Top agentic AI protocols for website growth in 2026

Agentic protocols are the standardized communication layers that allow autonomous AI agents to browse, book, and buy across the web without human intervention. 

With the agentic web set to change the web in 2026, using these frameworks could augment your generative engine optimization strategy from pushing for visibility in single AI-search replies to an automated growth engine that connects directly to the agentic web.

Adopting these standards is essential for staying discoverable in an era where "machine customers" handle the research and purchasing journey. Make your website AI-ready so customers and their digital assistants can find, browse, and buy from your brand.

What are agentic AI protocols?

Simply put, agentic protocols are a common set of documentation and technical requirements that allow machines systems, like AI agents, to carry out tasks in a compatible way. In the same way that coding languages have rules that make code valid or invalid, agentic protocols require participants to follow certain rules and guidance to let agents work together safely and securely. 

Agents use the web in a way that’s distinct from human users, which is why we need new protocols to help them interact with websites.

Top agentic protocols for marketers in 2026

The transition to an agentic web focuses on seamless exchanges between your website data and AI buyers. These protocols create a common framework that lets AI agents automatically find, evaluate, and interact with your services using standardized data formats and authentication methods.

These are the most important agentic AI protocols for marketers at the moment:

1. Model Context Protocol (MCP)

2. Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP)

3. Agent2Agent (A2A)

4. Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)

5. Agent Payments Protocol (AP2)

01. Model Context Protocol (MCP)

This protocol provides a standard way to plug your marketing tools and data sources directly into LLMs so they can call them safely.

Created in November 2024 by Anthropic, MCP is like a USB-C for AI applications. It functions through a client-server model: the MCP Server exposes your specific tools (like a Google Drive or a Wix database), then the MCP Client (embedded in an AI host like Claude) translates the model's intent into action. This protocol is important because it specifies how to extend an agent’s capabilities.

MCP adoption

MCP has become a widely adopted standard for multiple use cases. 

• Website owners can use MCP to give AI agents real-time access to inventory for agentic sales

• CRM data can power onsite chatbots 

• SEOs can use MPC to connect to keyword tools tools

• Generative engine optimization marketers can use MCP to optimize, distribute, and monitor content within LLM responses.

  
  

MCP servers and clients can be shared securely and are used by some of the largest tech teams in the world, including OpenAI, Google, and AWS. Though many MCP servers are used for internal activities, the largest public directory of MCPs records over 7600 servers as of January 2026. 

MCP on Wix

The Wix MCP server is supported by major AI clients like Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf. It's also compatible with automation tools like n8n and Zapier.

Growth marketers can use the Wix MCP to grant AI agents real-time access to a site’s backend. Instead of searching through documentation, the agent can search the Wix SDK or fetch Wix API schemas directly. The Wix MCP can even perform site-level actions like applying a discount to your store products or querying analytics through natural language. 

And one of my personal favorite developments: every Wix website can now act like an MCP server. Read more about connecting Wix sites to AI platforms here.

02. Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP)

This protocol is the standard way for agents to understand catalogs, prices, and orders to execute checkouts. Emerging in late 2025 with documentation from Stripe and OpenAI, it’s the core of Instant Checkout on ChatGPT. 

Wix is an eCommerce partner for the Agentic Commerce Protocol. This means that eligible Wix users have the opportunity to make their products visible and buyable in LLM conversations. The Wix implementation is closely aligned with Stripe via the Agentic Commerce Suite.

Merchants who are not using Wix's GEO features or other partner platforms, like Etsy, can apply to become ChatGPT merchants and then follow the ACP guidance for product feeds specifications. Aligning your website with the ACP could make your product available to millions of ChatGPT users a month, along with any other AI surface that implements ACP in the future. 

03. Agent2Agent Protocol (A2A)

The Agent-2-Agent Protocol (A2A) defines exactly how different AI agents can talk to each other, covering routing, messaging, and authentication. Google launched it in April 2025 and it was donated to the Linux Foundation in June 2025.

In August 2025, A2A incorporated The Agent Communication Protocol (ACP). The ACP is a RESTful protocol focused on task delegation, stateful workflows, multi-agent coordination, and managing "handoffs" between automated systems. The main aim of the A2A is to create an “open and interoperable ecosystem for AI agents” and “other interoperability technology.”

04. Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)

Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol(UCP) will enable instant payments in Google AI Mode, Gemini, and other surfaces. The UCP provides a common schema for agents to discover merchants and transact across thousands of retailers with a single open source integration. 

Launched for the agentic era in January 2026, it builds on foundations laid by Google Merchant Center and incorporates the AP2 and A2A, creating a secure agent-to-agent commerce framework.

05. Agent Payments Protocol (AP2)

An extension of the A2A and UCP protocols with more rules for secure payments, the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) allows AI agents to initiate and authorize payments using signed "mandates" that include clear user consent. 

It was announced by Google in September 2025 and designed to make “agent-led payments seamless and secure.” This protocol is intended to be used in multi-agent configurations, so it’s compatible with MCP and Google’s UCP and is payment agnostic to support all types of payment methods.

Growth teams can use the AP2 to set up autonomous "bidding agents" that can manage ad spend within pre-approved budget limits.

How to adopt agentic protocols

To adopt new agentic protocols, you can either implement them directly or align your tech stack with a provider that has built conformance into the tools you use. This means that for enterprise users, your team might sign up directly with Open AI or Google to become an early adopter when there are calls for users.

But for many businesses, the most efficient way to adopt these protocols is to align your marketing and tech stack with providers that are building compatibility at scale. 

Wix, for instance, is rolling out agentic shopping access so merchants can sell to agents via ChatGPT’s Instant Checkout via Stripe and Perplexity’s Instant buy with PayPal.

How to learn more about agentic protocols

Learn more about agentic protocol implementation with these resources:

• Check out this webinar on Wix MCP for SEO

• Join the W3C AI Agent Protocol Group for regular meetings and information on agentic trends

• Sign up the Hugging Face MCP, Google Codelab ‘Building AI Agents with ADK,’ or Microsoft AI Agents for Beginners courses

  
  

However you choose to get involved, these protocols could allow you to reach new markets and keep pace with competitors in an increasingly agentic world.

Sign up for Wix Studio today to improve your clients' visibility and conversions in 2026.