The rise of AI agents—autonomous systems that can interact with digital environments on behalf of users—is reshaping the internet as we know it. As these agents become more prevalent in how people search, shop, and interact online, website design must evolve to accommodate this new kind of “user.”

Below, we explore five key ways AI agents are poised to disrupt and redefine website design in the coming years.

1. Content Structure Will Prioritise Machine Readability

While traditional web design balances aesthetics and human usability, AI agents consume content semantically, not visually. This means clean, structured data—such as schema markup, consistent HTML hierarchies, and modular layouts—will become non-negotiable.

What to do:

  • Use semantic HTML tags (e.g., <article>, <section>, <header>)
  • Implement structured data using Schema.org
  • Break content into easily digestible chunks (headings, bullets, FAQs)

2. Navigation Will Become API-First

Agents don’t use menus or scroll pages—they follow APIs, feeds, and structured endpoints to extract information quickly and efficiently. One emerging solution to facilitate this is the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which allows websites to expose context-rich data in a format specifically optimised for AI agents. MCP enables agents to access structured representations of site content, navigation paths, and available actions in a format tailored for LLM consumption.

What to do:

  • Create REST or GraphQL APIs for key content and services
  • Offer JSON or XML feeds alongside standard HTML
  • Explore implementing the Model Context Protocol to provide context-aware access to your site’s core functions
  • Treat your site as a headless CMS to serve multiple frontends (including agents)

3. Calls to Action Will Evolve into Intent Endpoints

Humans click buttons. Agents issue commands. This changes how CTAs work. Instead of just visual buttons, designers will need to implement intention-based endpoints that clearly communicate outcomes.

What to do:

  • Design APIs or endpoints around common user goals (e.g., /book-appointment, /get-quote)
  • Use descriptive language and affordances to signal actions
  • Implement input forms and chat interfaces that expose data logic clearly

4. Visual Aesthetics Will Take a Back Seat to Semantic Depth

AI agents don’t “see” your design—but they interpret your content’s semantic meaning. Beautiful fonts and imagery will still matter to human visitors, but semantic layering will take priority in agent-first environments.

What to do:

  • Prioritise clarity of language and reduce fluff
  • Use headings and subheadings to reflect actual content hierarchy
  • Tag media (images, videos) with meaningful alt text and metadata

5. Personalisation Will Be Agent-Driven, Not Cookie-Driven

Traditional personalisation relies on tracking pixels and cookies. In contrast, AI agents will carry persistent user context and make requests based on their user’s profile, preferences, and past interactions—without relying on your analytics stack. The Model Context Protocol (MCP) supports this shift by allowing websites to expose personalised context in a structured, agent-readable format. Through MCP, agents can request tailored versions of content and services that better match user intent without needing traditional tracking mechanisms. Learn more about MCP.

What to do:

  • Design pages that support adaptive delivery (e.g., dynamic responses via query parameters)
  • Offer content variants via APIs that agents can choose between
  • Use MCP to serve personalised content and services programmatically, without reliance on cookies
  • Make services easily configurable by third parties (language, pricing, regions, etc.)

Final Thoughts

We’re moving toward a web where your site needs to serve both humans and machines—especially those machines acting on behalf of humans. AI agents are not a future consideration—they’re already here, quietly reshaping the digital experience.

To stay relevant, designers and developers must embrace a dual approach: maintain human-centric beauty while building machine-centric clarity.

Want to explore how your website can be redesigned for the agentic era? Follow AgentSalad on X for insights, tools, and consulting tailored to the next generation of the web.