On November 10, 2026, OpenAI launched Businesses in ChatGPT in beta. In plain terms, ChatGPT now has its own version of Google Business Profile and Google Search Console, rolled into one dashboard called Business Hub.
I claimed Upgrow’s business the day it launched. This post covers what OpenAI released, why I think it matters for every business owner and marketing leader, and exactly how to claim and verify your business, with screenshots from our own setup.
What OpenAI launched
Businesses in ChatGPT has three parts:
- A business profile you claim and control. Verified businesses can correct the information ChatGPT shows about them, including their website, description, category, policies, logo and cover photo. Retailers can also add a product feed with pricing and availability.
- Insights. Business Hub reports aggregated mentions, profile views, website clicks and discovery topics, over 7-day and 28-day windows.
- Business Agents. Eligible businesses can publish an AI agent that answers customer questions inside ChatGPT. At launch, this is limited to eligible e-commerce and online service businesses in the United States, and the agent can also be sponsored as the destination for ChatGPT Ads.
Business Hub lives at chatgpt.com/business-hub and in the ChatGPT sidebar. Claiming is free during the beta. ChatGPT Ads are a separate paid product.
Why this is good news: Google Business Profile and Search Console, together
For two decades, two free Google tools have been essential for any business that cares about being found:
- Google Business Profile gives you control over your business information: name, website, address, hours, photos and description.
- Google Search Console tells you how you actually perform in search: impressions, clicks and the queries that surface your site.
Until now, ChatGPT had neither. Millions of people were asking it for recommendations, and businesses had no way to correct what it said about them and no data on how often they showed up. You were invisible to yourself.
Business Hub starts to close both gaps at once:
| Need | ChatGPT | |
|---|---|---|
| Control your business information | Google Business Profile | Business Hub profile |
| See your visibility and clicks | Google Search Console | Business Hub insights (mentions, profile views, website clicks) |
| Understand why people find you | Search Console queries | Discovery topics (themes, not individual prompts) |
| Talk to customers directly | Business messaging and calls | Business Agent (US e-commerce and online services, for now) |
It’s a first version and the data is thinner than Google’s. But for anyone investing in AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), this is the first time we get first-party data from OpenAI on how a brand performs inside ChatGPT, instead of estimates from third-party tools.
How to claim and verify your business in ChatGPT
Here’s the process I went through for Upgrow. Expect it to take 15 to 30 minutes, plus any time for DNS changes to take effect.
Step 1: Find your business in Business Hub
Go to chatgpt.com/business-hub and search for your business name. If a listing already exists (ours did, with our San Diego address), select it. If not, eligible online businesses can create one. Access currently varies by business type, so some categories may see a waitlist.
Step 2: Prove you control the business
ChatGPT shows only the verification methods that apply to your business. These can include a phone call or text, an email code, a Shopify connection, or a DNS record on your domain.
For Upgrow, I used DNS verification. ChatGPT gives you a TXT record (a type, a host name and a value) to add in your domain provider’s DNS settings. Once it’s added, click Verify domain.
Two practical tips:
- Line up whoever controls your DNS first. At many companies that’s IT or a web developer, not marketing. The TXT record has an expiry time, so you don’t want to wait days for a ticket.
- Verify the exact domain shown. Our prompt was for www.upgrow.io. Make sure the host name you enter matches what ChatGPT asks for.
Step 3: Verify your identity
Proving you own the domain isn’t the last step. Before you can edit business information or publish a Business Agent, ChatGPT asks you to verify your identity with a government-issued ID. Depending on your business, you may also be asked for company registration details or proof that you’re authorized to act for the business.
ID verification is the same kind of protection Google added to Business Profile to stop listing hijacking. Upgrow has dealt with brand confusion from a look-alike domain, so I’m glad ChatGPT is making it hard for the wrong party to take control of a listing.
After you claim: complete your profile
Claiming is step one. Taking ownership is where the value is. ChatGPT already says things about your business, and a complete, accurate profile gives it better facts to work from.
Once verified, fill out everything that applies:
- Website. Point it to your primary domain.
