🛍️ BigCommerce UCP Implementation

What is UCP?

UCP (Universal Commerce Protocol) is the open standard by Google and Shopify that allows AI agents to discover, browse, and buy from your store. It works by serving a JSON manifest at /.well-known/ucp that tells AI agents what your store sells and how to interact with it. Learn more about UCP.

Why Add UCP to BigCommerce?

In January 2026, BigCommerce (via parent company Commerce, Nasdaq: CMRC) officially announced support for UCP, planning to offer buying directly across Google's AI surfaces. Combined with Feedonomics for AI-ready product data, BigCommerce is positioning itself as a leader in agentic commerce.

• Official UCP endorsement: BigCommerce announced UCP support in January 2026 for direct buying on Google AI surfaces
• Feedonomics integration: BigCommerce's Feedonomics enriches product data for AI readiness, complementing UCP's checkout capabilities
• Powerful APIs: BigCommerce's REST and GraphQL APIs integrate naturally with UCP endpoint requirements
• Headless ready: Perfect for headless commerce implementations where UCP is served from a separate frontend
• Multi-storefront: Support multiple storefronts with separate UCP profiles per domain
• B2B capabilities: Expose B2B pricing and catalogs to AI agents via UCP
• Both UCP and ACP: BigCommerce stores can serve both UCP (Google/Shopify agents) and ACP (ChatGPT Shopping via Stripe)

Implementation Methods

Method 1: WebDAV Upload (Easiest)

Upload your UCP profile directly to BigCommerce using WebDAV.

1. In your BigCommerce admin, go to Server Settings → File Access (WebDAV)
2. Note your WebDAV URL, username, and password

Use a WebDAV client (Cyberduck, WinSCP, or Finder on Mac):

# WebDAV URL format
https://store-XXXXX.mybigcommerce.com/dav

# Or using command line
cadaver https://store-XXXXX.mybigcommerce.com/dav

1. Navigate to the /content/ folder
2. Create a folder named .well-known
3. Upload your ucp.json file as ucp (no extension)

BigCommerce serves files from /content/ at the root. Your UCP profile will be accessible at:

https://yourstore.com/.well-known/ucp

Method 2: Stencil Theme

For dynamic UCP profiles that pull data from your store settings.

# Install Stencil CLI
npm install -g @bigcommerce/stencil-cli

# Clone your theme
stencil init

Create a new template file templates/pages/custom/ucp.html:

---
layout: false
---
{
    "profile_version": "1.0",
    "merchant": {
        "name": "{{settings.store_name}}",
        "url": "{{settings.base_url}}",
        "contact": {
            "email": "{{settings.store_email}}",
            "phone": "{{settings.store_phone}}"
        }
    },
    "capabilities": ["browse", "search"],
    "policies": {
        "returns_url": "{{settings.base_url}}/returns-policy/",
        "shipping_url": "{{settings.base_url}}/shipping/",
        "privacy_url": "{{settings.base_url}}/privacy-policy/"
    },
    "service_bindings": [
        {
            "type": "REST",
            "base_url": "https://api.bigcommerce.com/stores/{{settings.store_hash}}/v3"
        }
    ]
}

In config.json, add a custom route:

{
  "routes": {
    "custom": {
      ".well-known/ucp": "pages/custom/ucp"
    }
  }
}

# Bundle and push theme
stencil bundle
stencil push

BigCommerce API Integration

BigCommerce's APIs work well with UCP. Expose your API endpoints in the UCP profile for AI agents.

Useful API Endpoints

Validate Your Implementation

Common BigCommerce UCP Issues and Solutions

After Setup: What to Expect

Once your BigCommerce UCP profile is live and validated:

1. AI agent discovery (1-7 days): Google and other crawlers will find your /.well-known/ucp endpoint. Speed this up by submitting in Google Search Console.
2. Agent interactions begin: Monitor server logs for AI agent user agents (GPTBot, Google-Extended, Amazonbot, PerplexityBot).
3. Track with analytics: Use UCPtools AI Agent Analytics to see which agents discover your products.
4. Keep current: Update your UCP profile when policies, capabilities, or product categories change.

🤖 Test with AI Agents

Frequently Asked Questions

Resources

• Official UCP Specification
• BigCommerce UCP Blog Post
• BigCommerce Catalog API
• Stencil Theme Development
• BigCommerce WebDAV Guide
• What is UCP? Complete Guide
• Check Your ACP (ChatGPT Shopping) Readiness
• UCP vs Schema.org Comparison
• Security Scan Your UCP Setup
• All Platform Guides
• Browse UCP-Enabled Stores