Traffic from artificial intelligence sources to U.S. retail sites climbed 138% year over year in May 2026, according to data Adobe shared by email, setting what the company described as another record high.
Adobe said AI-driven online retail traffic in May 2026 topped every month in 2025. The company also said traffic from AI sources has surged 1,324% since October 2024, pointing to continued growth in how shoppers arrive at e-commerce sites.
The company said the latest figures show more than rising visitor volume. Adobe reported that AI online traffic converted 54% better than non-AI sources, reversing a 2025 pattern when conversion rates were nearly half as high. In a survey cited by Adobe, eight in 10 consumers who use AI for shopping said they use it more than they used to, while 79% said they feel more confident in purchases made with AI assistance.
Adobe also said shoppers referred by AI were 15% more engaged once they reached a retail site, the strongest advantage since the company began tracking AI online traffic in October 2024. Those visitors spent 53% longer per visit, viewed 23% more pages per visit, and were less likely to leave immediately, with a bounce rate down 36%.
The value of those visits also rose. Adobe said AI visits are now worth 53% more than non-AI visits, a record high and up from 37% in March 2026. That marks a shift from May 2025, when non-AI visits were worth 128% more than AI visits.
"Overall, Adobe’s latest data shows that AI traffic to U.S. retail sites continues to grow, both in volume and value", Adobe said in emailed commentary. "(But) even top-performing sectors have high-value pages where 30 to 40% of content is still overlooked or uncaptured by AI."
Adobe said the May 2026 results signal a "sustained change in how consumers discover and engage with brands."
