Quick answer: what changed in ChatGPT on November 10, 2026?
OpenAI launched Businesses in ChatGPT in beta. Eligible businesses can claim and verify a profile in a dashboard called Business Hub, correct their details and see aggregate figures. Claiming is listed with no fee. It does not guarantee that ChatGPT recommends you.
I’ve been doing SEO since 2006, and this launch reminds me of the early days of Google’s local listings: a new place where your business details live, and most owners don’t know it exists yet. This post sticks to what OpenAI and reporters who were briefed by OpenAI have published. Where something is still unclear, I say so.
What is a ChatGPT business profile?
A ChatGPT business profile is the page people can open when ChatGPT mentions a business. Through Business Hub, a verified owner can update the website, business description, category and logo. The launch has three parts: profiles, Insights and Business Agents. Each part has its own eligibility rules.
| Part | What it does | Who can use it now |
|---|---|---|
| Business profile | Claim, verify and correct the business details ChatGPT shows | Eligible businesses where ChatGPT is available |
| Insights | Aggregate mentions, website clicks and discovery topics for the past 28 days | Verified businesses |
| Business Agent | A labeled chat that explains what one business offers and links to its website. It cannot complete bookings, purchases or order-status checks | Eligible U.S. ecommerce and online service businesses only |
If you manage a Google Business Profile, the idea will feel familiar. The difference is that this one is brand new, it is a beta, and the rules can change.
Can a local service business claim its ChatGPT profile?
Some local businesses can claim a ChatGPT profile today, with limits. OpenAI says eligibility depends on industry, location and its verification checks. Local stores and restaurants can currently claim only a listing that already exists, and only in the United States. Online businesses may be able to add a new one.
| Business type | Claim a profile | Business Agent |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. local store or restaurant | Yes, if a listing already exists | Not yet. No date given |
| U.S. ecommerce or online service | Yes, and may add a new listing | Yes, if OpenAI approves the category and use |
| Service-area business with no storefront | Not spelled out yet. Check for an existing listing | Not yet |
A fair caveat: plumbers, HVAC companies and roofers often have no storefront. OpenAI’s published rules name local stores and restaurants, and I have not found a clear statement on service-area businesses. The honest first step is to search Business Hub for your business and see what it offers. I’ll update this post after Mandile SEO completes its own claim.
How do you claim and verify a business in ChatGPT?
You claim a business in Business Hub, inside ChatGPT. Find your listing, then prove your connection to it by business phone, business email, a DNS record on your domain or a Shopify login. An identity check through a company called Persona follows. Edits and Insights wait until that check is approved.
- Sign in to ChatGPT with the account you use for work, and open Business Hub from the sidebar.
- Search for your business. If a listing exists, start the claim.
- Pick a verification method. For most local businesses that is a text or automated call to the main business number on the listing.
- Complete the identity check yourself. The owner or an authorized representative does this step. Nobody else should do it for you.
- Review every detail before publishing. OpenAI’s guide says a new profile created through Persona publishes automatically when approved, and support cannot delete or hide a published profile on request.
Two stages are easy to mix up. An approved claim is not the same as the blue check. The blue check appears only after the Persona identity check is approved.
That phone step is where old listings cause trouble. If the number on your listing is one you no longer answer, you can’t verify with it. This is the same reason I tell owners to keep their name, address and phone identical everywhere. Our Google Business Profile guide for Glendale and Peoria covers how to clean that up.
What does Business Hub show after you are verified?
Business Hub Insights shows three aggregate figures for the past 28 days: mentions, website clicks and discovery topics. For a local business, a mention counts when ChatGPT shows a result for that location, even if nobody opens it. Individual conversations and exact customer prompts are not shown.
- Mentions: how often ChatGPT showed your business.
- Website clicks: how often people went from ChatGPT to your site.
- Discovery topics: common themes in the conversations where you appeared.
The figures are aggregated and some can be blank. A blank figure is not proof of zero visibility. I treat Insights as one measurement next to dated AI answer checks, website analytics and Google Search Console, which is how our AI Search Visibility review uses them.
Does claiming a profile make ChatGPT recommend your business?
No. OpenAI says claiming a profile does not guarantee more visibility and does not give a business direct control over ChatGPT’s recommendations. ChatGPT may also use other sources when it answers questions about your business. A claim gives you accuracy and measurement. It does not buy a ranking.
| A claim does | A claim does not |
|---|---|
| Let you correct the website, description, category and logo | Move you up in ChatGPT’s recommendations |
| Show aggregate mentions, clicks and topics | Show customer conversations or exact prompts |
| Lead to a blue check, once the Persona identity check is approved | Stop ChatGPT from using other sources about you |
So the work that helped before still matters: a website that states what you do and where in plain text, an accurate Google Business Profile and consistent directory listings. Two technical notes: Google Business Profile and ChatGPT Business Hub are separate systems, so updating one does not update the other. And if you want your pages considered for ChatGPT search, your site should not block OpenAI’s search crawler, OAI-SearchBot. Allowing it does not guarantee inclusion. I wrote about where AI answers actually come from in which AI engines use Reddit, YouTube and reviews.
What should a Glendale-area business do this week?
A Glendale-area business should start with four checks: search Business Hub for an existing listing, confirm the phone number on it is one you answer, make sure your website, Google Business Profile and directories show identical details, and write down what ChatGPT says about you today.
