Tuesday, 9:40 p.m.
Someone types into ChatGPT: "I'm looking for a gift for my dad, who loves coffee. Under $80, delivered by Friday." The answer lists three shops. Next to each one: a logo, a short description, a shipping policy and a link.
Your shop sells exactly that. It isn't there. Or worse, it is there, with a description from two years ago and a return policy that's no longer in effect.
As of yesterday, there's a place to fix that: Business Hub. Before you click, though, it's worth knowing what you're agreeing to.
On November 10, 2026, OpenAI launched Businesses in ChatGPT in beta. For the first time, there's an official way to add your business to ChatGPT: claim your business profile, verify it, update your details, and see how many times ChatGPT mentioned you and how many clicks to your website were recorded. Until now, anyone who wanted to "show up in ChatGPT" could only improve their website and hope. In this guide: what exactly launched, who qualifies (including outside the US), how to do it step by step, and what the Terms actually say. Most guides skip that last part. We think it's the most important one. Every detail was checked against OpenAI's official pages, and reports from early users are labeled as such.
In short
- Business Hub (at chatgpt.com/business-hub) lets you add your business to ChatGPT: claim the profile, verify it by phone, email, your domain's settings (DNS) or Shopify, update your details, and see mentions and clicks.
- Outside the US: online businesses with a website can try it now. Brick-and-mortar stores and restaurants can currently claim only an existing US listing. The Business Agent is open only to eligible ecommerce and online service businesses in the United States.
- Verification doesn't buy rankings. OpenAI states plainly that claiming your business doesn't guarantee more visibility, and that advertising doesn't influence ChatGPT's independent answers.
- The Terms are demanding: a perpetual, irrevocable license to your basic business information, consent that ChatGPT may call your business on behalf of users, and, in Section 10, a promise not to sue OpenAI over matters that also cover the content on your own website. Read them before you search for your business, because the search page itself says that continuing counts as acceptance.
Prefer to watch? The guide in a 5-minute video
What is ChatGPT Business Hub? Your business page inside the answer
The easiest way to understand Business Hub is to compare it to your Google Business Profile. When someone asks ChatGPT about a product or service and the answer mentions a business, they can click the name and see that business's ChatGPT profile. Business Hub is where the owner manages that profile.
The launch has three separate parts, and it's important not to confuse them:
- Business profile. You claim it, verify it, and then update the website link, description, category, logo, cover photo, shipping policy and return policy. Stores can also connect a product feed with prices and availability.
- Insights. How many times ChatGPT mentioned you, how many clicks to your website were recorded, and on which topics. The data covers the past 28 days.
- Business Agent. A separate chat where a customer can ask your business follow-up questions, based on the information you provided. For now, it's available only to eligible ecommerce and online service businesses in the United States.
Source: OpenAI's announcement and Help Center, November 10, 2026.
Can you add a business outside the US?
It depends on the type of business. According to OpenAI's announcement, any eligible business located where ChatGPT is available can claim its profile, and Israel, for example, is one of those places. But the Help Center adds two caveats: availability "depends on the business's location and type," and "local stores and restaurants can currently claim only an existing U.S. listing."
Who can do what, as of November 11, 2026
You can try now
- Online store with a website
- Online service (OpenAI doesn't specify which categories)
- If your business isn't listed, you may see an option to add it
- As long as you have a verification method available
Not yet outside the US
- Physical store, restaurant, café
- For now, only an existing US listing
- Local business with a website, like a clinic: OpenAI doesn't say
US only
- Business Agent inside ChatGPT
- Online stores and online services
- In categories the policy allows
- Connection to ChatGPT Ads
If you run an online store, or a website that sells a service or a digital product, you're in the first group. If you run a café in Leeds or a neighborhood store, you're not in yet, even if ChatGPT already mentions you in its answers. OpenAI says it plans to expand Businesses in ChatGPT to more markets and categories, but gives no date. And early users have reported requests from outside the US being put on a waitlist.
How to add your business to ChatGPT, step by step
From search to blue check
- Search for your businessIn Business Hub, in the ChatGPT sidebar
- Prove it's yoursA code by phone or email, a DNS record, or Shopify
- OpenAI reviews itThe decision arrives by email. No stated timeline
- Identity check with PersonaOnly then: publishing changes, Insights, product feed, agent and the blue check
- Sign in to ChatGPT with the account that will manage the business, and open Business Hub from the sidebar (or go to chatgpt.com/business-hub). Search for your business by name.
- Select the right listing and confirm your account. If your business doesn't appear and you run an online business, you may see an option to add it. If you see "Contact support," the listing is locked and you'll need to contact support.
- Choose a verification method from the ones offered for your business:
- Business phone: a code by text message or automated call to the number on the listing. - Business email: a code sent to an address associated with the business. - Website domain: you add a TXT record, a short line of text, in your domain's DNS settings (with your hosting company or wherever you registered the domain). Copy it exactly as shown. If someone else manages your domain, ask them to do it. It can sometimes take a while for the change to take effect. - Shopify store: connect your store and approve the permissions.
