Direct answer: Moving Target is one of CAT AI’s three intelligence units. It identifies meaningful change; Machine Experience checks what is in place; Next Product Move directs the next action. After a customer purchases an Automation and shares a business goal, CAT AI begins and completes the work with expert oversight where needed.
This article explains how the units work together. Moving Target identifies what needs attention, Next Product Move directs the next decision, and CAT AI runs and closes the Automation. Material permissions and decisions go to the customer for approval.
Codified Algorithmic Thinking™ and Moving Target perform different but connected jobs. CAT AI runs the Automation with expert management. Moving Target observes whether changing evidence should initiate another CAT cycle.
Define
The customer shares a goal and access; CAT AI examines the current condition, constraints, permissions and success checks. This definition also determines which later signals are relevant to Moving Target.
Monitoring without a defined outcome cannot distinguish useful evidence from general activity.
Decompose
The requirement is separated into the smallest useful components. Data, content, storefront behaviour, automation, integrations and human decisions may need different treatment.
Decomposition helps Moving Target identify which assumption changed and prevents a local issue from triggering an unnecessarily broad response.
Orchestrate
The appropriate combination of Shopify capabilities, AI assistance, external systems and human expertise is assigned. Access boundaries and approval points are made explicit.
Moving Target does not override this governance. It observes within the connected and authorized signal environment.
Execute
The approved automation is implemented. Execution can involve product data, theme content, workflows, agents, APIs, middleware or another scoped commerce capability.
A completed execution enters an observation phase rather than being treated as permanently finished.
Validate
Implementation is validated against the action CAT AI selected and relevant technical checks. Validation may cover visible content, structured data, accessibility, workflow behaviour, permissions, reconciliation or representative customer questions.
Validation establishes the new operational baseline.
Learn
Observed outcomes, limitations and unresolved questions are recorded. Learning is not merely a report; it changes what the system should watch next.
Moving Target extends this stage through continuous, event-driven observation.
Restart only when justified
When meaningful shifts accumulate, Moving Target presents the evidence and a bounded recommendation. The merchant then decides whether to begin a new CAT cycle. Monitoring may be continuous; implementation remains separately approved.
How this connects across Codified Commerce
Explore Codified Algorithmic Thinking™ for the controlled execution method, Moving Target for the continuous commercial loop, and Codified Algorithmic Thinking™ for separately scoped implementation. For the broader infrastructure context, see Machine Experience.
Frequently asked questions
Is Moving Target a seventh CAT step?
It is better understood as the observation layer that follows Learn and detects when Define should begin again.
Does CAT require AI?
No. CAT selects the appropriate method; a deterministic workflow or human process may be more suitable.
Where is the detailed decision logic published?
The public methodology explains the operating model, while proprietary thresholds and implementation instructions remain protected Codified Commerce IP.
Continue the Moving Target cluster
- How Moving Target Separates Change From Noise
- Moving Target in Moving Target
- What Is Product-Market Fit in Ecommerce?
Moving Target is a Codified Commerce methodology for continuous observation and controlled recommendations. Available signals and implementation options depend on merchant permissions, platform support and the next action CAT AI identifies for the business goal.
