Advertiser Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) Readiness Checklist

What is UCP?

Announced in January 2026, the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) is a groundbreaking global standard designed to revolutionize e-commerce by creating a unified framework for digital transactions. It aims to eliminate fragmentation across various online marketplaces, payment gateways, and logistics providers by standardizing data formats for product listings, order processing, inventory management, and customer interactions. UCP seeks to foster seamless interoperability, allowing businesses of all sizes to expand their reach across diverse platforms with minimal integration effort, while providing consumers with a more consistent and secure shopping experience regardless of the vendor or platform used. This protocol is envisioned as a foundational layer for the next generation of digital commerce, driving efficiency and innovation worldwide.

The Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) functions by establishing a standardized framework and common language for digital transactions, enabling seamless data exchange among various commerce participants like buyers, sellers, and service providers. It defines a unified set of rules and data formats for product information, order processing, payment instructions, and shipping updates, allowing disparate e-commerce platforms, marketplaces, and supply chain systems to interoperate efficiently, automate transactions, and streamline the entire commercial workflow without proprietary communication barriers.

An onboarding scorecard for OTT advertising operators to evaluate advertisers (merchants) in their ad pool and determine whether shoppable / zero-click advertising can run end-to-end without breaking.

For "see it and buy it" to work in shoppable CTV advertising, the advertiser's data must be flawless. Unlike humans, AI agents won't overlook a price mismatch or a missing policy — if the data is incomplete, the agent excludes that advertiser from agentic checkout entirely. Use this checklist to score each advertiser and sort them into Premium Shoppable Pool / Standard Pool / Remediation Required.

Scoring System (100 points total)

Classification thresholds

• Premium Shoppable Pool: Passes A + total ≥ 80 → premium slots, higher CPM or performance-based pricing
• Standard Pool: Passes A + total 50–79 → standard shoppable, data improvement recommended
• Remediation Required: Fails A, or total < 50 → data cleanup required as a condition of onboarding

A. Manifest Published (Gate — Pass/Fail)

If this fails, the advertiser is excluded from shoppable regardless of the remaining score.

•  A1. Is a JSON manifest published at the /.well-known/ucp path?
•  A2. Does the manifest clearly declare supported capabilities — no omissions or ambiguity?
•  A3. Are payment handlers declared?
•  A4. Is authentication info such as public keys included?

Pass criteria: A1–A4 all satisfied. If any are missing, the agent excludes the site from agentic checkout, so the advertiser fails the gate.

The Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) aims to provide a standardized, machine-readable way for services to declare their commerce offerings, making it easier for third-party clients (like smart TVs, aggregators, or voice assistants) to discover and interact with them.

For a common streaming service providing video content, the /.well-known/ucp manifest would list its various subscription tiers, rental options, or content purchases.

Here's an example of such a JSON manifest:

