Does a checkout link mean the agent bought something?

No. ARC never buys or places orders.

Can a store return a link but still fail in a browser?

Yes. The checkout link and the browser cart test are reported separately.

What does an agent checkout link mean?

An agent checkout link means a store's agent tools created a cart for a real product and returned a link to its checkout. It shows an agent could get to the checkout. It is not a purchase: ARC stops before payment, never places orders, and does not store the link.

Short answer

The store's agent tools created a cart for a real product and returned a URL for that cart's checkout. The agent got as far as checkout. Nobody paid.

What happens, step by step

ARC lists the tools, searches the catalog for the tested product, and asks the cart tool for a checkout link. It stops there. The methodology says there is no model call and no order. The link itself is not stored.

What it does not prove

It does not prove a purchase, a particular assistant, or that the same store will work in a browser. Payment is a later step, and ARC does not take it.

How it differs from the browser cart test

The browser lane is five ARC shoppers trying to add the product to the cart on the page. A store can return a checkout link and still fail that lane, or the reverse. Both are reported separately. Index snapshot 2026-10-12: 13 of 18 Measured stores where 0 of 5 shoppers added to cart still had a checkout link.

Where to see it

Measured. ARC dataset 2026-10-12.r2, 12 October 2026. US stores whose checkout-link check completed. This is not the all-region Protocol Matrix sample. Write-up: State of agent checkout, 12 Oct 2026.

US stores that returned a UCP checkout link: 650 of 1,331 (48.8%)MeasuredUS completed checks only. The Protocol Matrix transacts figure covers all regions and can differ.Snapshot 2026-10-12.r2, 12 October 2026.

A single store's line is on its store page. The method is on /methodology.

Frequently asked questions

What does an agent checkout link mean?: An agent checkout link means a store's agent tools created a cart for a real product and returned a link to its checkout. It shows an agent could get to the checkout. It is not a purchase: ARC stops before payment, never places orders, and does not store the link.
Does a checkout link mean the agent bought something?: No. ARC never buys or places orders.
Can a store return a link but still fail in a browser?: Yes. The checkout link and the browser cart test are reported separately.
Is the link saved?: No. ARC does not store it.

On ARC

Cite this: ARC, arcreport.ai, accessed 2026-10-13, index snapshot 2026-10-12.r2, CC-BY-4.0. Protocol figures: Live saved checks, accessed 13 October 2026. Not a frozen snapshot. Index browser figures: Snapshot 2026-10-12.r2, 12 October 2026. Platform figures: Live saved checks, accessed 13 October 2026. Not a frozen snapshot.

Every figure is labelled Measured, Inferred or Not measured. Not measured is not zero. A missing result is not a mark against a store. ARC stops before payment.