On November 10, 2026, OpenAI announced a beta of "Businesses in ChatGPT," a new service that combines business information management, usage analytics, and conversations with an AI that represents a company, all within ChatGPT. Through a dedicated dashboard called "Business Hub," companies can update their own information, and through "Business Agent," they can respond directly to users' questions. The move expands ChatGPT from a window for searching for information into a place where companies and users interact directly.
Under the new system, users can start a conversation with a company's AI agent from the company profile that appears in a regular ChatGPT answer. However, registering to manage business information, publishing a Business Agent, and using paid advertising each come with different conditions and procedures, and the supported regions and industries are not the same across them. Nor does the ability to update a company's own information mean a company can freely control the content or ranking of ChatGPT's answers.
From ad-based business conversations to company profiles in regular answers
The idea of talking with an AI that represents a company on ChatGPT is not new with this announcement. In its announcement of September 16, 2026, OpenAI disclosed that it was testing "Sponsored Agents" with some U.S. advertisers. Sponsored Agents let users talk with a company's AI after clicking an ad in ChatGPT. Even then, the design clearly separated conversations with a company from the original conversation and from ChatGPT's independent answers.
With Businesses in ChatGPT, announced in November, such conversations can start not only through ads but also from company profiles shown in regular answers. Users can open the profile of a company that appears in an answer and, if a Business Agent is available, choose to start a conversation. Conversations with a company are explicitly distinguished and proceed separately from the original conversation. Moving from an ad to an agent is still expected to be a use case, but the distinguishing feature this time is that it creates contact points beyond advertising and lets companies manage their own information and analyze usage.
Business Hub handles those management functions. According to OpenAI's official announcement, companies can update basic information and product data, including prices and inventory, after completing the required verification. For stores that use Shopify, a connection is available through Business Hub or the Shopify admin, and eligible products are already integrated through Shopify Catalog. In other words, beyond the conversation feature itself, the service also provides a way to manage the company and product information that ChatGPT draws on beforehand.
Usage requirements differ by feature, however. Companies that can register for permission to manage business information are eligible businesses in regions where ChatGPT is available, and initially they must have their own website. Business Agent, on the other hand, is limited to eligible U.S. e-commerce businesses and online service companies. The official materials reviewed for this article do not say when Business Agent will be offered in Japan.
Registering business information, publishing an AI agent, and paid advertising are separate procedures
What matters in using Businesses in ChatGPT is that registering for permission to manage business information, publishing a Business Agent, and using paid advertising are independent procedures.
To register for permission to manage its information, a company must verify that it is the owner or an authorized representative. Verified companies receive a blue checkmark, but it indicates the company's registration status; it does not mean OpenAI guarantees or recommends the quality of its products or services. Obtaining permission to manage business information also does not automatically allow a company to publish a Business Agent. Offering an agent requires a separate eligibility review covering factors such as industry and use case.
Publishing a Business Agent also requires an explicit choice by the business. Section 5.1 of the Businesses in ChatGPT Terms of Use provides that creating or configuring an agent, checking a preview, or setting up a link does not by itself publish it. Moreover, publishing an agent does not mean approval to use paid advertising. Advertising requires a separate advertising agreement with OpenAI.
The table below, based on OpenAI's official FAQ, the Business Agents Policy, and Sections 4.1 and 5.1 of the terms, summarizes what each action makes possible. It does not compare pricing or marketing effectiveness, and Business Agent is initially limited to eligible U.S. industries.
| Action | Main conditions | What it enables | What it does not automatically allow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registering to manage business information | Verification as owner or authorized representative; eligibility conditions such as region | Managing your own information; display of a blue checkmark showing registration | Guaranteed top placement or sales; exclusive control of information; eligibility for Business Agent |
| Publishing a Business Agent | Eligibility checks on industry and use case; the business's choice to publish | Users can talk with an AI that represents the company | Automatic publication through creation, configuration, or preview alone; approval of paid advertising |
| Using paid advertising | A separate advertising agreement with OpenAI | Use of paid advertising under the contract terms | Automatic ad approval through agent publication; integration with regular AI answers |
Not every company has to go through these three steps in order. The official FAQ explains that companies without a Business Agent may still appear in ChatGPT's answers. Registering to manage information also does not guarantee a higher ranking in search results or answers, or increased sales.
