Claiming your business in ChatGPT: worth it?

Why this is important

More and more people are no longer just searching via Google. They simply ask ChatGPT: “which web agency near me builds WordPress sites?” or “where can I eat well tonight?”. OpenAI states that ChatGPT is used by about 1.2 billion people each week. Some of those questions are about businesses, products, and services.

Until now, businesses had no influence over what ChatGPT said about them. With Businesses in ChatGPT, that changes a bit. This is the first time OpenAI gives businesses an official place in ChatGPT.

What can you do with it?

After claiming and verifying your business, you can do the following in the Business Hub:

• Update your information, such as your website, description, category, logo, and opening hours. OpenAI checks every change before it becomes visible.
• Upload a product feed with prices and stock, if you have a webshop. Shopify stores can link their store directly.
• View statistics: how often ChatGPT mentions you, how many people click through to your website, and which topics you appear in.
• Get a blue checkmark on your profile, so people see that the profile is managed by the business itself.

Additionally, there are Business Agents: a dedicated AI assistant for your business in ChatGPT, which answers questions using your product and policy information. These are currently only available for webshops and online service providers in the United States.

How do you claim your business?

1. Log in to ChatGPT and open the Business Hub (via the sidebar or chatgpt.com/business-hub).
2. Search for your business, or create a new profile.
3. Prove that it is your business: via a code by SMS or phone, by email, with a DNS record on your domain, or through your Shopify store.
4. OpenAI reviews your application and emails you. Often, there is also an identity check with your ID.
5. After approval, you can complete your profile.

Our experience: on the waiting list

We tried it ourselves with Lef Creative. Result: we are on the waiting list. So as a Dutch company you can apply, but you won’t get in immediately. It’s likely that you will experience the same. OpenAI says it plans to expand the program to more countries and types of businesses later, but does not specify a date.

What it does NOT do

Many reports about this launch miss the mark. OpenAI explicitly states that claiming does not guarantee a higher position or more sales. ChatGPT continues to determine who it recommends. Paying for ads does not change that, according to OpenAI.

And the initial numbers are sobering. One of the first companies with a working dashboard was mentioned 690 times in 28 days but received only 24 clicks to its website. That is one example, not an average. But it shows that “being mentioned” does not necessarily equate to gaining customers. OpenAI also notes that a click is not proof of a website visit or a purchase.

Read the terms first

Note: by simply using the Business Hub, you agree to the Businesses in ChatGPT Terms. Even if you end up on the waiting list afterward. So read them before you start. We have read them. A few points you should know:

• Your basic information is licensed for good. For your name, address, contact details, category, opening hours, and website, you grant OpenAI a license that you can never revoke (article 4.2).
• You do not have full control. OpenAI may supplement, modify, or replace your information with data from other sources (article 4.1).
• OpenAI’s AI may call you on behalf of users, for example, to ask something or to make a reservation. This is on by default, but you can opt out (article 4.1).
• With a product feed, you give away even more. You must allow OpenAI’s crawlers on your website, and any objection to text and data mining (TDM) no longer applies to OpenAI (article 3).
• You promise not to sue OpenAI over content that is or has been on your websites, now and in the past. Nor about its use by OpenAI (article 10). That is a far-reaching agreement, especially if you ever want to object to the use of your content for AI.
• You are liable for your data and for what a Business Agent says on your behalf, even if it makes a mistake (articles 5 and 9).

We are not lawyers. We do not know if all these agreements will hold up under Dutch and European law. If in doubt, consult a lawyer about the terms before you click “claim”.

Should you do it?

Our advice depends on what kind of business you have:

• Local business (store, restaurant, salon, installer): if you can live with the terms, sign up. Then you will already be on the waiting list when it opens in the Netherlands. If claiming works, it is mainly useful for correcting errors in your information. ChatGPT will show your profile anyway, so it’s better to have the correct opening hours.
• Webshop: hold off on the product feed until you have thoroughly reviewed the terms. Especially the TDM point and waiving claims are serious considerations for webshops with a lot of their own content.
• Service provider or agency: claiming can improve your profile, but do not expect a flood of new customers.

What applies to everyone: make sure your own website is in order. ChatGPT also gathers its knowledge about your business from your website. A site that clearly explains what you do, for whom, where you are located, and what it costs, helps in Google AND in ChatGPT. That work is never in vain, no matter what OpenAI changes. Read how to go about it in our article on being found in AI search engines. Not sure how your site is doing? Request a free website check. Want to be found more easily after that? We can help with online marketing.

Start with this

1. Ask ChatGPT what it knows about your business. Is that correct?
2. Read the terms, or have someone read them. This must be done before you open the Business Hub.
3. Can you live with it? Search for your business in the Business Hub and request a claim. Expect a waiting list.
4. Check if your website answers the main questions from customers. If it doesn’t, it may be time for a new website.

Do you want to know how your website and business appear in ChatGPT? Feel free to send us a message, and we’ll take a look.

Sources: OpenAI, Businesses in ChatGPT; OpenAI, Businesses in ChatGPT Terms (November 9, 2026); PPC Land; Silktide; ROO3.