Shopify is using its Spring ’26 Edition to show how its Catalog API and Universal Commerce Protocol, or UCP, could expand shopping into more digital experiences. In a new design project, a small team inside the company built five demo apps in a matter of days to illustrate how products can be discovered, recommended and purchased inside activities people are already doing.
The demos range from a TV-inspired shopping experience to a horoscope app, a trip planner and a game-night assistant. Shopify said the point was not simply to build entertaining prototypes, but to demonstrate what its commerce infrastructure can support when product data is standardized and made available to developers and AI systems.
At the center of the effort is Shopify Catalog, which the company describes as a data layer containing products from nearly every merchant on its platform. The Catalog API gives developers and AI agents access to that structured product data, while UCP is intended to cover the broader commerce flow, from discovery through checkout and after purchase. Shopify said the combination is designed to let merchants’ products appear more accurately in AI-driven environments.
One demo, called Showroom, is built around shoppers who notice items in a film or television scene and want to buy something similar. In the company’s example, a viewer spots a lamp on screen and can tap to find comparable products from other merchants. Shopify said the demo works because Catalog standardizes product attributes such as material and style, making it easier to match an item seen in video with real inventory.
Another app, All Set, focuses on travel packing. A user chooses a destination and season, then receives a shopping list tailored to the trip, such as clothing or weather-appropriate gear. Shopify said the app shows how AI can interpret context, while Catalog provides the underlying product data needed to confirm that suggested items are real, available and priced correctly.
Starred combines a daily horoscope with shopping suggestions. After selecting a zodiac sign, users get a reading along with a few products that fit the theme, such as candles, bath salts or crystals. Shopify said the products come from real merchants and are surfaced because Catalog already contains structured information about what those items are and how they can be used.
Sourced is centered on visual discovery. Users upload an image, such as a child’s bedroom, and the app identifies products in the scene, then presents similar items that can be bought from merchants on Shopify. According to the company, the demo shows how Catalog can help match products by category and aesthetic across a large set of listings.
The fifth app, Pippin, is a conversational game-night helper. The demo asks users questions aloud about the size and mood of a gathering, then recommends board games from merchants that fit the occasion. Shopify said the concept is meant to show that commerce can work through voice or other interfaces, not only traditional storefronts.
Shopify framed the demos as a proof of concept for a new model of commerce infrastructure. The company said the technical burden of building custom shopping tools has changed, with developers now able to rely on an API key, structured catalog data and UCP instead of setting up separate systems for every merchant or product source.
The company also said monetization for builders is coming into developer preview, which would let creators of Catalog-powered experiences earn revenue when their apps drive sales. Shopify presented that as a way to turn niche shopping ideas into viable businesses.
The broader message of the Spring ’26 Edition is that Shopify wants to be more than a storefront platform. By standardizing product data and expanding where commerce can happen, the company is positioning its infrastructure as a foundation for shopping experiences across the web, including those powered by AI.
For merchants, that could mean exposure in new kinds of interfaces that were previously difficult to support. For developers, Shopify is signaling that commerce apps can now be built around specific moments, communities or surfaces, rather than only around conventional online shops.