ChatGPT Business Profile Setup: Claim and Verify
Claim your business in ChatGPT Business Hub: verify with Persona, fix DNS TXT records, and fill profile fields without locked-name mistakes. Beta guide.
OpenAI rolled out Businesses in ChatGPT in beta around November 10, 2026. (OpenAI announcement) Business Hub is where you claim your business, get through two verification steps, and keep the details ChatGPT shows people up to date. This guide follows OpenAI's published steps, then adds notes from a client's DNS verification we handled in November 2026 and from owner reports on X. It's still in beta, so expect the screens to change.
What you are setting up
Business Hub lets authorized owners claim a listing and submit accurate details. After Persona approval, you can also see Insights, which roll up numbers like mentions and website clicks. (OpenAI Help Center) Claiming is separate from optional Business Agents, which today target eligible ecommerce and online service businesses in the United States. (OpenAI announcement)
Claiming doesn't guarantee higher placement or sales. ChatGPT still makes its own recommendations. (OpenAI)
Before you start
Gather the legal business name, website URL, business phone and email access, DNS login (or your web person), government ID for Persona, and your current Google Business Profile category and address wording. Make sure those details read the same on Google, your website, and ChatGPT before you save anything.
ChatGPT may already show a profile card built from public sources. OpenAI may create and display a listing whether or not you claim it, and profiles may include information from other sources. (OpenAI Terms, OpenAI policy) One owner reported correct text paired with photos from other companies on their business card in ChatGPT. (X post) Before you claim, ask ChatGPT what it already says about your business, then line up your website and Google Business Profile. If you want help keeping those details consistent across search and AI surfaces, see our local SEO services.
Who can claim right now
OpenAI says you must own or represent the business, verify your connection, and be approved. You do not need an Ads account or a ChatGPT Enterprise agreement. Availability depends on location and business type. (OpenAI Help Center)
Existing local listings: local stores and restaurants can currently claim only an existing U.S. listing. Search by name and select the match. (OpenAI Help Center)
Online businesses: if you run an eligible online business and cannot find a match, you may see an option to add a listing through the website flow. Claiming is initially available to eligible businesses with a website. (OpenAI Help Center, OpenAI)
Service businesses (anecdotes, beta UI): several owners reported in November 2026 that a Through a service path was marked Coming soon, while physical-location creates sometimes landed on a waitlist. (X post, X post, X post) If you run a service-area business with a real website, search for an existing listing first. Use the website or online-store create path only when your screen offers it and the policies you enter match how you operate.
Step 1: Sign in and open Business Hub
One: sign in at chatgpt.com.
Two: open Business Hub from the sidebar, or go to https://chatgpt.com/business-hub. (OpenAI Help Center, X post)
Step 2: Search before you create
Search for your business by name before you add a new listing. Pick the row that matches your website and address so you do not create a duplicate. (OpenAI Help Center)
Step 3: Claim the listing and pass connection verification
One: select the listing that matches your business, or start an eligible add-business flow.
Two: confirm which ChatGPT account will manage it.
Three: choose one verification method shown: business phone, business email, website domain (DNS TXT), or Shopify. (OpenAI Help Center)
OpenAI reviews your claim and emails a decision or a request for more information. Review time varies, so wait for that email before you try again. (OpenAI Help Center) One owner reported approval in about 15 minutes. Others reported pending status or several days for ID review. (X post, X post, X post)
Website domain (DNS TXT) verification
OpenAI instructs you to add the TXT record shown in ChatGPT to your DNS settings, copy the type, name or host, and value exactly, wait for DNS propagation, then select Verify domain. (OpenAI Help Center)
In a November 2026 client DNS verification (beta UI):
- Type: TXT
- Host:
openai-business-profile.www(In Squarespace DNS for this client we entered the host without the domain appended). - Value:
openai-business-profile=EXAMPLE-TOKEN(use the token on your screen; never publish a live token.)
Copy the host and value from your screen. If your DNS panel adds your domain on its own, enter only the short host segment OpenAI shows. Otherwise the domain ends up in the hostname twice. (X post, X post) Paste the value instead of retyping it, since a capital I and a lowercase l can look the same.
Several owners reported a short token expiry window (often about 30 minutes). If the record expires, start the domain step again for a new record. OpenAI doesn't publish a fixed expiry time. (X post, X post)
Step 4: Complete Persona identity verification
After claim approval, complete Verify with Persona before you can publish profile edits, connect a product feed, view Insights, or create an eligible Business Agent. You may need a government-issued ID and proof you represent the business. (OpenAI Help Center)
Claiming by itself doesn't get you the verified badge. The blue check shows up after Persona approval. (OpenAI Help Center) If you use Persona to create a new profile, OpenAI's approval can publish it automatically, so review every field before you submit. (OpenAI Help Center)
Step 5: Review claimed details before you edit
Read every prefilled field before you change anything. One owner reported that the business name was prefilled in the Persona step and could not be changed (X post). Enter the legal name exactly as it appears on your signs and website, with no extra keywords or city names.
