Methodology & benchmark categories

ACS scores each URL against the open AgentReady spec (agentready.org/spec.json) — the published agent-readiness standard — plus the ACS commerce-trust overlay. We meet the spec's web agent-readiness requirements (discoverability and agent-readable content) and extend them. Each item is labeled by where the expectation comes from: AgentReady spec, ACS commerce-trust pattern, or ACS best practice.

Agentic Commerce Setup checks your website against every signal below. If something is missing, our done-for-you fix packages can add it — so your site covers the full list.

Claim boundary: ACS provides public agent-readiness guidance based on the open AgentReady spec. Meeting these signals does not guarantee Google crawling, indexing, ranking, AI Mode inclusion, Gemini inclusion, Merchant Center approval, UCP approval, or purchases through AI agents.

AgentReady spec

We meet the open AgentReady spec (agentready.org/spec.json) for discoverability and agent-readable content.

  • Homepage reachable — The homepage returns a successful response over HTTPS. (google aligned)
  • HTTPS enabled — The site is served over HTTPS. (google aligned)
  • Crawlable navigation — Primary navigation uses real <a href> links agents can follow. (google aligned)
  • Sitemap.xml present — An XML sitemap helps crawlers discover pages. (google aligned)
  • robots.txt present — A robots.txt declares crawl rules and references the sitemap. (google aligned)
  • Canonical tags present — Canonical URLs reduce duplicate-content ambiguity. (google aligned)
  • No accidental noindex — Key pages are not blocked by a noindex directive. (google aligned)
  • Clear H1 — A single, descriptive H1 states what the business does. (google aligned)
  • Organization JSON-LD — Organization schema identifies the business to machines. (google aligned)
  • LocalBusiness JSON-LD — LocalBusiness schema where the business has a physical presence. (google aligned)
  • Product / Offer schema — Product and Offer schema for sellable items. (google aligned)
  • Service schema — Service schema for service offerings. (google aligned)
  • FAQPage schema — FAQPage schema markup for the FAQ content. (google aligned)
  • BreadcrumbList schema — Breadcrumb schema clarifies site hierarchy. (google aligned)
  • Semantic links — Links use <a href> so agents can traverse the site. (google aligned)
  • /.well-known/ucp detected — A public UCP profile is detectable where relevant. (google aligned)
  • UCP profile valid — The UCP profile parses and is well-formed. (google aligned)
  • UCP capabilities declared — UCP capabilities/services are declared. (google aligned)

What AI agents look for

Signals that help AI search tools and browser agents read and understand your business.

  • Clear homepage value proposition — The homepage explains the offer in plain English. (conductor relay pattern)
  • How it works section — A clear 'how it works' explanation for new visitors and agents. (conductor relay pattern)
  • About page — An About page describing the business and its identity. (conductor relay pattern)
  • Service / product pages — Dedicated pages describing services or products. (acs best practice)
  • Buyer questions answered (FAQ) — An FAQ page answers common buyer/agent questions. (conductor relay pattern)
  • Semantic buttons — Actions use real <button> elements with labels. (acs best practice)
  • Labeled form inputs — Form inputs have accessible labels. (acs best practice)
  • Visible primary CTA — A clear primary call-to-action is present. (acs best practice)
  • No blocking overlay — No modal/overlay blocks content from agents. (acs best practice)
  • Clear contact / checkout path — A discoverable path to contact or purchase. (acs best practice)
  • OpenAPI surface — A public OpenAPI document for API-facing platforms. (conductor relay pattern)
  • llms.txt (optional) — Optional transparency file for non-Google agents. Not a Google requirement. (acs best practice)
  • Discovery JSON (optional) — Optional /.well-known discovery profile. Not a Google requirement. (acs best practice)
  • API / quickstart docs — Public API or quickstart docs for technical platforms. (conductor relay pattern)
  • Changelog / updates — A changelog or updates page signals an active site. (conductor relay pattern)
  • Current content signal — Content shows recency (dates, current info). (acs best practice)

ACS commerce-trust layer

The agentic-commerce readiness bar ACS adds on top.

  • Contact page — A public contact page or clear contact details. (conductor relay pattern)
  • Support contact — A visible support channel for customers. (acs best practice)
  • Privacy policy — A public privacy policy. (acs best practice)
  • Terms page — Public terms of service / use. (acs best practice)
  • Security / trust page — A public security or trust page explaining safeguards. (conductor relay pattern)
  • Refund / return policy — A clear refund or return policy where relevant. (acs best practice)
  • Clear product names — Products have clear, descriptive names. (acs best practice)
  • Pricing or quote path — Pricing or a quote path is clearly available. (acs best practice)
  • Availability — Stock/availability is stated where relevant. (acs best practice)
  • Shipping policy — A shipping policy where relevant. (acs best practice)
  • Return policy — A return policy where relevant. (acs best practice)
  • Discoverable checkout path — A discoverable checkout path for ecommerce. (acs best practice)
  • Merchant Center readiness — Merchant Center status is not publicly verifiable from a crawl. (acs best practice)