E-commerce is currently undergoing another stage of transformation – this time thanks to artificial intelligence, which is increasingly integrated with customers’ shopping experiences. One of the most interesting examples is Shopify’s growing integration with ChatGPT, one of the most advanced AI language models commercially available. What does this mean for store owners? Is it worth starting to think about a future in which a customer not only types a search term into a search engine, but also talks to an intelligent assistant who recommends a product and enables a purchase – without leaving the chat window? In this article, we show what is actually changing, what actions are worth taking now, and how to prepare your Shopify store for the eCommerce of the future.
The latest updates to ChatGPT (from the version integrated with plugins and web browsing) indicate development of native integration with Shopify. Here are the examples visible in the code:
Such integration can make it possible for users to - theoretically - not only ask a question, but also receive a recommendation for a specific product, along with a visualization and a link to purchase. Conversation with AI thus becomes a new way of searching the offer.
Example:
"How to remove a red wine stain from a white shirt?"
ChatGPT: "I recommend this stain remover, available at store X. You can buy it here."
For the customer, it is speed, convenience and contextual choice. For brands - a completely new way of reaching the recipient, in the zero-click commerce model, i.e. shopping without going to the store's website.
No - but it is an evolution that needs to be understood. As AI models replace traditional search engines for simple queries (how-to, problem-solution, recommendations), SEO strategy must include a new audience: artificial intelligence.
This means:
In other words — AI is not killing SEO, but makes it more semantic and conversational.
Shopify is not without reason investing huge resources in the development of its own AI solutions - from Shopify Magic (AI assistant in the admin panel), through Shopify Sidekick, to integrations with external models such as ChatGPT. This is a strategy in which automation, recommendations and customer service are increasingly being handed over to AI.
For store owners, this means:
The stores that are the first to adapt — e.g. by optimizing content for AI — will gain an advantage in the new era of eCommerce.
You don't have to wait for an official API or a ready-made integration with ChatGPT to prepare your Shopify store for the new era. Here are some actions that make sense today:
Don't write for the algorithm, write for understanding. Focus on:
AI models need a description of "what it is, for whom and when it is useful" - the more sense it makes, the greater the chance that the product will be "understood" and recommended.
AI loves sections like:
This increases the chance that your content will be quoted or used as an answer to a specific question from a user.
Language models can analyze the content of alt text. Well-described images increase the chance that your product will be correctly classified - also in the future, when AI starts combining images with text.
By implementing schema data structures (e.g. Product, FAQ, HowTo), AI and search engines will better understand what a given page is about. This not only supports SEO, but makes it easier for AI to "read" your store.
AI technologies and conversational commerce are fundamental changes in the way customers interact with brands. It’s a shift from “click and search” to “talk and choose.”
In the coming months, we can expect:
AI integration with e-commerce is not a vision of the future, but a concrete change that’s already happening. Stores that understand that they are writing and designing not just for humans and Google, but also for language models, will be first in line for customer attention.
If you use Shopify, you have the tools to prepare for it. And if you want your store to be ready for conversational commerce and AI-powered retail, talk to the attomy team.