- Look for your listing. Open Business Hub and search your business name and city.
- Check the verification path. Can you answer the phone number shown, or receive email at your business domain?
- Match your details. Name, address, phone, hours and website should be the same on your site, your Google Business Profile and major directories.
- Record a baseline. Ask ChatGPT five questions a customer would ask, and save dated screenshots. That is your “before.”
- Decide who claims. The owner should hold the claim. Don’t hand over a ChatGPT password or an ID document to anyone.
How does Mandile SEO help with ChatGPT business profiles?
Mandile SEO offers ChatGPT Business Profile Readiness and Claim Assistance. Jeremy Mandile checks whether your business has a listing you can claim, walks you through verification, aligns your website and directory details, and records a dated baseline. The work is scoped and quoted separately from the monthly Local SEO plan.
- Check whether you are eligible to claim an existing listing.
- Guide you through claiming and verification, where OpenAI makes it available.
- Review and align your business information, services and website details.
- Improve how clearly your website and structured data identify the business.
- Audit local citations and set a dated baseline for AI search discovery.
How we handle it: you complete the identity check yourself, so no login is shared. Where Business Hub supports it, you invite Mandile SEO through its own access controls, and we use an individual account, never your credentials. We never collect ChatGPT passwords or identity documents, we don’t say a verification succeeded without evidence, we don’t report blank analytics as zero activity, and nothing is published without your approval. Some business categories have limited access while the program expands, and we tell you what is available before recommending any setup work. Prices and scope are on the ChatGPT Business Profile service page.
Mandile SEO is an independent marketing agency and is not affiliated with or endorsed by OpenAI.
The goal isn’t to chase the latest AI trend. It is to make sure customers find accurate information about your business wherever they choose to search.
Common questions about ChatGPT business profiles
Is it free to claim a business in ChatGPT?
OpenAI lists no fee for claiming a profile in Business Hub, and you do not need an ads account or an Enterprise agreement. The program is a beta that opened on November 10, 2026, so terms can change. Check OpenAI’s setup guide before you start.
Is Businesses in ChatGPT the same as ChatGPT Business?
No. Businesses in ChatGPT is OpenAI’s business-profile feature, managed through Business Hub. ChatGPT Business is a separate paid workspace subscription for teams. You do not need ChatGPT Business, an Enterprise agreement or ads to claim an eligible listing. Mandile SEO’s fees cover independent audit and setup help, not charges from OpenAI.
Where do I claim my ChatGPT business profile?
Sign in to ChatGPT with the account you use for work and open Business Hub from the sidebar. Search for your business, then pick one of the verification methods offered for that listing. The person claiming must own the business or be authorized to represent it.
Can a plumber, roofer or HVAC company claim a profile?
Possibly. OpenAI says eligibility depends on industry, location and its verification checks. Local stores and restaurants can currently claim only a listing that already exists in the United States. How OpenAI treats service-area businesses with no storefront is not spelled out yet, so check for an existing listing first.
Will a claimed profile make ChatGPT recommend my business?
No. OpenAI says claiming a profile does not guarantee more visibility and does not give a business direct control over ChatGPT’s recommendations. A claim lets you correct your details and see aggregate figures. ChatGPT still decides what to recommend, and it can use other sources.
What is a ChatGPT Business Agent, and can a local business get one?
A Business Agent is a labeled chat inside ChatGPT that explains what one business offers and links to its website. It cannot complete bookings, purchases or order-status checks. At launch it is limited to eligible U.S. ecommerce and online service businesses, and Mandile SEO does not sell Business Agent setup.
Can I delete a ChatGPT business profile after it is published?
OpenAI’s setup guide says only unpublished draft profiles can be deleted, and that its support team cannot delete, unpublish or hide a published profile as part of a setup or ownership request. Approve the name, website and description before you publish.
Can businesses read what customers ask ChatGPT about them?
No. Business Hub insights are aggregate figures: mentions, website clicks and discovery topics for the past 28 days. OpenAI has said it does not share users’ conversations or Business Agent chats with businesses, and exact customer prompts are not provided.
Curious Whether Your Business Is Already Listed in ChatGPT?
Send me your business name and city. I’ll check whether a listing exists, which verification methods you’re likely to see and what ChatGPT currently says about you, then explain where to start. No rankings, recommendations, traffic or leads are guaranteed, and ChatGPT decides its own answers.
Sources
- OpenAI, “Introducing Businesses in ChatGPT” (November 10, 2026)
- OpenAI Help Center, “Setting up your business on ChatGPT”. Eligibility, verification and publishing rules.
- OpenAI, Businesses in ChatGPT product page
- OpenAI Help Center, “ChatGPT search”. OAI-SearchBot crawler access.
- Inc., “Small Businesses Can Now Claim a Free ChatGPT Profile to Reach Customers,” Aaron Mok (November 11, 2026). Secondary reporting on the difference from ChatGPT Business.
- VentureBeat, “OpenAI lets you claim your business in ChatGPT” (November 2026). Local listing limits and Business Agent eligibility.
- Quartz, “OpenAI adds verified business profiles and AI agents to ChatGPT” (November 11, 2026). Insights definitions.
Checked November 12, 2026. Businesses in ChatGPT is a beta, and OpenAI can change eligibility, verification and reporting at any time.