Step 6: Fill the profile fields
After claim and Persona approval, update website, description, category, logo, delivery policy, return policy, cover photo, and other optional details. OpenAI reviews and publishes changes. (OpenAI Help Center)
| Field | ChatGPT business profile (beta, owner and third-party reports) | Google Business Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Business name | Prefilled and not changeable in the Persona step (owner report) | Editable with limits |
| Category | Category (OpenAI Help Center) | Primary plus additional categories |
| Description | One owner reported a hard stop near 300 characters with no warning | Longer business description field |
| Address | Address or service area must be accurate (OpenAI policy) | Service area and visibility options |
| Hours | Hours must be kept current (OpenAI policy) | Similar weekly grid |
| Photos | OpenAI lists logo among editable fields. | Logo slot plus cover and gallery |
| Products | CSV, hosted URL, SFTP, or Shopify feed with required price fields | Product links via Merchant Center |
| Insights | Mentions, website clicks, discovery topics (28 days; thresholds apply) | Google Business Profile performance metrics |
Service businesses and store-policy fields
If the website or online-store path treats your business like a retailer, you may get questions about delivery and returns. One owner warned that an answer such as "No returns accepted" is a line ChatGPT can repeat to a buyer. (X post, X post) OpenAI requires accurate policies and prices. (OpenAI policy) Use wording that matches your website. If you don't ship goods with set return rules, don't make up store policies to get through the form.
Category and description
Match your Google Business Profile category when the same option exists. Count description characters before you paste; one owner reported text cut off at 300 characters with no warning. Read the saved text back on the profile. (X post)
Address and hours
Make the address match your website and Google Business Profile word for word.
Photos
OpenAI lists logo among editable fields. Replace any wrong images left from pre-claim sources when you can. (X post)
Product feed (optional)
If you sell products with fixed prices, OpenAI supports CSV, hosted URL, SFTP, or Shopify feeds that follow the product feed specification. Identity verification is required before upload. Connecting a feed does not guarantee recommendations. (OpenAI Help Center, OpenAI Developers) We advised a service client in November 2026 to skip the feed, since its work has no set price per item.
Read the terms before you publish
OpenAI's Businesses in ChatGPT Terms (updated November 9, 2026) are separate from the setup screens. Points stated there include:
- OpenAI may create, maintain, and display a listing regardless of whether you claim or stop managing it, and may supplement your submissions with other sources.
- The display license for basic public details you submit for display (name, address, contact, category, hours, website) is perpetual and irrevocable.
- If you provide a product feed, you agree to allow OpenAI crawlers and agents to access your site under the terms, including waiving certain text-and-data-mining opt-outs against OpenAI for that site.
- By using Business Hub, you agree OpenAI's AI assistant may place calls to you on behalf of users (the terms page links to an opt-out).
Only unpublished draft profiles can be deleted. OpenAI Support cannot delete, unpublish, or hide a published profile through a setup request. (OpenAI Help Center) Read the full terms before you publish.
Step 7: Align your website
Make sure you aren't blocking a training or search crawler you care about by accident. OpenAI documents separate robots.txt user agents: GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, and ChatGPT-User. (OpenAI crawler overview) If you want ChatGPT to read your site for answers, allow the crawlers your policy supports.
Add Organization or LocalBusiness schema on your site so name, address, phone, and email match the profile.
Step 8: Check Insights after Persona approval
Insights cover the past 28 days: mentions, website clicks, and discovery topics. They appear only after Persona approval and may stay blank until activity meets reporting thresholds. A blank tile doesn't always mean zero activity. (OpenAI Help Center)
For online businesses, a mention counts when ChatGPT references your website. The brand name alone does not count. For a local business, a mention counts when ChatGPT shows a result for that location. (OpenAI Help Center)
One owner reported Mentions and Website clicks tiles in Business Hub before Persona finished (X post). Those tiles may stay empty early on; a blank tile does not always mean zero activity (OpenAI Help Center). Some third-party guides also show Profile views, which OpenAI's help does not define.
FAQs
Do I need an Ads account or ChatGPT Enterprise to claim my business?
OpenAI does not require an Ads account or a ChatGPT Enterprise agreement to claim an eligible business. (OpenAI Help Center)
Is claim approval the same as the blue check?
No. The claim comes first. The verified badge appears later, once Persona identity verification is approved. (OpenAI Help Center)
What if Through a service is grayed out when I create a profile?
OpenAI says local stores and restaurants can currently claim only an existing U.S. listing, while some online businesses may add a new listing. Several owners reported in November 2026 that the service path was marked Coming soon and that the practical create path was through a website or online store. (OpenAI Help Center) (X post 1) (X post 2)
Can I edit the business name later?
Plan as if you cannot. One owner reported the name was prefilled in the Persona step and could not be changed. Use the exact legal name before you confirm. (X post)
Do local service businesses need a product feed?
Not usually. OpenAI describes product feeds for businesses that sell products, with prices and availability. Connecting a feed does not guarantee that ChatGPT recommends your products. (OpenAI Help Center)
Will claiming make ChatGPT recommend my business more often?
OpenAI states that claiming lets you manage the information you provide. It does not guarantee increased visibility, higher placement, or sales. For online businesses, an Insights mention counts when ChatGPT references your website. Naming the brand alone doesn't count. (OpenAI Help Center)
How long do profile edits take to appear?
OpenAI reviews and publishes changes. Updates can take time to appear in a listing or in ChatGPT answers, and ChatGPT may use other sources. (OpenAI Help Center)
Sources
- Setting up your business on ChatGPT (OpenAI Help Center)
- Introducing Businesses in ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2026-11-10)
- Businesses in ChatGPT (OpenAI)
- Businesses in ChatGPT policy (OpenAI)
- Businesses in ChatGPT Terms (OpenAI, 2026-11-09)
- Submit product feeds (OpenAI Developers)
- Overview of OpenAI crawlers (OpenAI Developers)
- OpenAI launch post on X
- louislynn client DNS verification, Nov 2026 (Squarespace, beta UI)
If you'd like help setting this up alongside your local search work, get in touch with louislynn.