A profile is the first step

OpenAI introduced Businesses in ChatGPT in beta on November 10. Eligible companies in markets where ChatGPT is available can claim a profile through Business Hub. Once verified, a business can update its details and submit a product feed containing prices and stock information.

The profile policy says that profiles can also draw on other sources and that OpenAI does not verify every detail. Claiming a profile gives a company a way to supply information. It does not guarantee that ChatGPT will cite the business or recommend it.

Who is answering?

The agent feature has a narrower launch. Eligible ecommerce and online service businesses in the United States can set up a Business Agent. Verification of the business alone does not qualify it for one.

If an agent is available, a person viewing the business profile can choose to open a separate chat with it. OpenAI says this conversation is labelled, so the user can distinguish the business’s answers from ChatGPT’s own. Companies can also sponsor an agent as an ad destination; OpenAI says those placements are labelled separately.

What businesses can see

OpenAI says Business Hub reports aggregate measures such as mentions and website clicks once there is enough activity. It says businesses do not receive users’ conversations or transcripts of Business Agent chats. The agent policy separately allows optional follow-up through approved features when a user chooses to provide contact details.

For businesses, that makes the hub a way to manage information and see some evidence of discovery, not a guarantee of traffic. For readers, the key distinction is whether an answer comes from ChatGPT, a business’s agent or a sponsored placement. How much traffic the feature will generate, and when agent access will widen, remain open.

Sources

  1. OpenAI: Introducing Businesses in ChatGPTNovember 10 launch, geographic scope, agent labelling, sponsored placement and aggregate metrics.
  2. OpenAI: Business Agents PolicyNovember 10 agent rules: eligibility separate from verification; approved optional follow-up.
  3. OpenAI: Businesses in ChatGPT policyNovember 10 profile requirements, other information sources and limits of OpenAI verification.