ChatGPT

Businesses in ChatGPT: what it means for trade businesses

On November 10, 2026, OpenAI launched Businesses in ChatGPT in beta. Through Business Hub, a business can claim its listing in ChatGPT, keep its details up to date, and see how often ChatGPT mentions it. Business Agents, which chat with customers, are only for eligible U.S. ecommerce and online service businesses for now.

What OpenAI launched

OpenAI calls it "a new way to connect with the 1.2 billion people who use ChatGPT each week". It has three parts:

• Business Hub: claim your business in ChatGPT and manage its information
• Insights: how often ChatGPT mentions your business, clicks to your website, and the topics it comes up in
• Business Agents: an AI that answers customers' questions about your business inside ChatGPT

What a trade business can do today

Claim your existing listing and keep it accurate: your name, category, service area, hours, contact details and services. OpenAI's help article says local businesses can currently claim only an existing U.S. listing, so you can't add a new one from scratch.

What you can't do yet

Business Agents are "available to eligible ecommerce and online service businesses in the US with a website". A plumber or electrician who works at customers' homes isn't in that group yet. OpenAI says it plans to expand to more business categories over time.

Will it get you recommended more?

Not by itself. OpenAI's help article says claiming "doesn't guarantee increased visibility or give you direct control over ChatGPT's independent recommendations", and that advertising doesn't influence its independent answers. What ChatGPT recommends still comes mostly from the web, and in our own checks of Washington towns, most of what it cited was businesses' own websites.

What to do this month

• Claim your listing in Business Hub and verify it
• Make your name, service area, hours and phone match your website and Google profile exactly
• Make sure your own website says what you do, where, and shows your reviews and licence number
• Check your insights after 28 days to see whether ChatGPT is showing you at all

Questions

What is Businesses in ChatGPT?

OpenAI's beta service, launched November 10, 2026, that lets a business claim its listing in ChatGPT through Business Hub, manage its details, see insights, and, if eligible, set up a Business Agent.

Is Businesses in ChatGPT free?

OpenAI's help article says you don't need an Ads account or a ChatGPT Enterprise agreement to claim an eligible business, and that claiming, agents and advertising are separate.

Can a plumber or electrician have a ChatGPT Business Agent?

Not yet. Business Agents are for eligible U.S. ecommerce and online service businesses with a website. Local trade businesses can claim and manage their listing.

Sources

• OpenAI: Introducing Businesses in ChatGPT (November 10, 2026): “Through Business Hub, businesses can claim their business, manage their information, and see insights on how people engage with them on ChatGPT.”
• OpenAI Help Center: setting up your business on ChatGPT: “Use one of the verification methods offered for your business, such as phone, business email, website domain, or Shopify.”
• OpenAI: Business Agents policy: “Business verification alone does not guarantee agent eligibility.”
• Cakewalk's own daily ChatGPT checks, October 2026: “Across 86 answers about trade businesses in Washington towns, 229 of 277 citations were the businesses' own websites, 40 were government sites and 8 were directories.”

More guides: How to claim your business in ChatGPT · How to see if ChatGPT is mentioning your business · ChatGPT Business Agents: can a trade business have one?