- Wait for approval. OpenAI reviews your claim and emails you its decision, or a request for more information.
- Verify your identity with Persona, an identity verification service. Without this step you can't publish changes, see Insights, connect a product feed or create an agent. Persona may ask for a government ID, business registration details and proof that you're authorized to represent the business. Make sure your business name, address and registration or tax number match exactly what's on file with the authorities. That's what the Help Center suggests checking when verification fails.
- Update your profile. Once approved, the blue check appears. Every change is reviewed by OpenAI before it's published, and ChatGPT may keep using other sources too.
What to prepare before you open Business Hub
What Insights show you, and what they don't
Insights are the part business owners will open most often, so it's worth knowing exactly what each number counts.
| Metric | What it counts | What it doesn't tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Mentions | Online business: when ChatGPT references your website. Local business: when ChatGPT shows a result for that location | A mention of your brand name alone, without your website, doesn't count |
| Website clicks | How many clicks on links to your website were recorded in ChatGPT | According to the in-product explanation, as reported by PPC Land, a click doesn't confirm a visit or a sale |
| Discovery topics | Recurring themes in answers that mentioned you | You don't see users' questions or their conversations |
Three things to know before the numbers worry you. A blank metric doesn't mean zero: it can stay blank until there's enough data. In the first days after launch, PPC Land reported that data was arriving with a delay of at least a day. And user conversations, including conversations with the Business Agent, are not shared with you: OpenAI passes along only aggregated data.
In our view, the most important metric is discovery topics. If you sell coffee gear and ChatGPT mentions you mostly in questions about machines rather than beans, that tells you something about the content on your website, and that's where to focus.
What the fine print says: the Businesses in ChatGPT Terms
At the bottom of the Business Hub search page there's a small line: "By continuing, you accept OpenAI's Businesses in ChatGPT Terms." In other words, the moment you continue from the search box, you've accepted the Terms. We read them in full. These are the sections a business owner should know before typing in their business name:
| Section | What it says | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | OpenAI may create and display a listing for your business, whether or not you claim it | Your business may appear either way. Claiming gives you influence, not full control |
| 4.1 | OpenAI may supplement, edit or replace information you provide, or not display it | What you write isn't necessarily what gets shown |
| 4.1 | By using Business Hub, you agree that OpenAI's AI assistant may call you on behalf of users | ChatGPT may phone your business, for example to ask about opening hours or make a reservation. You can opt out |
| 4.2 | The license to your basic business information is perpetual and irrevocable | Your name, address, phone, category, hours and website stay with OpenAI even if you stop managing the profile |
| 3 | If you connect a product feed, you agree to let OpenAI's crawlers access your site and not to exercise a text-and-data-mining opt-out (blocking automated collection of your content) against OpenAI. If you have one in place, it doesn't apply to OpenAI | If you've blocked OpenAI on your website in the past, connecting a product feed conflicts with that |
| 10 | A covenant not to sue OpenAI and a release of claims (other than a claim that OpenAI breached these Terms) relating to the information you provide, to content published on your websites and online properties before or during the term, or to other content you have rights in | A broad clause. It also covers content you published on your website before you claimed your business |
| 8 | No guarantee of placement, ranking, visibility, traffic or sales | Verification isn't promotion |
This isn't legal advice. In our view, Section 10 has little practical impact for most small businesses. A business whose website content is the product itself, like a recipe site, online courses, a magazine or a database, should simply know that this content is covered by the section too.
Myth"If I don't claim my business, it won't appear in ChatGPT"
In practiceUnder the Terms, OpenAI may create and display a listing for your business whether or not you claim it. The question isn't only whether you'll appear, but who keeps the details up to date.
Myth"Blue check = more recommendations"
In practiceOpenAI says that claiming your business doesn't guarantee more visibility. Under the Terms, it doesn't give you exclusive control over the listing either. The Terms add that there's no guarantee of ranking or traffic.
Myth"If I advertise on ChatGPT, it will recommend me"
In practiceSponsored placements are labeled as such. According to OpenAI, advertising doesn't influence ChatGPT's independent answers.
Myth"The Business Agent will take orders"
In practiceFor now, it doesn't complete purchases, book appointments or check orders. It explains products and policies and sends a link to your website.
Myth"If I change my mind, I'll just delete it"
In practiceYou can delete only a draft that hasn't been published. OpenAI support can't delete, unpublish or hide a published profile, and the license to your basic details is irrevocable.
OpenAI's Business Agent: what it does, and what it doesn't
An eligible US business that has claimed and verified its profile can build an agent that answers customers inside ChatGPT. A customer who sees the business in an answer clicks through to its profile, opens a separate conversation with the agent and asks, for example, how two models differ or whether they can return an item bought on sale. The conversation is clearly labeled and kept separate from the original conversation and from ChatGPT's independent answers.
