What does Shopping Assistant do?
According to TikTok’s October 5, 2026 announcements, Shopping Assistant lets shoppers ask about products inside the app’s built-in browser. Answers draw on merchant-provided information and can cover sizing, availability and shipping. Shoppers can then proceed to checkout on the merchant’s website within the same browser. TikTok aims to reduce the steps between seeing an advertisement, checking details and buying.
How is Buy Direct different?
Buy Direct is a separate native checkout experience within TikTok, offering saved payment methods and addresses plus in-app order tracking. TikTok says integration with UCP, a protocol connecting commerce systems and AI agents, is required. The brand remains the merchant of record. Named partners include Salesforce, Shopify, Shoplazza and Stripe. The announcement does not describe permission for the assistant to make purchases independently.
Who can use it now?
TikTok’s business blog says the tools are offered through eligibility-based testing. Interested advertisers should contact their TikTok sales representative about eligibility and testing opportunities. Neither availability in Israel nor a general release date has been confirmed. Israeli brands should check eligibility and integration requirements before planning adoption. These are tools under testing, not evidence that every user can already access them.