Google’s UCP Just Got More Powerful: New Retailers & Account Linking

Earlier this month, we saw Google expand Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) outside of AI Mode to the main section of search results within free listing grids.

Support for UCP within Google's search results was only for Wayfair initially, first starting in AI Mode and then expanding to additional surfaces. I'm now seeing this expansion extend to retailers such as Target and The Home Depot, alongside a new account linking function.

What has changed?

Similar to how UCP has presented itself up until this point, free listings within Google's search results for eCommerce stores display with a prominent 'Buy' CTA attached to the listing. When selecting the 'Buy' button, retailers are able to transact directly in search results if Google Pay has been connected.

This setup has now gone a step further, mimicking an approach similar to ChatGPT Shopping, which allows retailers to create a connection among the search results with their internal accounts. For instance, Target appears to be utilising this new account linking program, where selecting the 'Buy' CTA doesn't enable Google Pay initially, but instead allows you to link your Target account to your Google account.

The Target connector includes information related to your loyalty program, the ability to manage your orders, post-purchase activities, and also additional customisations for the experience.

After agreeing to the terms of the connection between Target and Google, the user is then redirected to log in to their Target account, instead of being presented with the standard overlay with Google Pay being attached.

While this is happening, there is a notice that appears within Google's search results that tells the user that Google is waiting for their account to be linked in order to make the transaction directly on Google.

After the Target account has been linked, a similar experience to that of Wayfair and The Home Depot is presented in search results, allowing users to transact directly in search results while using Google Pay.

The overall experience of transacting in search results is the same as Wayfair and The Home Depot, though it appears that the system is more integrated for Target, allowing Target to match up the customer profile more effectively within their systems and allowing for additional in-SERP benefits for their customers.

Which retailers now qualify?

So far, it appears as though that UCP support has been provided for Wayfair, Target, The Home Depot, and also Etsy in a more refined capacity.

According to Google's original announcement related to the UCP rollout, all of the above retailers were highlighted as being part of the initial pilot program. Other retailers that are expected to start showing similar functionality attached to their free listing results are for online stores such as Macy's, Walmart and Best Buy, though I've been unable to see examples of its use in the wild so far.

This update is also part of the Universal Cart rollout announced at Google I/O, where I've also documented the 'hidden savings' feature for Wayfair. Interestingly, the example I had discovered was only showing within the new product grid sponsored results, with the expectation being that this will also start to show in free listings too.

Key takeaways

The primary takeaways are that UCP has expanded beyond Wayfair to now include both The Home Depot and Target. Both Wayfair and The Home Depot remain on Google's systems, with Google Pay being the method for transactions to be made within search results, whereas Target appears to have their own exclusive account linking that doesn't require Google Pay.

Earlier this week, I shared how Shopify has made some bold changes to make products more accessible to agents. The UCP changes are another step in the direction of how products are being integrated within the platforms themselves, with the UCP integration from Google having expanded to be the most impactful and most visible change so far.