OpenAI launches Business Hub to let companies claim ChatGPT profiles

OpenAI has released Businesses in ChatGPT in beta, rolling out a portal where companies can claim their official profiles, keep their public details accurate and see how often users interact with their brand. The company stated that the service is intended to connect organisations directly with its 1.2 billion weekly active users.

Central to the update is a portal called Business Hub. Through this dashboard, companies with a website can verify their identity and take ownership of their ChatGPT listing. Once verified, businesses gain a blue badge and can manage descriptions, opening hours, contact details and links.

Retailers can connect self-service product feeds directly to the platform to show current inventory and pricing. Shopify sellers can also connect their stores directly from the Shopify administration dashboard, taking advantage of automated data feeds through the Shopify Catalog integration.

Mentions, clicks and custom agents

The update gives companies native visibility into how the chatbot cites their brand. Business Hub displays metrics over a 28-day window, including total mentions, clicks through to the business website and the primary topics discussed when the company is recommended. OpenAI noted that it does not share transcripts of individual user chats with brands, providing only aggregated figures once activity thresholds are met.

Alongside verified profiles, OpenAI began testing Business Agents. This feature allows organisations to deploy dedicated chatbots inside ChatGPT that answer questions using official product specifications and company policies. When an organisation is mentioned in an answer, shoppers can open the profile and enter a clearly marked separate chat session. This feature is currently limited to selected online stores and digital service companies based in the United States, though OpenAI plans to expand access to other regions.

OpenAI stressed that claiming a profile does not guarantee higher ranking in search answers. The underlying AI will continue to generate independent comparisons and suggestions across competing products.

What this means for Australian businesses

ChatGPT functions as an everyday search engine for millions of buyers, meaning inaccurate model answers can directly hurt sales. While interactive Business Agents remain confined to the American market for now, profile verification in Business Hub is open to companies wherever ChatGPT operates. Australian businesses can take several practical steps:

• Claim your profile early to protect your trading name and stop unauthorised parties from claiming your listing.
• Keep contact information, core services and physical addresses up to date so the assistant stops relying on outdated web scraps.
• Ecommerce stores on Shopify should review their product feed connections so ChatGPT references current pricing and stock.
• Review the referral click and mention reports in Business Hub each month to track whether your AI search footprint is growing.