OpenAI Launches New Business Profiles and Shopping Agents in ChatGPT

OpenAI launched a new beta feature called Businesses within ChatGPT on Tuesday. This gives companies a way to claim and manage their profiles, update information, and track how users engage with them on the chatbot. Through a tool called Business Hub, companies can claim their business, update key details once verified, and add product feeds with pricing and availability. The tool also shows aggregated insights, including mentions, views, and website clicks. Another tool called Business Agents lets people chat directly with an agent from a business to ask about products or services. OpenAI is initially rolling out this feature to eligible e-commerce and online service businesses in the United States. OpenAI stated that it does not share user conversations or Business Agent chats with businesses. Insights are aggregated and only available when there are enough interactions above certain thresholds. Businesses can also sponsor their Business Agent and use it as the destination for ChatGPT Ads, with sponsored placements clearly labeled. Existing OpenAI Enterprise customers and advertisers can work with their OpenAI representative to claim their business. Meanwhile, Shopify merchants can connect their stores through Business Hub or the Shopify admin.

Context

Chatbots like ChatGPT are increasingly moving beyond simple text answers to become practical tools for shopping and discovering services. Allowing businesses to verify profiles and use automated agents helps bridge the gap between AI search and actual online commerce. These updates show how AI companies are building new revenue streams through advertising and merchant tools.