Customers are starting to send AI assistants to run their errands: check whether you have something in stock, ask about your return policy, or book an appointment. On October 6, Sierra and Meta announced a plan to make those visits faster and safer.
What Is the Personal Agent Protocol?
Personal Agent Protocol is an open standard Meta and Sierra are developing with Genesys, Instinct, Rocket, Shopify, Stripe and Walmart. It sets rules for how a customer’s personal AI agent identifies itself to a business, what it’s allowed to do, and how the business can see what it did.
According to Sierra, it starts on your website. The agent learns what you offer and can act as a guest for simple things like checking availability or reading a returns policy. For anything tied to a customer account, the customer signs in and decides whether the agent can only look or can also make changes. It’s built on OAuth, the same technology behind many “sign in with” buttons.
Is This Happening Now?
Not yet. Sierra plans to publish the first version of the spec later this month. Channel Insider notes it isn’t an industry-wide standard yet, and The Next Web reports that Stripe and Shopify have also joined a rival agent protocol run by Visa.
What Should a Small Business Do Today?
You don’t need to write code. Agents still read your website much like people do, so start there:
- Put the basics in plain text. Hours, prices, service area, and return or cancellation policies should be easy to find, not buried in images or PDFs.
- Make booking simple. A clear online booking or order page is easier for people and agents to finish.
- Watch your platforms. If you sell on Shopify or take payments through Stripe, look for new agent settings as they roll out.
- Decide your rules. Think now about what you’d let an agent handle for a customer, and what still needs a person.
Talk to BlueShore.AI about making your website easy for customers and their AI agents to understand, or call (419) 515-5794.