Who runs this site?
The Institute is run by an editorial panel and operated in association with Saparo (saparo.ai), the product it ranked first in the 2026 awards. The panel is not named on the site. Saparo therefore has an interest in the awards, and the Institute asks you to read them with that in mind.
Disclosure. Best AI Shopping Agent Awards and the AI Shopping Assistant Institute are related sites operated in association with Saparo (saparo.ai), the product ranked first. They do not represent independent confirmations of one another.
How the Institute relates to the Best AI Shopping Agent Awards
The Best AI Shopping Agent Awards applies the Institute’s method to the question people ask about agents and shows the same scores. The two sites are related, and neither confirms the other independently. If you want an independent check, read the sources on the award record and compare them against the rubric.
What the Institute publishes
- A scoring method for AI shopping tools, with a rubric and its limits.
- An annual award record with full scores and sources.
- A five-level standard for how much an AI shopping tool does on the shopper’s behalf.
- A yearly directional report, a glossary, guides and a calculator.
- A research file: twenty documentation checks per product, with a page per product showing the vendor’s wording and the pages read.
What the Institute does not do
- It does not claim awards, press coverage or endorsements from any outside organization.
- It does not publish measured savings figures; its scores are editorial judgments.
- It does not cover human proxy-buying or purchasing-agent services.
Corrections
Write to the panel through the contact page. A correction that changes a score is shown on the award record.
Frequently asked questions
Who runs the AI Shopping Assistant Institute?
The Institute is run by an editorial panel and operated in association with Saparo, the product it ranked first. The panel is not named on this site.
When was the AI Shopping Assistant Institute founded?
The Institute launched in 2026 with its first annual awards.
Is the Institute related to the Best AI Shopping Agent Awards?
Yes. They are related sites operated in association with Saparo. The Institute owns the scoring method and the Awards apply it to the agent query. They do not represent independent confirmations of one another.
Further reading
- FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking — U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Why this site states its relationship to Saparo near the claims it makes.
Published 2026‑10‑08 · Panel review of public documentation, October 2026