WooCommerce is approaching a major transformation in 2026, as emerging open-source technologies and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) position the platform as a central hub for AI integration. Automattic’s Director of Engineering for AI, James LePage, recently shared insights into what store owners and developers can expect, including the introduction of Sidekick-type AI functionality delivered via extensions. This development promises to make online store management more intuitive, efficient, and responsive to both merchants and customers.
WooCommerce as an AI Orchestration Platform
Built on WordPress, WooCommerce has always been highly extensible, allowing users to expand functionality through plugins and APIs. Now, with the addition of the Model Context Protocol, the platform is evolving into a true coordination layer where multiple AI systems can integrate seamlessly. LePage refers to this approach as “enablement,” where WooCommerce becomes the central point through which AI tools interact, rather than being restricted to isolated features. This ensures that store owners can adopt AI capabilities without being tied to a single platform or service.
MCP acts as an advanced open standard, enabling WooCommerce to connect with a variety of AI systems. Unlike traditional APIs, which handle predefined requests, MCP allows broader, dynamic interactions, supporting AI functionality without requiring custom integrations for every new tool. This flexibility is key to WooCommerce’s vision of being a universal hub for AI-enhanced commerce.
Integrating Agentic and Universal Protocols
WooCommerce’s central role is further reinforced by its compatibility with emerging protocols such as the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) and the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). ACP, developed by OpenAI and Stripe, allows AI agents to manage product discovery, checkout, and payments directly through conversational interfaces like ChatGPT. Meanwhile, UCP, an open-source protocol from Shopify and Google, enables transactions across different platforms using a single buy button, compatible with services such as Google’s AI ecosystem and Anthropic’s Claude.
By sitting at the intersection of these protocols, WooCommerce can orchestrate AI operations across multiple systems. This ensures that merchants benefit from an integrated workflow while maintaining flexibility to use the AI tools that best suit their business needs.
Practical AI Applications Today
LePage highlighted several ways AI is already being used within WooCommerce. For example, merchants can employ ChatGPT connectors or Claude Code to allow different applications to communicate and collaborate. This enables tasks like inventory management, accounting, and analytics to be coordinated in a single session. A merchant could integrate WooCommerce with QuickBooks and other essential software, performing multiple tasks conversationally without switching between platforms.
These integrations are especially appealing for businesses that want to streamline operations and reduce manual effort. By consolidating multiple applications, AI allows store owners to focus on decision-making and growth, rather than repetitive operational tasks.
AI Infrastructure Primarily Developer-Facing
While these advancements are exciting, LePage emphasised that the current AI tools in WooCommerce are primarily developer-facing. The platform provides the foundational building blocks that developers can use to create tailored solutions for merchants. Although some plugins offer simpler, ready-to-use functionality, fully robust AI implementations often require technical expertise to set up and configure correctly.
This approach ensures that WooCommerce remains flexible and adaptable, allowing businesses to scale AI solutions according to their specific requirements rather than being limited by pre-built features.
Sidekick-Style Functionality Coming Soon
Looking ahead, WooCommerce plans to introduce Sidekick-style AI through extensions. This type of functionality, similar to Shopify’s Sidekick, will allow merchants to perform a variety of tasks, including product optimisation, marketing content creation, bulk catalog management, and analytics, through an intuitive AI interface.
LePage explained that WooCommerce version 7, scheduled for release on 9 April 2026, will include the necessary infrastructure to support these extensions. By acting as an orchestration layer, WooCommerce will coordinate multiple AI tools, data sources, and workflows, enabling both simple and complex processes for merchants. This will make AI-driven commerce more approachable and actionable, even for those who are not highly technical.
Consumer-Facing AI Features
AI in WooCommerce is not limited to merchant-facing tools. Future implementations are expected to include consumer-facing features, such as personalised product recommendations, interactive chat interfaces for order tracking, and guided product discovery. These tools will make the shopping experience more engaging and tailored to individual customers, improving satisfaction and potentially increasing conversion rates.
LePage also discussed the concept of agentic AI shopping, which could become mainstream by 2030. This would enable AI agents to handle complex interactions with customers autonomously, from selecting products to completing purchases, while WooCommerce continues to coordinate the underlying operations seamlessly.
WordPress as the AI Foundation
The broader vision is for WordPress to act as the orchestration layer that supports any AI functionality developers wish to create. While other content management systems have begun integrating similar AI capabilities, WordPress benefits from an extensive developer ecosystem that is already innovating new tools and workflows. This ecosystem ensures that WooCommerce and WordPress can quickly adapt to emerging AI technologies and provide practical, scalable solutions for merchants.
By providing a strong infrastructure, WooCommerce and WordPress allow developers to experiment with AI, build advanced tools, and deliver solutions that enhance the merchant and consumer experience. This ensures that the platform remains relevant and competitive as AI continues to reshape the e-commerce landscape.
Why This Matters for Merchants
For merchants, the introduction of AI through WooCommerce extensions represents a significant opportunity. Automating repetitive tasks, gaining deeper insights through analytics, and delivering personalised customer experiences can free up time, increase efficiency, and enhance business growth.
Furthermore, by maintaining flexibility and interoperability with multiple AI systems, WooCommerce ensures that merchants are not locked into a single provider or workflow. This adaptability is crucial in a rapidly evolving AI ecosystem, allowing businesses to adopt new tools as they emerge and integrate them seamlessly into their operations.
Looking Ahead
In conclusion, WooCommerce is entering a new era of AI-powered e-commerce. The combination of MCP, emerging protocols, and Sidekick-style extensions will provide merchants with powerful tools for both operational efficiency and enhanced customer experience. By positioning itself as the orchestration layer, WooCommerce ensures that it can integrate with any AI system, enabling a flexible, scalable, and future-ready platform.
As WordPress and WooCommerce continue to evolve, merchants and developers alike have a unique opportunity to leverage AI to streamline operations, improve decision-making, and create more engaging shopping experiences. With the upcoming release of WooCommerce version 7 and the growing ecosystem of AI extensions, the platform is poised to redefine the role of AI in online commerce.
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