The Trust Problem in Agentic Commerce
As AI agents become the primary discovery mechanism for products, a critical question emerges:
How can agents distinguish between authentic brand feeds and potentially misleading or unauthorized data sources?
Unlike traditional e-commerce where customers visit a brand's official website directly, agentic commerce relies on aggregated product feeds from multiple sources.
This creates a new challenge: ensuring AI agents surface products from verified, legitimate sources rather than unauthorized resellers, scrapers, or even counterfeit listings.
Today, we're solving this with ACP Brand Verification — a domain-based authentication system that gives verified brands a trusted badge in the GXO Feeds directory and helps AI agents prioritize authentic sources.
What Is Brand Verification?
Brand Verification is a process where brands prove ownership of their domain and product feeds through cryptographic validation.
Once verified, brands receive a verified badge (✓) next to their name in the GXO Feeds directory, signaling to AI agents that this is an official, authoritative source.
The verification process involves:
1. Domain Ownership Proof
Brands add a verification token to their website (via DNS TXT record or HTML meta tag) to prove they control the domain.
2. Feed Authenticity Validation
GXO validates that the product feed originates from the verified domain, ensuring the catalog matches the brand's official website.
3. Ongoing Verification Checks
Verification status is periodically re-validated to ensure it remains current and accurate.
Why Verification Matters
For AI Agents
AI agents need reliable signals to determine which product feeds are authoritative.
A verified badge provides that signal:
- Trust Indicator: Verified brands are more likely to have accurate, up-to-date product data
- Source Priority: Agents can prioritize verified sources when multiple feeds exist for the same brand
- Data Quality: Verified brands typically maintain higher data quality standards
- Compliance: Verified brands are more likely to comply with ACP specifications
For Brands
Verification offers significant benefits:
- Increased Visibility: Verified brands are prioritized in AI agent search results
- Brand Protection: Prevents unauthorized resellers or scrapers from claiming your brand identity
- Consumer Trust: Customers can identify official brand sources through AI agents
- Competitive Advantage: Verification distinguishes your brand from unverified competitors
For Consumers
End customers benefit through:
- Authentic Products: AI agents surface products from verified, official sources
- Reduced Fraud Risk: Verification helps prevent counterfeit or unauthorized listings
- Accurate Information: Verified brands provide reliable product data and descriptions
How Verification Works
The verification process is straightforward and typically takes just a few minutes:
Step 1: Request Verification
In your GXO dashboard, navigate to Brand Settings → Verification and click "Request Verification."
Step 2: Add Verification Token
GXO generates a unique verification token. You can verify ownership using one of two methods:
Option A: DNS TXT Record (Recommended) Add a TXT record to your domain's DNS:
Name: _gxo-verify
Value: {your-verification-token}
Option B: HTML Meta Tag Add a meta tag to your homepage:
<meta name="gxo-verification" content="{your-verification-token}" />
Step 3: Automatic Validation
GXO automatically checks your domain for the verification token within minutes.
Once validated, your brand receives the verified badge instantly.
Verification Status Levels
Brands can achieve different verification levels:
✓ Verified (Green Badge)
- Domain ownership confirmed
- Product feed originates from verified domain
- Active ACP-compliant feed
- Best Status: Full trust and priority in AI agent results
⚠️ Pending Verification (Yellow Badge)
- Verification request submitted
- Waiting for domain validation
- Temporary status while verification completes
❌ Unverified (No Badge)
- No verification attempted
- Standard listing in directory
- Lower priority in AI agent search results
Maintaining Verification
Once verified, brands need to maintain their status:
Active Requirements
- Valid DNS/HTML Verification Token: Must remain present on your domain
- Active Product Feed: Must maintain an ACP-compliant feed
- Domain Ownership: Must retain control of the verified domain
Re-verification
Verification status is automatically re-checked:
- Weekly: Automated validation checks
- After Domain Changes: If your domain configuration changes
- Manual Refresh: You can request a re-verification at any time
If verification fails (e.g., token removed), the verified badge is automatically removed, and the brand reverts to unverified status.
Verification Best Practices
To maintain your verified status:
- Use DNS TXT Records: More reliable than HTML meta tags
- Don't Remove Tokens: Keep your verification token in place
- Monitor Status: Check your verification status regularly in the dashboard
- Update Promptly: If you change domains, re-verify immediately
- Contact Support: Reach out if verification fails unexpectedly
The Future of Trust in Agentic Commerce
Brand verification is just the beginning of our trust infrastructure for agentic commerce.
Upcoming enhancements include:
- Multi-Domain Verification: Verify multiple domains for the same brand
- Subdomain Verification: Verify specific product subdomains
- Enhanced Badges: Different badge levels for different verification types
- Analytics: Track how verification impacts your visibility in AI agent results
As agentic commerce matures, establishing trust through verification will become increasingly important.
Verified brands will have a significant competitive advantage in AI-powered discovery.
Get Verified Today
If you're a brand selling products online, verification is a simple way to establish trust with AI agents and increase your visibility in agentic commerce.
The process takes just a few minutes, and the benefits are immediate.
Questions About Verification?
Our support team is here to help with any verification questions or issues.
Contact Support →