{
  "$schema": "https://ucp.schema.org/manifest-v1.json",
  "id": "https://www.exampleflix.com/.well-known/ucp",
  "name": "ExampleFlix Streaming Service",
  "description": "Your ultimate destination for movies, TV shows, and exclusive originals. Stream ad-free, download for offline viewing, and watch on multiple devices.",
  "homepageUrl": "https://www.exampleflix.com",
  "currency": "USD",
  "locale": "en-US",
  "contactEmail": "support@exampleflix.com",
  "offers": [
    {
      "id": "exampleflix-basic-monthly-ads",
      "name": "Basic (Ad-Supported) - Monthly",
      "description": "Access our extensive library with occasional ads. Stream in HD on one device.",
      "type": "Subscription",
      "price": {
        "amount": 7.99,
        "currency": "USD"
      },
      "billingCycle": "P1M",
      "trialPeriod": "P7D",
      "features": [
        {"name": "Resolution", "value": "HD (720p/1080p)"},
        {"name": "Ad-supported", "value": true},
        {"name": "Simultaneous streams", "value": 1},
        {"name": "Offline downloads", "value": false},
        {"name": "User profiles", "value": 3}
      ],
      "availability": [
        {"region": "US"},
        {"region": "CA"}
      ],
      "purchaseUrl": "https://www.exampleflix.com/subscribe/basic",
      "termsUrl": "https://www.exampleflix.com/terms#basic"
    },
    {
      "id": "exampleflix-premium-annual-adfree-4k",
      "name": "Premium (Ad-Free, 4K) - Annual",
      "description": "Enjoy the best quality, ad-free streaming in stunning 4K UHD. Download content and watch on up to 4 devices simultaneously.",
      "type": "Subscription",
      "price": {
        "amount": 119.99,
        "currency": "USD"
      },
      "billingCycle": "P1Y",
      "trialPeriod": "P14D",
      "features": [
        {"name": "Resolution", "value": "4K UHD"},
        {"name": "Ad-free", "value": true},
        {"name": "Simultaneous streams", "value": 4},
        {"name": "Offline downloads", "value": true},
        {"name": "User profiles", "value": 5}
      ],
      "availability": [
        {"region": "US"},
        {"region": "CA"},
        {"region": "GB"},
        {"region": "DE"}
      ],
      "purchaseUrl": "https://www.exampleflix.com/subscribe/premium",
      "termsUrl": "https://www.exampleflix.com/terms#premium"
    },
    {
      "id": "movie-space-odyssey-rental",
      "name": "Space Odyssey - Rental",
      "description": "Rent the classic sci-fi masterpiece 'Space Odyssey' for 48 hours. Available in HD.",
      "type": "Rental",
      "price": {
        "amount": 4.99,
        "currency": "USD"
      },
      "rentalDuration": "PT48H",
      "contentMetadata": {
        "title": "Space Odyssey",
        "contentType": "Movie",
        "releaseYear": 1968,
        "imageUrl": "https://www.exampleflix.com/images/space_odyssey.jpg",
        "genres": ["Sci-Fi", "Drama"]
      },
      "features": [
        {"name": "Resolution", "value": "HD (1080p)"},
        {"name": "Ad-free", "value": true}
      ],
      "availability": [
        {"region": "US"}
      ],
      "purchaseUrl": "https://www.exampleflix.com/movie/space-odyssey/rent"
    },
    {
      "id": "movie-epic-adventure-purchase",
      "name": "Epic Adventure - Purchase",
      "description": "Own 'Epic Adventure' forever. Stream in 4K UHD or download for offline viewing.",
      "type": "Purchase",
      "price": {
        "amount": 19.99,
        "currency": "USD"
      },
      "accessDuration": "P0Y0M0D", 
      "contentMetadata": {
        "title": "Epic Adventure",
        "contentType": "Movie",
        "releaseYear": 2023,
        "imageUrl": "https://www.exampleflix.com/images/epic_adventure.jpg",
        "genres": ["Action", "Adventure", "Fantasy"]
      },
      "features": [
        {"name": "Resolution", "value": "4K UHD"},
        {"name": "Ad-free", "value": true},
        {"name": "Offline downloads", "value": true}
      ],
      "availability": [
        {"region": "US"},
        {"region": "CA"}
      ],
      "purchaseUrl": "https://www.exampleflix.com/movie/epic-adventure/buy"
    }
  ]
}

Explanation of Fields:

• $schema: (Optional but recommended) Defines the schema version used for validation. The URL is a placeholder as UCP is still evolving.
• id: A unique URI identifying this specific UCP manifest.
• name: The human-readable name of the service.
• description: A brief overview of what the service offers.
• homepageUrl: The main website of the streaming service.
• currency: The default currency for offers in this manifest (individual offers can override).
• locale: The default language and region for the manifest content.
• contactEmail: An email for support or inquiries.
• offers: An array containing details for each product or service offered.

Within Each offer Object:

• id: A unique identifier for this specific offer within the manifest.
• name: The human-readable name of the offer (e.g., "Premium Subscription").
• description: Detailed information about what the offer includes.
• type: The classification of the offer (e.g., Subscription, Rental, Purchase).
• price: An object detailing the cost:
  • amount: The numeric price.
  • currency: The currency code (e.g., "USD", "EUR").
• billingCycle: (For Subscription type) An ISO 8601 duration string specifying the billing frequency (e.g., P1M for 1 month, P1Y for 1 year).
• trialPeriod: (For Subscription type) An ISO 8601 duration string for any free trial period (e.g., P7D for 7 days).
• rentalDuration: (For Rental type) An ISO 8601 duration string specifying how long the content is accessible after rental (e.g., PT48H for 48 hours).
• accessDuration: (For Purchase type) An ISO 8601 duration string for how long the content is accessible. P0Y0M0D or similar indicates indefinite access.
• contentMetadata: (For Rental or Purchase types) Specific details about the media content being offered.
  • title: The title of the movie/show.
  • contentType: "Movie", "TV Show", etc.
  • releaseYear: The original release year.
  • imageUrl: A URL to a thumbnail or poster for the content.
  • genres: An array of content genres.
• features: An array of key features included with the offer. Each feature is an object with name and value.
• availability: An array specifying geographical regions where the offer is available (using ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes).
• purchaseUrl: The direct URL where a user can go to purchase or subscribe to this specific offer.
• termsUrl: A URL linking to the terms and conditions specific to this offer.

This manifest would be served by the streaming service at https://www.exampleflix.com/.well-known/ucp.

B. Product Data Completeness (30 points)

For product discovery and recommendation to work, up-to-date product information must be queryable via standard APIs.

