OpenAI Launches Businesses in ChatGPT With Business Agent
OpenAI's new Businesses in ChatGPT beta lets companies claim their listing, fix product data and track mentions. Some US merchants can also launch sponsored agents.
SUMO· the number puzzle
Dialo· learn languages by speaking
ediviewer· read EDI files like documents
giftdetect· the right gift in minutesOpenAI announced on 10 November 2026 the beta launch of Businesses in ChatGPT, a tool that lets companies manage how they appear in the chatbot's answers. The concept will feel familiar to anyone who has run a Google listing for a shop or restaurant. OpenAI says ChatGPT is used by 1.2 billion people every week.
The Business Hub
Everything runs through a new dashboard called the Business Hub. Companies claim their presence, get verified, then update key information and add product feeds with prices and availability. The goal is to stop ChatGPT from recommending out-of-stock items or outdated prices.
According to OpenAI, the Hub is open to any eligible business in a country where ChatGPT is available. Shopify merchants get a simplified route: they can connect their store directly, and their eligible products are already available in ChatGPT through Shopify's catalogue. The tool has also been tested in France, where it works and is available in French.
The Hub also provides statistics: the number of mentions in answers, clicks to the website, and "discovery topics", meaning the conversation themes in which a site is cited. OpenAI says the data is aggregated, that businesses never see user conversations, and that figures only appear above a certain volume of exchanges.
Business Agent and sponsorship
The most ambitious feature is Business Agent. Once a listing is claimed, eligible companies can build, test and publish an agent that answers customer questions using the information they supply. When a brand appears in an answer, users can open its profile and, if an agent exists, start a chat to compare two products or check whether an offer fits their needs.
The business model is explicit: companies will be able to sponsor their agent and use it as a destination for ChatGPT Ads. This follows the end of the free, ad-free version of ChatGPT a few months ago and earlier shopping features such as PayPal payments.
For now, Business Agents are limited to eligible e-commerce and online service sites in the United States. OpenAI says it wants to extend the programme to other markets and business categories, without giving a timeline. For users, the line between an independent answer and a sponsored agent will need watching, since in a chatbot everything resembles a conversation.
Apps worth a look
SUMO: the number puzzleTap the right tiles, add them up, hit the target. Easy to learn, hard to master. Free, for all ages.
Dialo: learn languages by speakingTalk to an AI conversation partner; every sentence comes back corrected and explained in your language. 9 languages, A1 to C2.
ediviewer: read EDI files like documentsOpen EDIFACT and X12 messages, see every segment explained, convert to JSON/XML, export PDF and Excel. Runs locally, no upload.
giftdetect: the right gift in minutesPick who it is for, the occasion and their personality. The search engine reads product descriptions from local shops and ranks what fits. Free, no sign-up.
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