Agentic Search
Agentic Search refers to information retrieval performed by autonomous AI agents that act on behalf of users to complete multi-step goals. Unlike standard search (finding links), agentic search involves planning, reasoning, and executing actions like comparing options, making bookings, or purchasing products without human intervention.
Why Agentic Search is the Future of Commerce
The web is evolving from "Read-Only" to "Act-For-Me." Traditional search requires humans to click links, browse pages, compare options, and complete transactions manually. Agentic search flips this model—an AI agent receives a command like "Book a hotel in Paris under $200" and autonomously searches multiple sites, compares prices, reads reviews, and completes the booking. For businesses, this means your website must be machine-readable via APIs and structured data (JSON-LD) so agents can interact with your inventory, pricing, and checkout systems. Companies not prepared for agentic interactions will become invisible as agents bypass websites that lack programmatic access.
Traditional Keyword Search vs. Agentic Search
Real-World Impact
User searches "flights to Tokyo"
Visits 4 airline sites, compares manually
Takes 30 minutes, user gets decision fatigue
User tells AI agent "Book cheapest flight to Tokyo"
Agent scans 20 sites via APIs, finds best deal
Books flight in 30 seconds, user approves final selection