Guide
Microsoft Copilot merchant program for Shopify stores: how Copilot Checkout works
Microsoft lets shoppers buy inside Copilot, and Shopify stores are enrolled automatically. Here is how it works, what to check in your admin, and what Copilot's checkout can't do.
Copilot Checkout, defined
Copilot Checkout is Microsoft's program for buying inside Microsoft Copilot. Shoppers find products in the chat and pay without leaving it, and the store stays the merchant of record. Shopify stores are enrolled automatically.
01
The short version
If you run a Shopify store that sells in the U.S., you're probably already in. Here is what that means and what to check.
- 01
Microsoft's shopping program for AI is called Copilot Checkout. Shoppers find products in Copilot and buy them inside the chat, while the store stays the merchant of record.
- 02
Shopify stores don't apply. Microsoft says Shopify merchants are enrolled automatically after an opt-out window, and you manage it in your Shopify admin.
- 03
Copilot finds your products through Shopify Catalog. Shopify says you don't need to do anything for that, as long as your store and products are eligible.
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Selling in Copilot's checkout has no extra fees, Shopify says. You pay your normal payment processing fees.
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Some things don't work in Copilot's checkout: subscription-only products, bundles, customizable products, local pickup, and your Google Analytics pixels.
02
How a sale in Copilot works
From a question in Copilot to an order in your Shopify admin.
A shopper asks Copilot for a product
Copilot Checkout started rolling out in the U.S. on Copilot.com in January 2026, according to Microsoft. The shopper can compare options and ask follow-up questions in the same chat.
Copilot reads your products from Shopify Catalog
Shopify shares your product data with Copilot through Shopify Catalog. Copilot can also find your products through ordinary web crawling, Shopify notes.
The shopper buys in the chat
With direct checkout on, they click Buy, fill in shipping and card details in a Shopify-powered checkout, and pay without visiting your store.
Or they finish on your store
With direct checkout off, Copilot still shows your products, but the shopper is sent to your online store to buy.
"Merchant program" or "Copilot Checkout"?
People search for the "Copilot merchant program". Microsoft's current name for selling inside Copilot is Copilot Checkout. Stores that aren't on Shopify apply through PayPal or Stripe; Shopify stores are enrolled automatically.
03
Check your store is in
Shopify's requirements, and where the settings live.
You sell to the U.S.
Copilot's direct checkout only shows to shoppers based in the United States.
Your products are eligible for Shopify Catalog
Copilot discovers products through Shopify Catalog, so products that aren't eligible there won't be found this way.
Your policies are filled in
Terms of service, Privacy policy, and Return and refund policy must be completed in Settings, then Policies.
You've accepted the terms
Shopify's Agentic Storefronts Supplemental Terms of Service.
Open Sales channels, then Agentic
In your Shopify admin.
Turn off "Allow Shopify to manage for me"
Only if you want to change the defaults. With it on, Shopify keeps Copilot switched on for you.
Click Microsoft Copilot
Here you'll find two switches: Shopify Catalog access (whether Copilot can see your products) and Direct checkout (whether shoppers can buy inside Copilot).
Save
If you turn off Shopify Catalog access, it can take up to 7 days for Copilot to stop receiving your product data, Shopify says.
04
What doesn't work in Copilot's checkout
Worth checking before you leave direct checkout on, especially if you rely on apps at checkout.
| Part of your store | In Copilot's direct checkout |
|---|---|
| Subscription-only products | Not supported. A product sold as one-time or subscription can be bought one-time only. |
| Bundles, customizable and B2B-only products | Not supported |
| Discount codes and automatic discounts | Supported |
| Shopify Functions (shipping, discount, validation) | Supported |
| Google Analytics and custom pixels | Don't fire. Only server-to-server events (checkout started, completed) do. |
| Local delivery, pickup in store, pickup points | Not supported |
| Required customer login | Not supported |
| Checkout apps (upsells, loyalty, custom fields, trust badges) | Many won't show. Shopify loads only the blocks needed to finish checkout. |
Because GA4 pixels don't fire there, Copilot sales won't show up in Google Analytics the way store sales do. Check your Shopify orders instead. Our guide to seeing ChatGPT traffic in Google Analytics covers the same blind spot for ChatGPT.
05
How to show up more in Copilot
Being enrolled means Copilot can show your products. These are the levers Microsoft and Shopify point to.
Complete product data in Shopify
Copilot reads what Shopify Catalog sends it. Clear titles and descriptions that state the facts buyers ask about give it more to match. Shopify asks merchants to put any legal disclosures in the first 6,000 characters of the description.
Microsoft Merchant Center
Not required for Copilot Checkout, but Microsoft says product feeds from Merchant Center help inform organic Copilot results.
Bing Webmaster Tools
Its AI Performance report shows how often your pages are cited in Copilot and Bing's AI answers, which pages, and the search phrases Copilot used to find them.
IndexNow
Microsoft recommends IndexNow to tell Bing when a page is added, changed or removed, so AI answers use the current version.
What we don't know yet
Microsoft hasn't published how Copilot decides which products to recommend, or how many shoppers buy through Copilot Checkout. Treat it as a channel to watch: look for orders from Copilot in your Shopify admin and for citations in Bing Webmaster Tools.
The product page work that helps here helps ChatGPT and Google too. See how to optimize Shopify product pages for AI search and Shopify Agentic Storefronts explained.
06
Frequently asked questions
What is the Microsoft Copilot merchant program?
It's how stores sell inside Microsoft Copilot. Microsoft's current name for it is Copilot Checkout: shoppers find products in Copilot and buy them in the chat, and the store stays the merchant of record.
Do Shopify stores need to apply to sell on Copilot?
No. Microsoft says Shopify merchants are enrolled automatically after an opt-out window. You manage it in Sales channels, then Agentic, in your Shopify admin.
Does selling on Microsoft Copilot cost anything?
Shopify says there are no fees for selling in Copilot's direct checkout. You pay your standard payment processing fees.
How do I stop my products showing in Copilot?
In Sales channels, then Agentic, turn off "Allow Shopify to manage for me", click Microsoft Copilot and turn off Shopify Catalog access. It can take up to 7 days to take effect, and Copilot can still find products through web crawling.
Can customers buy subscriptions in Copilot?
No. Products sold only as subscriptions aren't supported in Copilot's direct checkout. A product that also has a one-time option can be bought one-time.
Will Copilot sales show in Google Analytics?
Not through your normal tags. Google Analytics and custom pixels don't fire in Copilot's direct checkout, so check orders in your Shopify admin.
Do I need Microsoft Merchant Center for Copilot?
No, it isn't required for Copilot Checkout. Microsoft says Merchant Center feeds help inform organic Copilot results.
Sources (3)
- Shopify Help Center, Selling on Microsoft Copilot, read November 9, 2026.
- Microsoft Advertising, Conversations that Convert: Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents, January 8, 2026, read November 9, 2026.
- Bing Webmaster Blog, Introducing AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools Public Preview, February 2026, read November 9, 2026.
See which of your products AI recommends
Produkto measures your whole Shopify catalog in ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity, and shows who AI picks instead.