OpenAI's policy sets clear limits, and we think they're the right ones: the agent must present itself as an AI representing the business; it may not invent prices, reviews or guarantees; it may not pressure a customer who has already said no; and it may not ask for sensitive personal information it doesn't need. On top of that, under the Terms, the business is responsible for everything the agent says, including answers the business never approved.
If your business is outside the US, this agent isn't relevant to you yet. Either way, it's worth understanding how it differs from an agent that works for you:
OpenAI's Business Agent
An information desk inside ChatGPT
- Answers customers only inside ChatGPT
- Explains products and policies, and sends a link to your website
- Doesn't complete purchases, bookings or order checks
- For now, US online stores and online services only
- OpenAI may remove it at any time
An AI agent connected to your business
A team member who also sits in your office
- You talk to it on WhatsApp, Telegram, or in the ChatGPT or Claude app
- Works on your website, store, ads and the systems connected to it
- Prepares, updates and reports; sensitive actions need your approval
- Uses the best-fit model for each task
- Not limited to the US
The two don't compete. Business Hub is how you make sure ChatGPT knows your business correctly. An AI agent connected to your business is how you make sure someone handles what happens after the customer arrives. We cover the full difference in our article on ChatGPT vs. an AI agent, and if you'd rather start with the basics, read What is an AI agent.
So, claim your business or wait? Our take
For an online business: yes, once you've read the Terms. Your business will probably show up in ChatGPT anyway, and it's better for the details to come from you than from a guess. Insights alone make it worthwhile: there's currently no other official way to see how often ChatGPT mentions your website, and on which topics. After approval, we'd start with the description, category, shipping policy and return policy. Those are the first things customers ask about.
If your website content is the product: yes, with your eyes open. Section 10 also covers that content, including what you published before signing up. Worth knowing before you go in.
For a local business outside the US: not yet. It isn't open to you right now. What you can do today: make sure your website clearly says what you sell, where, during which hours and on what terms. ChatGPT draws on sources like these as well, not only on the profile.
And what we wouldn't do: search for your business "just to see" before reading the Terms, use an employee's account, or write promises in your profile like "the lowest prices in town." OpenAI's policy prohibits unsupported guarantees, and that's exactly what the customer would see.
Frequently asked questions
What is ChatGPT Business Hub?
Business Hub is where you add your business to ChatGPT and manage it. It launched in beta on November 10, 2026, as part of Businesses in ChatGPT. A business owner, or someone authorized to represent the business, claims the profile, verifies it, updates the website, description, logo and policies, and sees how many times ChatGPT mentioned the business and how many clicks to the website were recorded. You'll find it at chatgpt.com/business-hub.
Can I add a business outside the US to ChatGPT?
An online business with a website can try it now if it's located where ChatGPT is available. Availability also depends on the type of business and on OpenAI's review, and there are reports of a waitlist outside the US. Physical stores and restaurants can currently claim only an existing US listing, so local businesses elsewhere can't get in yet. The Business Agent is available only to eligible ecommerce and online service businesses in the United States.
How much does it cost to add my business to ChatGPT?
OpenAI doesn't mention any fee for claiming a business, and you don't need an Ads account or an Enterprise agreement. Advertising on ChatGPT is a separate product, through ads.openai.com.
Will claiming my business make ChatGPT recommend me more?
Not necessarily. According to OpenAI, claiming lets you manage your information but doesn't guarantee more visibility. Advertising doesn't influence ChatGPT's independent answers either. What does help is accurate, up-to-date information, both in your profile and on your website.
Can an agency or an employee manage the profile?
Yes. The admin who claimed the business can add teammates and give an agency access to manage the business or the agent, each with their own ChatGPT account. OpenAI asks that you not forward your personal invite link.
How do I stop ChatGPT from calling my business?
The Business Hub Terms include consent that OpenAI's AI assistant may call your business on behalf of users, for example to ask about opening hours or make a reservation. To stop it, enter your business phone number at realtime.chatgpt.com/stopcalls, one number at a time, with the country code.
Sources
- https://openai.com/index/introducing-businesses-chatgpt/
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001635-setting-up-your-business-on-chatgpt
- https://openai.com/policies/businesses-in-chatgpt-terms/
- https://openai.com/policies/businesses-in-chatgpt/
- https://openai.com/policies/business-agents-policy/
- https://realtime.chatgpt.com/stopcalls
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/7947663-chatgpt-supported-countries
- https://openai.com/index/reimagining-advertising-with-ai/
- https://ppc.land/businesses-gain-chatgpt-click-and-mention-counts-in-openais-business-hub/
- https://www.seroundtable.com/chatgpt-business-hub-42505.html
