ChatGPT Shopping: A New Channel for Shopify Sellers

You no longer need to open five tabs just to find a decent product online. ChatGPT now handles that part for you. Ask it for a birthday gift idea or the best standing desk under $300-and it won’t just reply with advice. It shows actual products, reviews, prices, and direct links to buy.

And here’s the part Shopify sellers should care about: some of those product links now come straight from Shopify stores.

It’s not a big flashy launch with banners and campaigns-but it’s quietly changing how product discovery works. For store owners, it’s a new kind of visibility. For shoppers, it’s one less search page to scroll through.

This post takes a closer look at what ChatGPT’s shopping feature does, how Shopify is already involved, and why this could open up a whole new traffic channel for sellers.

What Is ChatGPT’s New Shopping Feature?

In April 2025, ChatGPT rolled out a built-in shopping feature. It’s part of the chat.

When users ask for shopping advice—like “best headphones under $150” or “affordable home office chairs”—ChatGPT now shows a list of real products. Each one comes with an image, a short description, a price tag, and a link to buy it. You can compare items right in the chat without leaving the page.

This isn’t just a text response with a few links. It looks more like a mini product catalog. Some results are pulled from big retailers. Others are pulled directly from Shopify stores.

The key detail? These suggestions aren’t paid placements (at least for now). ChatGPT chooses products based on what it finds across the web—and what it thinks best matches the question.

For users, it’s faster. For brands, it’s a new way to get discovered-without bidding on ads or trying to climb search results.

How Shopify Products Appear Inside ChatGPT

If your store runs on Shopify, your products might already be showing up in ChatGPT. You don’t need to install anything or opt in. ChatGPT pulls product info directly from the web, and Shopify stores are part of that mix.

When someone asks for a product and a Shopify item fits the request, ChatGPT might include it in the results-complete with the product title, image, price, and a “buy” button. That button takes the user straight to the product page on your Shopify store.

In some cases, the results even show a label like “Powered by Shopify,” making it clear that the source is a real storefront-not a marketplace or affiliate site.

So far, there’s no way to manually “submit” your products to ChatGPT. But Shopify seems to be working closely with OpenAI to make this connection stronger. Some developers have even spotted Shopify checkout URLs baked into ChatGPT’s backend-which might be a hint of what’s coming next.

Long story short: if your product data is public and your store is live, you’re already part of this new AI-powered shopping experience.

Why This Matters for Shopify Sellers

For most online sellers, getting found is half the battle. You work on SEO, you run ads, you post on social. Now there’s a new door opening-and it’s right inside ChatGPT.

Here’s why that matters:

1. It’s a fresh traffic source.
Shoppers aren’t just Googling anymore. They’re asking AI what to buy. And if your product shows up in that answer, you’ve skipped the search engine entirely.

2. It levels the playing field.
ChatGPT doesn’t care if you’re a big brand or a solo founder. If your product fits what the user is looking for, it can show up right next to a giant retailer’s listing.

3. No ads, no bidding (for now).
This isn’t like running Google Ads. You’re not paying per click or fighting over ad space. Products are shown based on relevance, not budget.

4. It shortens the buying path.
Users get a curated list, not a messy search page. If your product is the right fit, there’s less friction. They click, they land on your store, and they’re ready to buy.

5. It fits how people shop today.
We’ve all gotten used to asking AI for help—what to wear, what to cook, what to gift. Product search is just the next step, and it’s already happening.

For Shopify sellers, showing up in ChatGPT isn’t just a bonus. It’s becoming part of how modern shoppers find and choose products.

A Closer Look at the Buyer Experience

Let’s say someone types into ChatGPT:
“I need a birthday gift for a 10-year-old who loves drawing.”

Instead of a plain text answer or a list of blog links, they’ll now get actual product suggestions. Think sketch kits, art supplies, or creative toys-with product images, short blurbs, pricing info, and buttons that say “View” or “Buy.”

From the shopper’s perspective, it feels like getting handpicked options without having to scroll through pages of search results. No ads, no noise-just relevant picks that match what they asked for.

If a Shopify product shows up in that list, the user can click directly through to your store. No detours, no middle steps. It’s fast, direct, and built into the chat.

For shoppers, this makes the whole process feel smoother. They ask. They get answers. And if one of those answers is your product? You’re already in front of someone who’s ready to click.

