ask_business by January 15, 2027search_shop_policies_and_faqs is being replaced by ask_business . The endpoint, request format, and response format all change, so your AI agent code needs to be updated.
search_shop_policies_and_faqs(the store policy & FAQ search tool) has beendeprecated.ask_business, a tool that uses the store's knowledge base and policies to respond to buyer questionsin natural-language text.
search_shop_policies_and_faqsStorefront MCP(https://{shop}.myshopify.com/api/mcp) tool. It remains available until January 15, 2027, but all documentation will reference Ask MCP going forward.
ask_businessUCP MCP(https://{shop-domain}/api/ucp/mcp) tool. It implements UCP's ask capability (dev.ucp.common.ask).
{shop}.myshopify.com, the new one is {shop-domain}. The path also changes to /api/mcp → /api/ucp/mcp .
| Item | Old: search_shop_policies_and_faqs | New: ask_business |
|---|---|---|
| Server | Storefront MCP | UCP MCP |
| Endpoint | https://{shop}.myshopify.com/api/mcp |
https://{shop-domain}/api/ucp/mcp |
| Agent identification | Not specified | Required On every request, meta via ucp-agent.profile |
| How the question is passed | Not specified | ask.query(plus optional ask.context) |
| What it returns | (Inferred from the comparison with the new tool) Raw data equivalent to knowledge base facts or policy text *Exact format not specified | A written answer result.structuredContent.answer.plain |
| Availability check | Not specified | tools/list Checked per agent profile via |
| Status | Deprecated Supported until Jan 15, 2027 | Recommended Documentation reference |
meta 's exact JSON structure and the fields that can go in ask.context are not specified in the article. For details, see the Ask MCP documentation (https://shopify.dev/docs/agents/ask).Change the tool call to ask_business , and update the endpoint to https://{shop-domain}/api/ucp/mcp .
On every request, attach ucp-agent.profile via meta . The profile must declare dev.ucp.common.ask .
Put the question in ask.query, and optional context such as country or preferred language in ask.context .
The answer comes back as text in result.structuredContent.answer.plain . Code that parsed the old response needs to be updated.
For your agent profile, check whether the store offers ask_business using tools/list to confirm.
Old {shop}.myshopify.com/api/mcp → New {shop-domain}/api/ucp/mcp. If your URL-building logic assumes a myshopify domain, revisit how the host is handled too.
Every request must include meta with ucp-agent.profile . The profile must declare dev.ucp.common.ask . Preparing the profile may be the first blocker in your migration.
ask_business returns a written answer (answer.plain), not raw knowledge-base data or full policy text.Implementations that processed or quoted the raw data need to be redesigned.
ask.context lets you optionally pass buyer context such as country and preferred language. It's worth wiring the agent's existing locale information straight through.
The article says: "Usetools/list to check whether the store provides, for your agent profile, ask_business ."Assume it won't always be available on every store, and it's safest to check that the tool exists before calling it. Behavior and conditions when it isn't provided are not documented.
search_shop_policies_and_faqs that answers questions about return and shipping policies. The 2027/1/15 support deadline is approaching.meta(ucp-agent.profile),ask.query, and response parsing. Before the deadline, run old and new in parallel and compare answers before switching over.ask.context and call ask_business .ask.context : the article doesn't list which fields are officially accepted. Check the Ask MCP docs before implementing.ask_business , so handling failed calls is ambiguous.tools/list , and invokeask_business only on stores where it's available. On stores without it, fall back to guidance such as "Please check the policy on the store's pages."tools/list The article doesn't give a guideline for how long to cache the result.ask_business is required.ask.query format, andit returns a written answer instead of search results.