If the old stages (awareness, consideration, intent, purchase) collapse, what replaces them? The agentic funnel has its own stages, but they’re fundamentally different.
Protocol integration: Connection to ACP, UCP, or equivalent checkout protocols
Real-time feeds: Inventory, pricing, and availability updated hourly or faster
API accessibility: Machine-readable interfaces that agents can query
Old equivalent: Being indexed by Google New equivalent: Being parseable and actionable by AI agents
Failure mode: If your data isn’t structured and accessible, you’re invisible to agentic commerce—regardless of how good your products are.
Stage 2: Agent Consideration
Question: Does the AI include you in its evaluation set?
Accessibility isn’t enough. The AI evaluates potentially thousands of options before presenting recommendations. You need to make the cut.
This requires:
Entity authority: Is your brand recognized and trusted by AI training data?
Third-party signals: What do reviews, ratings, and external sources say about you?
Relevance matching: Does your product data match the user’s stated needs?
Competitive positioning: How do you compare on price, features, availability?
Old equivalent: SEO and content strategy to rank for keywords New equivalent: Data quality and entity authority to rank in AI reasoning
Failure mode: The AI considers you but ranks you below competitors. You’re evaluated but not recommended.
Stage 3: Agent Recommendation
Question: Does the AI actually recommend you to the user?
This is the moment of truth. The AI has evaluated options and now presents 2-4 recommendations to the user. Are you one of them?
This depends on:
Relevance to stated intent: How well do you match what the user asked for?
Confidence level: How certain is the AI that you’ll satisfy the user?
Trust signals: Does the AI trust your data, pricing, and availability?
User context: Does the AI know this user prefers your brand or category?
Old equivalent: Appearing on page 1 of search results New equivalent: Being in the AI’s top 3-4 recommendations
Failure mode: You’re considered but not recommended. The user never sees you.
Stage 4: Transaction Completion
Question: Can the user complete the purchase without leaving the AI?
Recommendation isn’t enough if the user has to leave the AI interface to buy. Friction returns, abandonment increases, and competitors with in-chat checkout win.
This requires:
Checkout protocol integration: ACP, UCP, or equivalent enabled
Payment processing: Seamless handoff to Stripe, Google Pay, PayPal, etc.
Order management: Ability to confirm, track, and manage orders via the AI
Return handling: Clear policies that the AI can communicate and execute
Old equivalent: Checkout optimization and cart recovery New equivalent: Protocol integration that enables zero-friction purchase
Failure mode: User is recommended but has to “visit website” to buy. Conversion drops, competitors with instant checkout win.
Stage 5: Post-Purchase Relationship
Question: Does the AI maintain the relationship after purchase?
The agentic funnel doesn’t end at transaction. AI agents can manage ongoing relationships—tracking shipments, handling returns, suggesting replenishment, recommending accessories.
This requires:
Order status integration: Real-time shipping and delivery data
Support capabilities: AI can answer questions about the purchase
Relationship data: Past purchases inform future recommendations
Loyalty integration: Rewards, points, and preferences accessible to agents
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.
