The agentic commerce funnel operates according to five fundamental dynamics that distinguish it from the traditional marketingfunnel. Understanding these dynamics is essential for any brand or marketer preparing for the AI-mediated commerce era.
In the old funnel, intent was a signal marketers tried to capture. Users exhibited “buying signals” through their behavior—visiting product pages, adding to cart, searching for specific SKUs. Marketers built elaborate systems to detect and respond to these signals.
In the agentic funnel, intent is explicit from the first interaction. When a user tells an AI, “I need to buy hiking boots for Patagonia,” there’s no ambiguity. The intent is stated, not inferred.
Implication: The entire apparatus of intent detection—behavioral tracking, predictive scoring, retargeting—becomes less relevant. The user tells the agent what they want. The agent’s job is to fulfill it, not to guess at it.
What changes:
Less investment in behavioral tracking and intent signals
More investment in being the recommended solution when intent is expressed
Shift from “capturing demand” to “being top of mind when demand is stated”
Dynamic 2: Discovery and Transaction Merge
The old funnel separated discovery (finding options) from transaction (completing purchase). Different teams, different tools, different metrics. SEO teams drove discovery. Conversion rate optimization teams handled transaction.
In the agentic funnel, discovery and transaction are the same moment. The AI surfaces options and enables purchase in one continuous interaction. There’s no “I’ll think about it and come back later.” The AI is designed to close.
Implication: The traditional handoff between marketing (drive traffic) and commerce (convert traffic) disappears. There is no traffic to drive—the transaction happens where discovery happens.
What changes:
Marketing and commerce teams must unify around “agentic readiness”
Success metric shifts from “traffic” to “recommendation rate” and “transaction completion”
The concept of a “website visit” becomes optional, not essential
Dynamic 3: The Research Phase Is Outsourced to AI
In the old funnel, consumers did their own research. They read reviews, compared prices, checked multiple sites, asked friends. This research phase could take days or weeks for considered purchases.
In the agentic funnel, the AI does the research. It aggregates reviews, compares prices, checks availability, and synthesizes recommendations. The consumer’s job shifts from “doing research” to “evaluating AI recommendations.”
Implication: The content and SEO strategies built around “research phase” queries become less valuable. Users don’t search “best hiking boots 2026 review”—they ask the AI directly and trust its synthesis.
What changes:
Less value in creating comparison content (the AI does comparison)
More value in being the source the AI cites and trusts
Third-party reviews and authority signals matter more (they influence AI recommendations)
Brand sentiment becomes a ranking factor (AI agents consider trustworthiness)
Dynamic 4: The Consideration Set Shrinks Dramatically
In the old funnel, consumers might consider 10-20 options before narrowing down. They’d visit multiple sites, compare multiple products, and read multiple reviews. The “consideration set” was wide.
In the agentic funnel, the AI presents 2-4 curated options. The consumer doesn’t see the 50 products the AI evaluated—they see the 3 the AI recommends. The consideration set is pre-filtered.
Implication: If you’re not in the AI’s top 3-4 recommendations, you’re invisible. There’s no “page 2 of results” in a conversational interface. Being #5 is the same as being #500.
What changes:
Winner-take-most dynamics intensify
Being “recommended” matters more than being “found”
The AI’s ranking algorithm becomes the most important ranking algorithm
Long-tail strategies may suffer (AI favors high-confidence recommendations)
In the old funnel, attribution was a nightmare. Multi-touch, first-click, last-click, time-decay—endless debates about which channel deserved credit for a conversion that happened over 8 touchpoints across 3 weeks.
In the agentic funnel, attribution is binary. The AI either recommended you and the user bought, or it didn’t. There’s one touchpoint. There’s one moment. There’s no attribution model needed.
Implication: Marketing measurement becomes simpler but more brutal. You can’t hide behind “brand awareness” metrics. Either the AI recommends you and users buy, or it doesn’t.
What changes:
Less debate about attribution models
More focus on “did the AI recommend us?” as the core metric
Harder to justify investments that don’t directly impact AI recommendations
Brand building must prove its impact on AI recommendation rates
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
