Amazon has put its Alexa for Shopping agent into text messages. Starting November 6, a small invitation-only group of US customers can text a contact named 'Alexa Shopping' to search for products, compare options, build a cart, complete purchases and get delivery updates, the company announced. Amazon says millions more customers will get access in the coming weeks, and anyone not invited can join a waitlist.

The timing is pointed. Amazon blocked Meta's Muse agent from querying its store in September, and is now rolling out its own texting agent — the same message-an-assistant style Muse uses — just ahead of the holiday shopping season. Alexa for Shopping, formed in May by merging the Rufus chatbot with Alexa+, does not require a Prime membership for its core features.

Amazon says more than 400 million customers have used Alexa for Shopping in the past 12 months, and that use of its agentic features has grown more than eightfold since January. Digiday reports the text threads will carry Sponsored Products ads, though purchases the agent completes on its own stay ad-free.