [ 1 , 2 ]
- By default Walmart will require approval for all AI agent purchases; customers can instead let an agent shop within a budget, such as up to $100, The Verge reported. [ 2 ]
- Walmart said the gateway can help an agent find a customer's usual items without sharing the customer's broader shopping history. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
- Walmart set terms for agents, including that they must not take actions beyond what the shopper intends or change a customer's payment method, and it said it will block agents that do not follow them. [ 2 ]
- Walmart said it will honor its usual returns policy and that agents will see the same pricing a human would see on Walmart.com, Business Insider reported. [ 5 ]
- Amazon has blocked Meta's Muse agent from its site, The Verge and Business Insider reported. [ 2 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Walmart announced new tools for AI agents to shop on behalf of customers, including an Agent Gateway. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The gateway is designed to let an agent find a customer's usual items without receiving the customer's wider shopping history or personal information. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
- Amazon has blocked Meta's Muse AI agent. [ 2 , 5 ]
- Walmart has laid out terms for how AI agents may operate on its site. [ 2 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- When the features will be available to customers. Only The Verge gives timing, saying Walmart will allow agents on the site next month and that the Agent Gateway is in beta; the other documents give no date.
- Why Amazon blocked AI agents. Only Business Insider gives a reason, saying Amazon cited its conditions of use, under which agents are a violation; the other documents give none.
- How Walmart will identify and block agents that break its terms. The Verge says Walmart will block such agents but the documents do not explain how.