Who writes agents.md on Shopify stores?

Shopify generates the file on stores that have it. That is what the public files say. ARC does not count edits.

Does ARC read agents.md?

ARC reads the UCP profile and tools the file points to. It does not yet count agents.md itself. Not measured is not zero.

Does agents.md let agents pay without asking?

No. The public files require the buyer's approval before payment.

ARC · Answers

What is agents.md on Shopify stores?

Some Shopify stores publish agent instructions at /agents.md. Allbirds' public file points agents at the store's UCP profile, asks them to identify themselves, and requires the buyer's approval before payment. ARC checks that profile and those tools. It does not yet count /agents.md itself.

What the files say

Allbirds publishes /agents.md. The file, read 13 October 2026, points agents at the Shop skill and at the store's UCP profile. It says to place orders only with the buyer's authorization, and that server-to-server requests must use Web Bot Auth. Shopify's name is on the file as the platform. ARC did not write it.

How this relates to UCP

The file sends agents to /.well-known/ucp and to the tools that profile advertises. ARC fetches that profile and the catalog tools. A file that mentions UCP is not, by itself, a valid profile or a checkout link.

UCP transacts: 1,563 of 4,492 (34.8%)MeasuredARC saved checks, accessed 2026-10-13. A checkout link came back. Not a count of /agents.md files.Snapshot 2026-10-12.r2, 12 October 2026.

Buyer approval and Web Bot Auth

The Allbirds file requires the buyer's approval before payment, and it tells server-side agents to sign requests with Web Bot Auth. Whether any given store enforces that signature is not visible to ARC.

What ARC measures

Share of stores serving /agents.md: Not measuredNot measuredARC reads the UCP profile and tools the file points at. It does not yet count the file itself. Not measured is not zero.Snapshot 2026-10-12.r2, 12 October 2026.

Can a merchant edit them?

On the stores that have the file, Shopify generates it. Whether a merchant can replace the text is a platform question. ARC does not measure edits to /agents.md.

Frequently asked questions

What is agents.md on Shopify stores?: Some Shopify stores publish agent instructions at /agents.md. Allbirds' public file points agents at the store's UCP profile, asks them to identify themselves, and requires the buyer's approval before payment. ARC checks that profile and those tools. It does not yet count /agents.md itself.
Who writes agents.md on Shopify stores?: Shopify generates the file on stores that have it. That is what the public files say. ARC does not count edits.
Does ARC read agents.md?: ARC reads the UCP profile and tools the file points to. It does not yet count agents.md itself. Not measured is not zero.
Does agents.md let agents pay without asking?: No. The public files require the buyer's approval before payment.

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.