Imagine this: A potential customer searches for "vegan protein bars". He gets a product recommendation directly in the Google search, clicks on "Buy now", pays with Google Pay - and the product is ready to go. without ever entering your website.
? No session.
? No referrer.
? No conversion in Google Analytics or your favourite tool Trackboxx.
But: A purchase has been made. Welcome to the age of Zero-click commerce.
What is zero-click commerce?
He's not looking for you. They don't click on your advert. They don't visit your shop. And yet they buy - directly in the search. What sounds like science fiction has long since become reality: zero-click commerce is here to stay.
Zero-click searches taken to the extreme
Zero-click commerce is the logical development of zero-click searches. A topic that we have already devoted in detail elsewhere.
But now it is no longer just a question of providing information without click and to deliver the touchpoints in the Customer Journey with websites, but also to reduce complete purchasing processes and Transactionswhich take place without any website contact within the search platforms and are naturally will have an impact on web analytics as we have known it until now.
➡️ With zero-click commerce, the entire purchasing process takes place within the platformwithout diversions:
- Google Shopping & AI Overviews with "Buy now" button directly in the search results
- Voice commerce via Alexa, Google Assistant or via automatic reordering (predictive AI)
- Social commerce via Instagram or TikTok embeds - the checkout runs in the feed
- Recommendations in ChatGPT or Perplexity with integrated purchase processing through linked accounts
Your shop exists and continues to supply the product - but it has somehow been completely bypassed.
Web analytics: How to measure a conversion that doesn't happen
Today, web analytics is still often like a house with a doorbell: the customer comes, presses the button - you know that someone is there.
With zero-click commerce: the customer takes the product from the windowsill and leaves without ringing the bell.
What is actually happening?
| Formerly (classic) | Now (Zero-Click) |
| Click on your website | Purchase directly in Google/Meta |
| Conversion visible in GA4 | No event, no session |
| Referrer/UTM recognisable | No channel assignable |
| SEO ranking → Traffic | AI citation → Invisible |
Tracking collapsesbecause there is no visible click. Not because nothing happens - but because it happens elsewhere.
Why platforms want it that way
This is where it gets strategic. Zero-click commerce is No accident. It is a feature.
Because who: controls the search process (Google), hosts the checkout (Amazon, Meta) and provides the assistant (ChatGPT, Alexa) ...
... who controls the whole Funnel.
This means:
- In future, platforms will not only earn from ads, but also from transactions.
- Own shops become vicarious agents.
- If you "only" sell, you lose data, control and brand loyalty.
? The next logical step: "Buy Now" buttons directly in AI responses. And at some point: fully automated purchase suggestions based on your calendar events and your consumption.
How shops can (still) counter
Not everyone has to become a huge marketplace. But everyone needs to understand:
If you lose the click, you have to become visible elsewhere.
Strategies:
1. set up zero party data
- Customer loyalty through newsletters, login areas, exclusive content
- Use tools such as Klaviyo, Tracify, JENTIS or cookie-free tracking layers
2. become more visible in AI
- Design content not just for Google, but for prompts & AI outputs
- Quotable statements, structured data, trust signals
3. use APIs & feeds in a targeted manner
- Actively push product data to shopping platforms (Google Merchant, TikTok Shop, etc.)
- Preparing checkout systems for embedded commerce
4. rethink tracking
- Server-side tracking (GA4, Conversion API, webhooks)
- Event-based reporting instead of pageviews
- AI citation monitoring: tools such as seo.ai, own GPT queries, monitoring via RAG
What does zero-click commerce mean for your own online shops - a playground only for large platforms?
Zero-click commerce promises convenience, speed and seamless transactions but only for those who fit into the system. And these are above all the large platforms with their integrated ecosystems. Access is much more difficult for small and medium-sized shops - and the rules are not made by them.
? Why Amazon, Google & Co. have a clear advantage:
- Linked payment accounts
Users are already connected to Google Pay, Amazon Pay or Apple Pay. The checkout is one click - no form, no resistance. - Data depth & user history
Platforms know what people want, buy when they reorder - and play out offers at exactly the right moment. - Leap of faith
Buyers feel safer in familiar interfaces. "Buy now from Google" seems more reliable than an unknown shop. - Direct system integration
Own APIs, shopping cards, voice commands, embedded checkout - everything runs in-house, without dependency. - Platform prioritisation
Whoever pays gets visibility. Large providers prefer to push their own listings - in AI overviews, shopping modules or voice responses.
⚠️ Reality for small shops:
- Possibly no access to central AI interfaces
- No natural trust - every new UI needs an explanation
- Higher checkout friction (more steps, less conversion)
- Visibility only via detours (e.g. via feeds, marketplaces, D2C brand)
? Conclusion: Zero-click commerce is currently a stage for platforms
Small shops must Play along, tie in or specifically delimit,
if they don't want to disappear completely from the customer journey.
And what about Google Analytics - will GA4 be the secret winner?
GA4 is currently blind to zero-click commerce - but that could change.
Scenarios:
- Google integrated AI Overviews Reporting in the Search Console
- GA4 integration with Google Pay / Buy-on-Google will be extended
- Cross-platform dashboards for "AI-driven interactions" are coming
For shop operators, this data could soon be the only AI visibility access - similar to GMB in the past for local visibility.