- Category. Choose the closest match to how buyers search for you.
- Description. Write it for an AI that will summarize you to a buyer. Say clearly who you serve, what you do and what makes you different. Use the language your customers use, not internal jargon.
- Logo and cover photo. Add your brand assets so your profile looks credible and matches your website.
- Contact details and policies. Add the phone, email, delivery and return information that applies to your business.
- Product feed (retail). If you sell products, upload or sync your feed so pricing and availability are accurate.
Treat your first description as final. Changes go through OpenAI review before they go live, and early reports suggest a published profile can’t simply be deleted or hidden later. Write it carefully, and keep it consistent with your website, Google Business Profile and LinkedIn page.
How to read your Business Hub insights
The insights are useful, but read them for what they are:
- Mentions count when ChatGPT references your website or shows your listing. Just naming your brand doesn’t count.
- Website clicks are clicks from ChatGPT to your site, not visits or purchases. Track those in your own analytics. ChatGPT links carry
utm_source=chatgpt.com, so you can segment that traffic in GA4. - Discovery topics show the themes of conversations where your site is cited, not the actual prompts.
- Data is aggregated and has a minimum threshold. A blank dashboard (like ours on day one) usually means below the reporting threshold, not zero. Smaller brands may wait a while for data.
Claiming your business doesn’t buy you better placement. ChatGPT still makes its own recommendations. What claiming gives you is accuracy, control and measurement. Visibility still comes from the fundamentals: a clear site structure, strong content, consistent information across the web and credible third-party mentions.
The bigger picture: ChatGPT is becoming a real challenger to Google
Step back and look at what OpenAI has put in place: business listings, visibility insights, product feeds, customer-facing agents and an ad product that can send traffic to those agents. Those are the building blocks Google used to become the default platform for business discovery.
I think that’s healthy for everyone:
- For business owners, a second major discovery platform means less dependence on a single gatekeeper’s algorithm updates.
- For advertisers, real competition for ad budgets puts pressure on pricing, targeting and transparency. Google has had little reason to change when there was nowhere else to go.
- For buyers, competition pushes both platforms to give better, more accurate answers.
This doesn’t mean you should shift your budget away from Google tomorrow. Google still drives most search traffic and pipeline for the B2B companies we work with. But the companies that set up their ChatGPT presence now will have cleaner data, a more accurate profile and a head start when this channel matures.
Your action checklist
- Ask ChatGPT the questions your buyers ask and note what it says about you and your competitors.
- Claim your business at chatgpt.com/business-hub.
- Complete domain verification (have your DNS owner ready) and identity verification.
- Fill out every relevant profile field and add your logo and cover photo.
- Set up a GA4 segment for
utm_source=chatgpt.comtraffic. - Check your Business Hub insights monthly alongside Search Console.
- If you sell online in the US, evaluate whether a Business Agent makes sense.
FAQ
What is Businesses in ChatGPT?
It’s an OpenAI beta, launched November 10, 2026, that lets businesses claim their profile in ChatGPT, manage their information and see aggregated insights through a dashboard called Business Hub.
Is claiming my business in ChatGPT free?
Yes, Business Hub is free during the beta. ChatGPT Ads, including sponsored Business Agents, are a separate paid product.
How do I verify my business in ChatGPT?
First prove ownership with one of the methods ChatGPT offers, such as a DNS TXT record, phone, email or Shopify. Then verify your identity with a government-issued ID before editing your profile or publishing an agent.
Will claiming my business improve my ranking in ChatGPT?
No. Claiming gives you control over your information and visibility data, but ChatGPT still makes independent recommendations. Visibility comes from strong SEO and AEO fundamentals.
Who can create a Business Agent?
At launch, eligible e-commerce and online service businesses in the United States. OpenAI has said it plans to expand to more markets and categories.
Want to know how visible your brand is in ChatGPT?
Claiming your profile is the easy part. Getting ChatGPT and other AI answer engines to cite and recommend you is where the work is. Upgrow helps B2B companies become easier to discover, understand and recommend across Google and AI search.