What Shopify Store Owners Should Know

This new channel brings exciting traffic potential, but it’s not without trade-offs. If you run a Shopify store, here are a few things to keep in mind:

You don’t control the full experience: When a shopper clicks through from ChatGPT, they often skip your homepage, collection pages, or any brand content you’ve built. They land straight on the product page. It’s quick—but you lose some space to tell your story or suggest other items.

You’re listed alongside competitors: Your product might show up next to others in the same category—possibly with better pricing or more reviews. That makes standing out even more important.

No one fully understands how rankings work yet: There’s no playbook for how to appear more often in ChatGPT shopping results. But clean product titles, clear descriptions, and good reviews seem to help.

There’s no cost now, but that could change: Currently, ChatGPT doesn’t show paid placements or take a cut of sales. But if that shifts, Shopify store owners may need to budget for visibility in AI shopping results—just like with ads.

It’s hard to track—at least for now.: You might get traffic from ChatGPT without knowing how or why. Some referral URLs may include chat.openai.com, but reporting isn’t very detailed yet. That makes it tricky to measure performance.

In short, Shopify sellers are gaining exposure in a new place-but it comes with some unknowns. Worth watching, especially as more users rely on AI to make shopping decisions.

What’s Next for AI Shopping?

Right now, ChatGPT helps people find what to buy. But soon, it might help them complete the entire order-without ever leaving the chat.

Some developers have already spotted Shopify checkout links in ChatGPT’s backend. That’s a strong hint. It suggests OpenAI and Shopify might be working on a smoother, more direct buying flow-where the user doesn’t have to bounce to an external website to finish the purchase.

If that happens, ChatGPT could turn into a full shopping channel, not just a discovery tool. Imagine asking for a product, getting suggestions, and tapping “Buy” to check out instantly inside the chat. No popups. No loading screens. Just done.

This would bring more convenience to shoppers. For Shopify store owners, it could mean faster conversions-but also even less control over the customer journey.

Here’s what might roll out next:

• One-click checkout from inside ChatGPT
• Saved preferences like shipping address or size
• Personalized product suggestions based on past chats
• Paid placements or “featured” product slots
• New analytics tools to track AI-driven traffic and sales

None of this is confirmed yet-but the signs are there. And if OpenAI doesn’t do it first, another platform will. AI shopping is moving fast, and Shopify is clearly positioning itself to be part of that future.

How Marketers and PPC Experts Should Prepare

If you’re running ads, doing SEO, or managing growth for a Shopify store, this shift isn’t something to ignore. AI shopping is already live-and it’s changing where people discover products.

Here’s what to start thinking about:

Start tracking ChatGPT as a referral source: Check your analytics for traffic coming from chat.openai.com or similar domains. It won’t always show up clearly, but even small signals can help you connect the dots.

Revisit how your products are described: ChatGPT pulls info directly from your site. That means short, clear, human-friendly product descriptions are more important than ever. Forget keyword stuffing. Just explain the product like you would to a real person.

Reviews matter: If your product has positive reviews online, ChatGPT is more likely to mention it. Make sure you’re encouraging happy customers to leave feedback-both on your store and on other sites.

Structured data could give you an edge: AI tools read structured product data more easily. Make sure your store uses proper tags for price, availability, and product type. Tools like Shopify’s built-in schema support can help.

Watch for paid models: Even though there’s no ad system in place yet, that could change fast. Keep an eye out for when (or if) promoted listings become a thing inside AI shopping results.

Start thinking beyond keywords: AI tools don’t work the same way as Google Search. It’s less about exact keywords and more about matching intent. Focus on writing content and product copy that answers real questions and speaks like your customer.

In short: if people are going to shop through AI, then your products-and your messaging-need to be ready for AI to pick up.

Final Thoughts: Why This Shift Deserves Your Attention

This isn’t just another feature update. ChatGPT’s move into shopping shows how fast things are changing-and how the way people find and buy products is being rewritten in real time.

For Shopify sellers, this could be a major new opportunity. Without running a single ad or writing a single blog post, your products might already be showing up in one of the most used AI platforms in the world. That’s traffic and visibility you didn’t have before.

Of course, it’s still early. There’s no official guide, no dashboards, and not much data yet. But it’s clear that AI shopping isn’t just a side experiment. It’s becoming part of how people browse, compare, and buy.

If you sell online, or help others do it, now’s the time to pay attention. Learn how ChatGPT surfaces products. Clean up your listings. Track your traffic. And keep an eye on what comes next.

AI isn’t replacing your store-it’s just giving people a new way to walk in the door.