eBay recently updated its User Agreement to explicitly forbid unauthorized third-party buy-for-me agents and AI chatbots from placing orders on its platform. This policy shift highlights the growing tension between major retailers and the rise of agentic commerce tools designed to automate the online shopping experience.
The updated terms, which officially take effect on February 20, 2026, specifically target Large Language Model bots and end-to-end automated flows that attempt to bypass human review. While eBay previously had general rules against data scraping and web robots, this new language directly addresses the modern wave of AI agents capable of browsing and purchasing items. This move transforms what was once a technical suggestion in server files into a legally binding rule that allows eBay to take direct action against unauthorized automation.
The emergence of agentic commerce represents a significant shift in how consumers interact with digital storefronts. Companies like OpenAI and Perplexity have already introduced features that allow users to search for products and complete checkouts within a chat interface, while Amazon has experimented with tools that purchase items from external sites. By drawing a hard line in its user agreement, eBay is asserting control over its transactional data and ensuring that third-party AI cannot bridge the gap between browsing and buying without an official partnership.
Despite the ban on outside bots, eBay is not abandoning AI technology. The company has clarified that these automated tools are still permitted if they have express prior permission, leaving a clear path for future collaborations with major AI developers. Furthermore, the company leadership has confirmed that they are internally testing their own agentic experiences to enhance search and shopping, suggesting that they want to be the ones providing the AI assistance rather than outsourcing it to competitors.
The shift toward restricted access follows a broader trend of websites tightening their defenses against AI crawlers. In late 2025, eBay updated its server instructions to specifically block bots from companies like Anthropic and Amazon while notably maintaining a connection with Google’s shopping services. These selective blocks indicate that the future of online retail may be defined by exclusive gatekeeping, where only certain AI agents are granted the keys to browse and buy on behalf of consumers.
Ultimately, eBay’s policy update serves as a preemptive strike in the battle for the future of the checkout button. As AI agents become more sophisticated and capable of handling complex financial transactions, platforms are rushing to update their legal frameworks to prevent a total loss of the direct customer relationship. By banning unauthorized bots now, eBay ensures it can monetize and regulate the inevitable transition toward automated shopping on its own terms.
Source: eBay Bans Illicit Automated Shopping As AI Agents Surge In Online Purchases