Can tracking via API still be effective?
There is still no standardised metrics world for zero-click commerce. But platforms experiment with initial reporting approaches - and tracking is shifting away from the website towards Internal platform insights.
| Platform | Status (July 2025) | Possible tracking data (perspective or partially available) |
| Google (AI Overviews, Shopping) | No AI tracking API yet - but direct product placements in AI Overviews & Google Shopping. | - Number of mentions in AI overviews (similar to featured snippets)- Impressions & clicks on "Buy on Google" modules- Visibility in Gemini UI (later possibly integrated into Search Console/GA4) |
| ChatGPT / Perplexity | No official analytics access, but clear source citation for quotes. | - Citation frequency of a domain- Prompt relevance (e.g. "Pages that GPT frequently mentions in answer X")- Data access via OpenAI API / RAG feeds for Enterprise plans |
| Bing / Microsoft Copilot | Integration with Bing Shopping & product modules in chat - API strategy open. | - Clicks on shopping cards in chat- Mention/mention in Copilot sources- Data link with Microsoft Clarity or Ads conceivable |
| Social commerce (TikTok, Instagram) | Checkout possible within the app; performance dashboards available for shops. | - Click numbers, shopping basket rates, purchases- View-through conversions (without link click)- UGC evaluation & influencer link attribution via Creator Tools |
Platforms could selective AI Insights e.g. "Domain XYZ was mentioned 12 times in Gemini-Overview" - similar to Google My Business Insights.
Can tools like SISTRIX capture this?
Theoretically yes - the following developments are necessary:
- Prompt-based crawlingTools ask AI systems themselves ("Name products from brand X")
- Analysis of AI citationsRecognition of domain names in ChatGPT/Perplexity responses
- Integration of new API dataIntegration of platform-side AI performance reporting
- New metrics in the tool UIe.g. "AI-Mention-Score", "Zero-Click-Commerce-Conversions" or "Fast-Checkout-Impressions"
Current examples show the first steps:
- seo.ai: "AI Visibility Score"
- Semrush: Pilot phase with Gemini tracking
- Ahrefs: Passage and entity analysis
- Sistrix would have to invest similarly to break into this field.
Overview: What is already reality today - and what is still the future?
| Feature / Development | Status 2025 | Reality or future? | Details / Outlook |
| Purchase directly from Google Shopping / Bing | ✅ Reality | Already available | "Buy on Google" has been discontinued in many countries, but similar functions are available via Google Shopping Ads, with checkout links (e.g. for Shopify merchants) |
| Embedded checkout in social media (Instagram, TikTok) | ✅ Reality | Fully operational | Instagram Checkout (USA), TikTok Shop (UK, SEA, among others) enable the purchase in the feed, without website |
| Voice commerce (e.g. Alexa reordering) | ✅ Reality | Established at Amazon & Co. | Alexa allows automatic repeat orders ("Alexa, order nappies"), often via subscription models |
| Product recommendations in chatbots (ChatGPT, Perplexity) | ? To some extent | Part reality, part future | Perplexity shows linked sources & products, ChatGPT can name products - but no real checkout yet |
| Citations of brands/domains in AI overviews & GPT responses | ✅ Reality | Already visible, but not measurable | Quotes are visible - but Not yet analysable via API |
| Prompt Visibility, AI Mention Tracking | ? Pilot phases | Visionary, but first tools available | Tools like seo.ai are experimenting with AI Visibility Scores; no official API from OpenAI, Google or Microsoft |
| Checkout directly in AI chat (e.g. Bing Copilot or Gemini) | ? Not yet public | A dream of the future (but probably) | "Buy Now" buttons in AI responses are logical next stepbut not yet active - first experiments conceivable 2025/26 |
| Google AI Overviews Reporting in Search Console | ? Not available | Future opportunity | Highly anticipated - so far only indications in US expert circles, no official roadmap |
| GA4 integration with Google Pay / Shopping APIs | ? Not yet available | Music of the future | Could come when Google releases commerce data for analytics |
| Standardised AI Insights dashboards for shops | ? Does not exist | Long-term vision | Conceivable from 2026+ - depending on API readiness and market demand |
Outlook: When is something coming?
| Period | Expected developments |
| 2025 (ongoing) | Expansion of TikTok Shop in EU, more product cards in Bing Copilot, Perplexity refines source naming |
| 2025 Q4 - 2026 | First API access for AI citations (e.g. via Enterprise plans), pilot tests for Gemini Commerce functions |
| 2026+ | Cross-platform reporting interfaces (AI Visibility Dashboards, GA4 AI integration), fully automated AI-supported purchasing process (predictive commerce) |
Conclusion: The click dies - but interest lives on
Zero-click commerce is not the future - it is the present. And it is uncomfortable for all those who are used to visibility, attribution and control.
What counts now:
- Play along strategically (or consciously take countermeasures)
- Breaking new ground analytically
- Don't underestimate platform power - but don't accept it without a fight either
Because yes: the customer has bought. But you can still know why - when you reinvent your analysis.
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