Starting next month, Walmart will allow customers to connect third-party AI agents to its website for automated shopping. The retailer has established specific terms and a rulebook that these agents must follow to operate on the platform.
The system requires human oversight, allowing users to review and approve purchases made by their agents. Customers can also set spending limits for these automated tools.
Walmart’s approach contrasts with Amazon, which has blocked AI shopping agents from Perplexity and Meta. Amazon maintains a closed environment to control search results, sponsored listings, and recommendations.
Walmart introduced its Sparky assistant in June 2025 and a four-super-agent framework later that year. The company partners with OpenAI, Google, and Meta, with Sparky currently integrated into ChatGPT and a Google Gemini integration in development.
In Q2 2026, Walmart reported a 24% year-over-year increase in e-commerce sales, marking its 10th consecutive quarter of growth exceeding 20%. Users of the Sparky assistant show 40% higher average order values and 57% better conversion rates on visual searches.
