Walmart launches Agent Gateway for AI-driven shopping

The rise of agentic commerce

Walmart has officially entered the era of 'agentic commerce' with the launch of Agent Gateway. This new service allows approved AI agents to navigate the retailer's online catalog, search for specific items, and complete purchases on behalf of the customer.

The initiative is designed to prepare for a future where people increasingly use autonomous software to manage daily tasks. As noted by Walmart President and CEO John Furner at the Masters of Scale Summit, the company is expanding its technology to accommodate the growing trend of shopping via AI agents.

While many people currently use AI to brainstorm gift ideas or compare prices, Agent Gateway moves the technology into the execution phase. Instead of a human clicking 'add to cart' and entering credit card details, an authorized agent can perform these actions based on the user's preferences.

How the technology connects

To make this work, Walmart is utilizing a specific technical framework called the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This protocol was originally developed by Anthropic and serves as a standard for connecting AI agents to external data sources, tools, and specific workflows.

By using an MCP server, Walmart creates a bridge between its internal inventory systems and the external AI models that users might be interacting with. This allows the agent to 'see' what is in stock and 'understand' how to navigate the website to fulfill a request.

The goal of this specific architecture is to allow customers to purchase familiar brands without the AI agent needing to access sensitive personal data. The system is designed to fulfill the request—such as buying a specific brand of laundry detergent—without the agent needing to know the user's entire purchase history or private details.

Safety and spending controls

A major hurdle for AI automation is the risk of 'hallucinations' or agents making unintended purchases. To address this, Walmart is launching Agent Profiles next month. These profiles allow users to create a distinct identity for each AI agent within their Walmart account, separating the agent's activity from their own personal shopping.

Users can configure several layers of protection for these profiles, including:

• Setting a specific spending limit for each agent.
• Requiring a manual confirmation for every single transaction.
• Deleting a profile at any time if the agent's behavior is unsatisfactory.

Walmart is also establishing strict operating rules for these agents. They are prohibited from performing actions that go beyond the buyer's stated intent, accessing raw payment data, or using any information that is not strictly necessary for the task at hand. If an agent fails to comply with these terms, Walmart will block it from the website.

The competitive landscape

Walmart's move comes at a time of significant tension between retailers and AI developers. Some platforms have already taken a more restrictive stance on automation. For instance, Amazon has begun blocking AI agents that attempt to make purchases for online customers, a move mirrored by some travel and service booking platforms.

By creating a formal gateway, Walmart is attempting to find a middle ground. Rather than blocking agents entirely, they are creating a controlled environment where automation is permitted under specific rules. This provides a structured way for consumers to benefit from the speed of AI while maintaining a level of oversight over their finances.

If an agent acts in a way that the user did not expect, Walmart stated that its standard product return procedures will still apply. This ensures that while the purchase might be automated, the consumer still retains the right to recourse if the technology makes a mistake.