Furthermore, Section 4.1 of the terms states that registering to manage business information does not give a company exclusive control over related information. OpenAI can supplement or change business information using other sources, so what a company updates in Business Hub is not the only thing that determines ChatGPT's answers. The authority to update a company's own information is clearly distinguished from the authority to control the content or ranking of general answers.
Business analytics center on aggregate data, with limits on sharing personal information
Business Hub also includes analytics that help companies understand how users discover them on ChatGPT. Companies can see aggregate information such as the number of times they were mentioned in ChatGPT answers, clicks to their website, and "topics that led to discovery." The "topics that led to discovery" summarize themes common to conversations in which the company's website was cited, giving clues to what subjects bring users to the company.
This analytical information appears only when the number of conversations or interactions meets a certain threshold. OpenAI says it does not share individual users' conversation content or chats with a Business Agent themselves with businesses. The system therefore does not let companies view individual users' inquiries from the analytics screen or directly see what questions a particular person asked.
That said, sharing information that users explicitly consent to is not prohibited. The Business Agents Policy requires explicit user permission, obtained through approved features, when sharing information, submitting forms, or sending information related to bookings or purchases. In other words, automatically sharing the content of a chat with a company is treated differently from a user approving and providing necessary information themselves.
The policy also does not allow requesting unnecessary or high-risk personal information. It also prohibits continuing aggressive sales tactics after a user has declined. Section 6 of the terms restricts, among other things, identifying or re-identifying individuals from aggregate data and building data sets to identify OpenAI users for targeting. The purposes for which companies may use the aggregate information they obtain are also subject to certain constraints.
These analytics may help companies separately understand how often they appear in ChatGPT answers and how users then move to their websites. Mention counts show how often a company was brought up in answers, while click counts show how many times users actually chose to visit the site. "Topics that led to discovery" also show what kinds of conversations cite the company's site. However, these figures do not directly translate into outcomes such as purchases or contracts, and click counts cannot be equated with sales or closed deals.
The materials reviewed also do not disclose the specific numerical thresholds required for aggregate information to appear or the measurement period for each metric. The fact that the Business Agents Policy contains provisions on sending booking or purchase information likewise does not mean that every Business Agent currently supports booking or purchasing. Companies that use analytics data for business decisions need to confirm what each metric measures and the range of features actually available.
Responsibility for continuously managing business information and AI answers
With Businesses in ChatGPT, companies are expected to keep checking their own information and their Business Agent's behavior even after registering for management permission. Sections 2.3 and 5.2 of the terms require businesses to keep information up to date, verify agent settings, and test for accuracy and safety. They also provide that the business is responsible for the agent's content, settings, and outputs. Even when a blue checkmark confirms a company's registration, OpenAI does not guarantee daily prices, inventory, or the content of the AI's answers.
For companies, it will be important to maintain both the information managed in Business Hub and what the Business Agent tells users. For example, updating product prices and inventory is a different task from checking that the agent can explain products accurately, and each requires its own verification. Companies need not only to update their information but also to check whether incorrect guidance is being given in actual conversations. Aggregate information such as mention and click counts can also serve as material for understanding how the company is being found on ChatGPT.
The announcement, however, does not guarantee that these efforts will improve rankings or sales. The official materials reviewed also show no specific pricing, so it is not yet possible to compare adoption costs against marketing effectiveness. The availability of business information management features and AI agents should be evaluated separately from whether they lead to business results.
For users, what matters is being able to clearly distinguish ChatGPT's general answers from explanations given by a Business Agent that represents a company. The Business Agents Policy requires agents to make clear that they represent a company and prohibits them from posing as independent advisors, humans, or entities recommended by OpenAI. A system in which users find a company in a general answer and then ask that company's AI directly about products or services could change the flow from information gathering to inquiry. To make the most of that convenience, however, companies must keep their information accurate, and the design must let users recognize when the source of an answer switches.
Businesses in ChatGPT provides a foundation for companies not only to manage their information on ChatGPT but also to take part directly in conversations with users. Going forward, the focus will be on how far Business Agent's supported regions and industries expand, and on how companies' information management and the accuracy of AI answers are maintained. Whether the boundary between general AI answers and companies' own explanations can be kept clear will likely shape trust in the system.