Walmart will let AI agents shop its site next month, with limits

Walmart will allow AI agents to shop on its website for customers starting next month. The retailer is building in controls so shoppers can approve and review purchases and set spending limits.

The company announced three pieces: Agent Profiles, the Walmart Agent Gateway, and a set of terms for AI agents. Walmart said the tools let customers shop with Walmart and Sam's Club through the apps and agents they choose, with permissions, controls and protections built in. The Agent Gateway is described as an MCP server that agents use to shop the site.

Agent Profiles give each AI shopping agent its own profile in a customer's account, so purchases can be authorized and tracked separately. By default, every purchase needs the shopper's approval. A spending limit is optional, and agents get no access to the customer's card.

Walmart's terms set rules agents must follow. Agents must not take actions beyond what the shopper intends, and they cannot change a customer's payment method. Agents also face limits on the information they can access.

The move contrasts sharply with Amazon, which has blocked Perplexity's shopping agent and Meta's Muse AI assistant. Walmart is opening its doors to AI shoppers, but only on its own terms.

Our take

Walmart is betting that controlled access beats a blanket ban, and it gets to set the rules for how agents behave on its site. Approval-by-default and no card access make this a cautious opening, not a free-for-all.