On 10 November 2026, OpenAI launched a beta called Businesses in ChatGPT. It has two parts. Business Hub lets a company claim and verify its profile in ChatGPT, keep its details up to date and see how people find it. Business Agents let eligible companies publish their own AI assistant that answers customer questions inside ChatGPT. According to VentureBeat, both are free at launch.
If you have ever claimed a Google Business Profile, the idea will feel familiar: ChatGPT already talks about your business, and now you get a way to check what it says and to answer questions on your own terms. This guide covers what was announced, who can use it today, how to claim a profile and what to do even if your business is not eligible yet.
What OpenAI announced
The launch was reported on the same day by VentureBeat and PYMNTS. Here are the main pieces in one place:
| Feature | What it does | Who can use it at launch |
|---|---|---|
| Business Hub profile | Claim and verify your listing, update business details, add product feeds with prices and availability | Eligible businesses in markets where ChatGPT runs and OpenAI supports verification; local stores and restaurants can only claim an existing US listing |
| Insights | Aggregate mentions, website clicks and recurring topics over the past 28 days | Verified profiles, once minimum activity thresholds are met |
| Business Agent | A branded AI assistant customers can chat with from your profile | Eligible US ecommerce and online service businesses with a website |
| Sponsored Agents | Use your Business Agent as the destination for a ChatGPT ad | A limited test with selected advertisers |
PYMNTS reports that OpenAI plans to expand Business Agents to more markets and business categories later, but no dates have been given.
How Business Agents work for customers
When ChatGPT mentions your business in an answer, a user can open your profile and start a separate conversation with your agent. ChatGPT labels that chat as your business's agent, so the customer knows who they are talking to. The agent answers questions about your products and services using the information and guidelines you provide, and helps people compare options.
A few details matter here:
- You can't plug in your own agent. OpenAI's vice president of monetization, Benji Shomair, told Digiday: "We aren't allowing folks to bring their own agents," as quoted by eSEOspace. You build the agent inside OpenAI's tools.
- Checkout happens on your site. According to the same report, when a shopper is ready to buy, the agent sends them to the brand's own website.
- One agent per profile, for now. VentureBeat notes that OpenAI's setup guide describes publishing a single Business Agent from a claimed profile.
- Privacy limits. OpenAI told VentureBeat: "We don't share users' conversations or Business Agent chats with businesses." You see aggregate trends, not individual chats.
Tech-ish, summarising OpenAI's Business Agents policy, says agents must state that they are an AI representing the business. They cannot pose as a human or an independent adviser, invent urgency, or ask for government IDs, health details or financial credentials.
How to claim your business in ChatGPT
VentureBeat describes the process like this:
- Log in to ChatGPT with your work account and open Business Hub.
- Search for your business name and pick the matching suggestion, or type it in if it isn't listed.
- Click "Get Started" and log in with the account that will be the administrator.
- Prove you control the business. VentureBeat says OpenAI can verify a claim "through a business phone number, email address, website domain or Shopify account." Tech-ish adds that the website option uses a TXT record in your domain's DNS settings.
- Pass an identity check. The person managing the listing goes through a Persona identity check before they can publish changes, connect a product feed, see analytics or create an agent. Tech-ish says this can include a government-issued ID, business registration documents and proof that you can represent the business.
Once identity verification is approved, the profile shows a blue check. According to VentureBeat, owners and authorised representatives can apply without a ChatGPT Enterprise agreement or an ads account.
Shopify merchants have a shortcut. PYMNTS reports that eligible Shopify products already appear in ChatGPT through Shopify Catalog, and stores can connect through Business Hub or the Shopify admin.
What the insights dashboard shows
For many businesses, the insights are the most useful part of this launch. Until now there was no official way to know how often ChatGPT recommends you. VentureBeat says the dashboard shows activity over the past 28 days, including:
- Mentions: for an online business, these count only when ChatGPT references your website. For a local business, showing your location counts. An OpenAI spokesperson told Digiday, "Just naming the brand doesn't count."
- Website clicks: clicks on links to your site from ChatGPT. These are link clicks, not completed visits or purchases.
- Recurring topics: the kinds of conversations in which your business comes up.
Low numbers may be hidden for privacy, so a small business may see little data at first.
One more point worth knowing: Shomair said that claiming a profile "should not have an impact on how frequently it appears." In other words, claiming is about accuracy and control, not a ranking boost.
Should your business sign up?
Here is a practical way to decide, based on where you are and what you sell:
| Your situation | What to do now |
|---|---|
| US online store or online service business | Claim your profile, connect your product feed, then test a Business Agent before publishing |
| US local business (clinic, restaurant, shop) | Claim your existing listing and check every detail is correct |
| Business outside the US with a website | Try to claim your profile; availability depends on your location and business type, and agents are not open to you yet |
| Business outside the US with only a physical location | Focus on your website and listings elsewhere until OpenAI expands |
Whatever your situation, the work that makes a Business Agent useful is the same work that makes ChatGPT mention you in the first place.
How to get ready, even if you can't join yet
ChatGPT builds its answers from what it can find and trust about you on the web. You can prepare now:
- Make your website clear and current. Put your services, prices or price ranges, locations, opening hours and contact details on crawlable pages, not only in images or PDFs.
- Write answers to real customer questions. FAQ sections and detailed service pages give both AI assistants and future Business Agents good material to work from. Our guide to SEO for Google AI Overviews covers the same principles for Google.
- Keep a clean product feed. If you sell online, accurate product data with prices and stock levels is what agents use. Our post on agentic commerce explains why this matters across AI shopping tools.
- Check your domain access. Website verification uses a DNS TXT record, so make sure someone in your team can log in to your domain provider.
- Write your agent's rules now. Decide what your agent may say about pricing, refunds, delivery times and bookings, and what it must hand to a human. This document will be useful whatever platform you use.
If you want an assistant that works on your own website and WhatsApp today, rather than waiting for ChatGPT to open in your country, that is something we build for clients. See our AI agents for business service.
Frequently asked questions
What is ChatGPT Business Hub?
It is OpenAI's new tool, launched in beta on 10 November 2026, that lets businesses claim and verify their profile in ChatGPT, update their details, add product feeds and see aggregate insights on mentions, clicks and topics.
Is ChatGPT Business Hub free?
According to reports from VentureBeat and Digiday, both Business Hub and Business Agents are free at launch. OpenAI has not ruled out charging in the future.
Can businesses outside the US use it?
Profiles can be claimed in markets where ChatGPT operates and OpenAI supports verification, and availability depends on your location and business type. Business Agents are limited to eligible US ecommerce and online service businesses at launch, and local stores can only claim existing US listings.
Does claiming my profile help me rank higher in ChatGPT?
No. OpenAI's Benji Shomair said claiming "should not have an impact on how frequently it appears." Claiming helps you keep information accurate and see insights; being mentioned still depends on the quality of your website and reputation.
The bottom line
ChatGPT now treats businesses the way search engines and maps have for years: as profiles you can claim, check and improve. US online businesses should claim their profile this month and test an agent. Everyone else should get their website, product data and customer answers in order so they are ready when access widens. If you would like help making your business easy for AI assistants to find, or want your own AI agent on your website, talk to us.