TLDR: Amazon and Shopify are reportedly deploying code to block AI agents from fully interacting with their platforms, aiming to protect their business models and ensure human oversight in transactions. Amazon has updated its robots.txt file to restrict bots from Google, OpenAI, Perplexity, and Anthropic, while Shopify’s policy focuses on preventing automated checkouts without final human review.
In a significant move to control the burgeoning landscape of AI-powered shopping, e-commerce behemoths Amazon and Shopify are implementing code to restrict artificial intelligence agents from their platforms. This development, reported on July 31, 2025, highlights a growing tension between online retailers and the emerging capabilities of AI tools designed to browse, recommend, and even complete purchases autonomously.
Amazon has reportedly updated its robots.txt file, a standard protocol for websites to communicate with web crawlers, to block new AI agents from Google. This follows earlier restrictions the company placed on bots from other prominent AI developers, including OpenAI, Perplexity, and Anthropic’s Claude. As a direct consequence of these changes, Amazon product pages are no longer appearing in some AI-powered search results. Industry experts suggest that Amazon’s primary motivation is to safeguard its substantial $56 billion advertising business, which could be impacted if AI agents bypass traditional product discovery funnels.
Juozas Kaziuknas, an entrepreneur and advisor in the e-commerce space, shared insights from Jan Caerels, an SEO specialist at TUI, who likened Amazon’s actions to ‘the defensive maneuvers of the music industry all over again.’ Kaziuknas further commented, ‘Agentic commerce will now just direct people away from Amazon,’ expressing concern that Amazon could lose market share if it continues to block these agents. Chris Brinkworth, managing partner at Civic Data, echoed this sentiment.
Shopify, while taking a somewhat different approach, has also implemented measures. The platform has reportedly blocked all AI bots from checking out and added a specific code rule to each website hosted on Shopify. This code explicitly states, ‘Automated scraping, “buy-for-me” agents, or any end-to-end flow that completes payment without a final human review step is not permitted.’ This policy, shared by Kaziuknas from Johnny Herge, managing technical SEO at Amsive, indicates Shopify’s focus on ensuring human oversight in the final transaction stage, aligning with its revenue model that primarily derives from merchant payment processing rather than advertising.
These actions come as AI shopping tools, capable of browsing the web, offering product recommendations, and even automating purchases, become increasingly sophisticated. Michael Morton, senior analyst at MoffettNathanson, noted that ‘The product discovery funnel is going to collapse as a result of consumers integrating AI into their shopping experience,’ suggesting a fundamental shift in how consumers interact with online retail. Retailers like Amazon and Walmart are attempting to protect their ‘retail soft spots’ in this evolving landscape, while others, like Shopify, are exploring a more nuanced approach, potentially through partnerships that integrate AI while maintaining control over critical processes like checkout.
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Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, recently highlighted the transformative impact of AI, stating, ‘AI is the biggest technology transformation of our lifetime.’ However, the company’s recent actions demonstrate a strategic decision to manage how this transformation interacts with its core business, particularly concerning automated shopping agents.
