Diligent code hounds found Shopify variable names in ChatGPT’s JavaScript, resulting in hypothesis that the ecommerce platform would possibly quickly announce a brand new AI integration.
A number of sources reported discovering the Shopify-related code on April 20, 2025, starting with Alexey Shabanov’s article in TestingCatalog.
Shabanov displayed display screen captures of the code and speculated that OpenAI may need an affiliate relationship with Shopify.
The article additionally famous that ChatGPT already has some ecommerce capabilities in its Operator analysis agent, together with the power to e-book journey and order groceries.
ChatGPT’s Code
Discovering a Shopify reference in ChatGPT’s code is so simple as opening up the inspection software in an online browser.
In Chrome or a browser derived from it:
- Navigate to Chatgpt.com and right-click.
- Within the menu, choose “Examine.”
- Open the “Sources” tab.
- Discover the “property” folder, which can be below a CDN.
- Proper-click on the folder and choose “search in folder.”
- Kind “shopify” and discover the references.
The code for ChatGPT 4o included a Shopify reference on April 24, 2025, utilizing the Arc browser. Click on picture to enlarge.
AI Procuring
The Shopify discovery generated buzz within the ecommerce group, however it isn’t shocking.
AI-powered buying grew to become inevitable with the mainstream adoption of enormous language fashions. Shoppers who make the most of AI instruments for analysis and web searches may even need to store.
This obvious relationship with OpenAI can also be not the primary time Shopify has labored with an AI software. In November 2024, Perplexity introduced its “Purchase with Professional” function, which integrates with Shopify.
“Once you ask Perplexity a buying query, you’ll nonetheless get the exact, goal solutions you count on, plus easy-to-read product playing cards displaying essentially the most related gadgets, together with key particulars offered in a easy, visible format. These playing cards aren’t sponsored — they’re unbiased suggestions, tailor-made to your search by our AI,” Perplexity said in its announcement.
Individually, on April 18, 2025, Microsoft introduced a service provider program for its Copilot AI. On-line outlets can apply to combine with the Copilot app to “acquire visibility, purchase extra clients, and generate gross sales.”
Lastly, since a minimum of 2024 Google Procuring has built-in AI into varied options and search outcomes.
AI Optimization
AI-powered buying assistants characterize issues and alternatives for on-line sellers. A core query for retailers is whether or not AI buying shall be natural or paid.
Perplexity, for instance, has said that it doesn’t earn income for together with Shopify-based merchandise in its outcomes. For the second, it’s an natural promotional channel for on-line retailers.
Equally, Microsoft doesn’t seem to require retailers to pay for inclusion in its program.
Thus if AI instruments don’t cost retailers, the pattern may result in practices much like SEO. On-line sellers would optimize product feeds to match possible prompts and in any other case retain conventional web optimization techniques.
Paid Inclusion
It is usually potential that retailers can pay to checklist merchandise in an AI buying assistant or a premium tier.
Fee may have just a few varieties. Sellers may construct an AI storefront not in contrast to Amazon Vendor Central. A month-to-month charge may present entry to the platform and allow direct product listings.
Alternatively, retailers may checklist merchandise by way of a feed or platform integration after which pay for featured merchandise, which could embody an add-to-cart hyperlink or click-to-buy function, much like ChatGPT’s obvious integration with Shopify.
Retailers would presumably deal with paid inclusions like different promoting channels, weighing buyer acquisition prices towards common order worth or buyer lifetime worth.
Fragmented or Concentrated?
A second consideration for the forthcoming AI buying pattern is whether or not the market shall be fragmented or concentrated.
The market can be fragmented if the assorted AI instruments developed their very own product discovery and indexing instruments. Retailers would offer product feeds to ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, Grok, and others individually or by way of a feed distribution software.
Conversely, if it developed strategic partnerships with prime AI suppliers, Shopify may focus AI buying on its platform. Retailers would work with one software — Shopify — and disseminate product data to all main AI platforms.
