GEO for ChatGPT Instant Checkout

Last week OpenAI launched “Instant Checkout” for ChatGPT, a feature allowing consumers to buy products without leaving the platform.

The feature, which utilizes Stripe’s Agentic Commerce Protocol to facilitate AI transactions, is available for Etsy merchants and soon for Shopify. An open-source version allows any merchant or developer to build custom integrations.

OpenAI’s application form is for merchants not on Etsy or Shopify who want to “1) integrate their products into ChatGPT Search results and 2) enable Instant Checkout in ChatGPT via the Agentic Commerce Protocol.”

AI ‘Rankings’

The shift to AI shopping is ominous. Ecommerce merchants who rely on traditional organic search traffic will almost certainly lose traffic. Merchants with clean, comprehensive product data that’s easily digested by AI agents could slow the decline, if not benefit.

Will ChatGPT prioritize products from merchants that have enabled Instant Checkout? OpenAI’s announcement seems to hint that it might:

When ranking multiple merchants that sell the same product, ChatGPT considers factors like availability, price, quality, whether a merchant is the primary seller, and whether Instant Checkout is enabled, to optimize the user experience.

Thus early ChatGPT merchants may have a competitive advantage.

How to optimize for generative engines? Product data alone may not elevate visibility. Remember that ChatGPT doesn’t rely solely on keywords. The context of conversations is key.

A prompt may not initially request product recommendations. For instance, a user may start by seeking solutions for ankle pain from running. The ensuing dialogue may include buying running shoes with better ankle support.

Other details may come up. Does the user live in a rainy state and thus require waterproof shoes? Does the user run on trails or flat surfaces?

Addressing every possible scenario via product data is seemingly impossible, yet merchants should address as many use cases as practical while encouraging off-site discussions in Reddit and elsewhere for context.

Recommended

Agentic Commerce Has Arrived

October 2, 2025

Product Feeds

ChatGPT’s product feed specifications allow 150 characters for the product’s title and 5,000 for its description.

Populate all product feed fields and available characters. The more info it has, the better ChatGPT can surface your product for various prompts. For example, a product’s “weight” field can elevate visibility when consumers seek lightweight goods.

ChatGPT’s feed specs include unique fields to keep in mind:

• “related_product_ID” for “basket-building recommendations and cross-sell opportunities.” Instant Checkout allows only single-product purchases, but OpenAI says multiple-product buying is coming. The related products field could eventually help ChatGPT recommend more of your products and associate similar items.

• “q_and_a.” This field has no character limit — seemingly perfect for additional information. In my testing, AI agents can easily fetch data from question-and-answer formats.

• “popularity_score” can convey your most sought-after goods. ChatGPT does not explain the field’s impact. But it’s the Wild West for generative engine optimization, and who knows? An item’s popularity may help it stand out.