Merchant Guide
Everything you need to know about running your store on ZaLinkAI. From AI commerce basics to advanced analytics, this guide covers it all.
This guide covers merchant-side operations: connecting stores, managing AI visibility, configuring shipping, and setting up promotions. For AI agent/consumer capabilities (discovering stores, cross-store search), see the AI Integration guide.
What Merchants Control
- Connect and manage stores from Zid, Salla, Shopify, WooCommerce
- Set AI visibility: public, hidden, or per-platform access
- Configure shipping zones, methods, and delivery estimates
- Create promotions, discounts, and referral programs
- Authorize which AI providers can access your store
- View analytics across all AI interactions
- Set store policies, hours, and support contacts
What AI Agents Can Do With Your Store
- Browse and search your product catalog
- Check real-time inventory and pricing
- Create carts and initiate checkouts on behalf of consumers
- Apply promotions and validate coupon codes
- Track order status and delivery estimates
- Access your shipping information and policies
- With marketplace access: discover your store across the zalink.ai marketplace
What is AI Commerce?
Understanding how AI agents interact with your store
AI Commerce is the next evolution of e-commerce. Instead of customers browsing your website manually, AI agents act on behalf of customers to find products, compare prices, place orders, and handle returns. ZaLinkAI bridges your store to this new economy.
AI Agents as Customers
AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, and custom business agents can browse your catalog, ask about products, and make purchases on behalf of their users.
Real-Time Data Sync
Your inventory, pricing, and product information are always up-to-date. When you change a price or run out of stock, AI agents know instantly via webhooks.
New Revenue Channel
AI commerce opens a new sales channel without requiring you to build new storefronts. Agents handle discovery, comparison, and checkout conversationally.
Store Setup per Platform
Quick-start guides for each supported platform
Zid
- 1Log into your Zid dashboard
- 2Navigate to Apps > ZaLinkAI
- 3Click "Install" and authorize OAuth permissions
- 4Your products and orders sync automatically
- 5Configure AI access rules from ZaLinkAI dashboard
Salla
- 1Open your Salla merchant panel
- 2Go to App Store and search for ZaLinkAI
- 3Install and grant the required permissions
- 4Wait for initial data import (2-5 minutes)
- 5Enable real-time webhook synchronization
Shopify
- 1Visit the Shopify App Store
- 2Search for "ZaLinkAI" and click Install
- 3Approve the requested API scopes
- 4Map your product categories to ZaLinkAI schemas
- 5Activate the Shopify Flow integration for automation
WooCommerce
- 1Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Advanced > REST API
- 2Generate a new API key with read/write permissions
- 3Enter the API key in your ZaLinkAI dashboard
- 4Install the optional WordPress plugin for enhanced sync
- 5Verify webhook endpoints are reachable
AI Permissions
Control what AI agents can see and do
ZaLinkAI gives you granular control over what data AI agents can access and what actions they can perform. You decide the boundaries.
Read-Only Access
AI agents can view your product catalog, check stock availability, and read product details. They cannot modify any data.
- View product listings
- Check inventory levels
- Read product descriptions and pricing
- View store policies (shipping, returns)
Read-Write Access
In addition to reading, AI agents can create orders, update cart contents, and initiate standard customer workflows.
- All read-only permissions
- Create new orders on behalf of customers
- Apply available discount codes
- Submit customer inquiries
Full Access
Complete operational access for trusted AI systems. Includes inventory management, refund processing, and analytics.
- All read-write permissions
- Process refunds and returns
- Update inventory quantities
- Access customer analytics and segments
Customer Data Sharing
How customer data flows between your store and AI agents
Customer data privacy is paramount. ZaLinkAI uses a consent-based model where customers opt in to sharing their data with AI agents. Here is how the data flows.
Customer Opts In
The customer grants their AI assistant permission to access their purchase history and preferences from your store.
Tokenized Identity
ZaLinkAI creates a tokenized identity. The AI agent receives a scoped token, not raw customer data, ensuring privacy.
Scoped Data Access
The AI agent can only access the data categories the customer approved. Order history, wishlist, and preferences are separate scopes.
Audit Trail
Every data access is logged. You can review what data was shared, when, and with which AI agent from your merchant dashboard.
Analytics & Monitoring
Track your AI commerce performance
ZaLinkAI provides comprehensive analytics so you can understand how AI agents interact with your store and optimize for better results.
AI Traffic
Track the volume of AI agent queries hitting your store, broken down by agent type and time period.
Conversion Rate
Measure how often AI agent interactions lead to completed purchases compared to traditional web traffic.
Revenue Attribution
See exactly how much revenue is generated through AI commerce channels versus organic and paid channels.
Query Analytics
Understand what products AI agents search for most, which helps you optimize your catalog and descriptions.
Agent Performance
Compare performance across different AI agents (ChatGPT, Claude, custom) to understand which drives the most value.
Error Monitoring
Track failed queries, timeout rates, and data sync issues to maintain a healthy integration.
Best Practices
Tips for maximizing your AI commerce success
Write AI-Friendly Descriptions
Use clear, structured product descriptions with specifications, dimensions, and use cases. AI agents parse text to answer customer questions.
Keep Inventory Updated
Enable real-time inventory sync. AI agents that encounter out-of-stock items frequently will deprioritize your store in recommendations.
Start with Read-Only
Begin with read-only permissions to observe how AI agents interact with your store. Gradually expand access as you build confidence.
Monitor Analytics Weekly
Review your AI commerce analytics at least once per week. Look for trends in popular products and optimize accordingly.
Enable Customer Sharing
Stores that allow customer data sharing see 3x higher repeat purchase rates from AI agents compared to anonymous access only.
Set Up Alerts
Configure notifications for unusual activity, sync failures, and high-value orders so you can respond promptly to issues.