•  B1. (5 pts) Is the price exposed accurately in real time?
•  B2. (5 pts) Is availability / inventory reflected in real time?
•  B3. (5 pts) Are product variants (size, color, material, etc.) structured?
•  B4. (5 pts) Are images sufficient and accurate?
•  B5. (5 pts) Is the product description complete and accurate?
•  B6. (5 pts) Are product identifiers (GTIN/SKU, etc.) accurate?

Pass criteria: Full points when each item is satisfied. Partial fulfillment (e.g., only some products carry variant data) is prorated. If custom metafields are used, they must be mapped to standard UCP fields to count (e.g., fabric_type → Material).

C. Checkout Data Completeness (25 points)

For the agent to complete payment, every checkout rule must be provided as structured data.

•  C1. (5 pts) Are shipping methods structured?
•  C2. (5 pts) Are tax rules defined?
•  C3. (5 pts) Is the return policy / return window defined in Merchant Center?
•  C4. (4 pts) Are discount / promo codes structured, with allocations calculated?
•  C5. (3 pts) Are loyalty point terms exposed? — if applicable
•  C6. (3 pts) Are subscription terms exposed? — if applicable

Pass criteria: C1–C4 are mandatory; C5 and C6 are evaluated only where they apply to the business model (if not applicable, exclude their points and re-normalize rather than awarding full marks).

D. Cross-Surface Data Consistency (25 points) — Most Important

A hard requirement for inclusion in agentic shopping. Humans overlook mismatches; agents don't.

•  D1. (7 pts) Are product descriptions consistent across the site, Merchant Center feed, and third-party sites (e.g., Amazon)?
•  D2. (6 pts) Does the price match between the product page and the feed?
•  D3. (6 pts) Do return policy, shipping info, and customer support details match between feed and site?
•  D4. (6 pts) Does on-site structured data match the actual product information?

Pass criteria: Full points when an audit finds zero mismatches. Deduct in proportion to the number of mismatches found. Use the Merchant Center Markup report to check valid / error / missing markup.

E. Google Surface Signals (12 points)

Signals that make the UCP Buy button appear in Google's AI Mode and Gemini.

•  E1. (4 pts) Is the Merchant Center account active, with shipping, returns, and product feeds configured?
•  E2. (5 pts) Is the native_commerce product attribute applied in the feed for products that should show the Buy button?
•  E3. (3 pts) Are products eligible for checkout and surfaceable in AI Mode / Gemini?

Pass criteria: Mandatory if Google surfaces are used as the entry path. If targeting other surfaces only, exclude these points and re-normalize.

F. Conversational Discovery Attributes (8 points)

New attributes that strengthen the agent's recommendation visibility. Bonus-point in nature.

•  F1. (3 pts) Are structured answers to common product questions provided?
•  F2. (3 pts) Are compatible accessories explicitly listed?
•  F3. (2 pts) Is substitute-product info available for out-of-stock items?

Pass criteria: Optional enhancement items. Their absence isn't a gate failure, but they're the differentiator that determines whether an advertiser reaches the Premium Pool (80 points).

Security & Technical Pre-Check (when the advertiser implements directly)

When an advertiser implements on their own, advise them to confirm the following beyond the data items.

•  Do the three core REST endpoints (session creation, session update, checkout completion) function?
•  Is mutual TLS or OAuth 2.0 enforced for agent authentication?
•  Is HMAC-SHA256 signature verification applied to webhooks?
•  Is there strict input validation against the defined schemas?
•  Are payment tokens kept from being exposed?
•  (Optional) Embedded checkout (JSON-RPC 2.0), account linking (OAuth 2.0), order-status sync webhooks configured?
•  (Shopify advertisers) Official Universal Commerce Agent app installed + custom metafields mapped to standard UCP fields?

Operational Application Guide

1. Score at onboarding — Score new and existing advertisers with this table and sort into the three pools.
2. Favor the Premium Pool — Assign premium shoppable slots to advertisers scoring ≥ 80, applying higher CPM or performance-based pricing.
3. Guide Remediation-Required advertisers — Provide this checklist as a cleanup guide to advertisers who fail A or score < 50; promote them once they pass.
4. Periodic re-audit — Since prices and inventory change in real time, re-check cross-surface consistency (Area D) on a regular cadence.
5. Tie to measurement — UCP transactions leave no pageviews, sessions, or events on the advertiser's site, so build attribution separately from UCP transaction data plus your own viewing data.

This checklist is based on the UCP specification, Google Merchant Center documentation, and Shopify engineering materials published between January and May 2026. UCP is an evolving standard and feature support on Google surfaces continues to expand, so verify the latest documentation at ucp.dev and Google for Developers before applying.