# Websites are blocking AI shopping agents

> Amazon and others are stopping AI assistants from shopping on their sites, while security checks and bot defenses create barriers even where agents are welcome.
- Title: Websites are blocking AI shopping agents · Engadget | Shortify
- Summary: Amazon and others are stopping AI assistants from shopping on their sites, while security checks and bot defenses create barriers even where agents are…
- Keywords: ai agents, amazon, meta muse, perplexity comet, web access, shopping automation, security, bot protection, cloudflare, automated access, technology, Websites
- Source: Engadget — https://engadget.com/2300357/websites-blocking-ai-agents-from-web
- Author: Husain Parvez
- Published: 2026-11-02T19:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ai agents, amazon, meta muse, perplexity comet, web access, shopping automation, security, bot protection, cloudflare, automated access, technology
## AI agents hit a wall at checkout
Meta's Muse can navigate websites and fill shopping carts, but Amazon is deliberately blocking it from shopping on its site.Walmart's verification checks also stop the assistant, though the retailer says they were not intended to.
## Banks worry about shared credentials
JPMorgan Chase CFO Jeremy Barnum said some agents use shared login credentials and screen scraping to transfer funds, methods he described as not secure. The bank blocks those methods where possible.

> not secure
## Amazon sues over Perplexity's browser
Amazon is battling Perplexity over its Comet AI browser, arguing the agent violates access rules and puts customer data at risk.
## Companies control who can automate
eBay prohibits unauthorized buy-for-me agents unless it grants permission. Delta told TechCrunch it has no integration allowing third-party agents to book flights, though it did not confirm whether it deliberately blocks specific agents.
## Security systems catch agents by mistake
Walmart's experience shows blocked agents are not always deliberate bans. Human-verification prompts interrupt automated shopping, while Zillow's anti-scraping defenses sometimes catch agents it otherwise permits. Google's reCAPTCHA challenges shared VPN networks that resemble automated activity.
## Cloudflare lets sites pick what to block
Cloudflare now lets website owners distinguish between search crawlers, AI training bots and agents acting on behalf of users.
## Key takeaway

Websites are blocking or restricting AI shopping agents through deliberate bans and automated security systems, citing security risks and commercial control.