NamedScanHome / Does ChatGPT recommend my business?
Does ChatGPT recommend my business?
Published 26 October 2026.
Short answer. Only a live ChatGPT answer can tell you, and the next answer can differ. There is no public list of businesses that are on ChatGPT, and no setting that adds yours.
You can check in one sitting. Ask the way a customer would: do not type your business name, do not say you are the owner, start a fresh chat, put your city in the question, and turn web search on. Repeat each of those prompts about three times, write down who was named and which sources were cited, and keep a separate question that asks for your business by name so you can check the phone and website. Then read the pattern as named consistently, named sometimes, or not at all. OpenAI's search help article says placement is not guaranteed, and that an answer can be incomplete, out of date, or wrong.
More customers now ask AI assistants which local business to hire. This page is the check. When you are ready to change the pages and listings a search can read, use the longer guide, how to get your business recommended by ChatGPT. NamedScan is not affiliated with OpenAI, and ChatGPT is a trademark of OpenAI.
How to check if ChatGPT recommends your business
Set aside about 30 to 45 minutes. You need the service in the words a customer would use, the city and state you serve, one job people pay you for, a ZIP or neighborhood, and your business name spelled the way it is on your website. Have a notes file open. The blank log is below.
- Ask as a customer, in a fresh chat. Open chatgpt.com. Use a signed-out window if you can. OpenAI says web search is available without an account, and that saved memories, when they are enabled, can be added into the query ChatGPT sends onward. A new chat for every run, including the repeats, keeps an earlier answer from steering the next one. Do not say that you own the business or that this is a test.
- Turn Search on, and turn a VPN off. Before you send, open View all tools and choose Search, or type / and choose Search there. OpenAI says ChatGPT can start a search on its own when the question needs current information. Choose it yourself so this sitting is not a guess. A VPN can move the rough location taken from your IP address, so switch the VPN off. Sharing a precise device location is optional and stays off until you enable it, which is why the city belongs in the prompt.
- Put the city in the question, and leave your name out. Discovery prompts are the ones a customer asks when they do not know you. If the businesses in the answer are in another metro, OpenAI says to include the city, neighborhood, or postal code and ask again. Do that in a new chat, and note the wrong-city try in the log. Do not keep chatting in the thread that already went to the wrong place.
- Repeat each discovery prompt about three times. Same words, new chat, Search on, once per chat. About three runs is enough to see a pattern in this sitting. It is still a small sample. Send the prompt once and keep that reply. Regenerating until your name shows up, then logging only the later reply, makes the sample unfair.
- Compare Search on and Search off for one prompt. Use the first discovery prompt only. One new chat with Search on, one new chat with Search off, same words. The Search-on reply is the recommendation test. The Search-off reply shows what you get without a web search. Do not mix those rows when you score the pattern.
- Write down names and sources, then open two links. For each Search-on answer, record every business the customer is told to contact, and the domain of each citation. A domain is enough: a company's site, a directory, or a review page. Open Sources when that control is on the reply. OpenAI says citations can be selected to open the source, and that those results can be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect, so the page you open has to back the sentence. Open two sources per Search-on discovery answer. If the reply shows neither a citation nor Sources, leave it out of the pattern. Ask the same words once more in a new chat with Search on, score that later reply, and note that the first try was not a web result.
- Run the branded check last, in its own chat. After the discovery runs, ask for your business by name and compare the phone, city, and website in the answer with your website. A right answer here means you were findable when someone typed your name. It is not a recommendation. Keep it off the "named consistently" count.
Example customer prompts
These are examples of what a customer might type. Replace every [service] and [city], then delete the brackets. Do not send a prompt that still contains a bracket. The trade lines only show the shape. They are not real jobs, and they are not a claim about those cities.
EXAMPLES ONLY. Replace every bracket, then delete the brackets. Do not send a prompt that still says [service] or [city]. The trade lines show the shape. They are not real jobs, and they are not advice about those cities. DISCOVERY. Do not type your business name. Do not say you are the owner. New chat each time. Search on. Repeat each prompt about 3 times. Prompt 1. Who is a reliable [service] in [city], [state]? Prompt 2. I need a [service] in [city], [state] to [one job a customer pays for]. Who should I call? Prompt 3. Which [service] near [ZIP or neighborhood] in [city], [state] is worth calling this week? TRADE EXAMPLES. Swap in your service and your city. Electrician: Who is a reliable electrician in Columbus, Ohio? Dentist: I need a dentist in Austin, Texas to look at a cracked tooth. Who should I call? Roofer: Which roofers near 80202 in Denver, Colorado can look at storm damage? SEARCH ON VS OFF. Use Prompt 1 only, once each way, in two new chats. Search on: Who is a reliable [service] in [city], [state]? Search off: Who is a reliable [service] in [city], [state]? BRANDED ACCURACY. After the discovery runs. New chat. Search on. This is not a recommendation test. Prompt 4. What is the phone number, street address, and website for [business name] in [city], [state]? Please include the source links.
Results log you can copy
Use one row per chat. For "Named me as a business to call?", write yes, mentioned, or no. Yes means the answer tells the customer to contact you, under the name on your website, even though the prompt did not include that name. Mentioned means the name shows up in some other way, such as only inside a source list, and the customer is not told to call you. No means the name is missing. Count mentioned and no as not a recommendation for that run.
The first data row is an illustration so you can see how a finished row looks. Sample Peak Roofing and Example Roof Co are not real businesses, and that row is not a real ChatGPT answer. Delete it before you start.
| Run | Prompt | Search | Named me as a business to call? | Place in the list | Other businesses named | Source domains | Stayed in my city? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXAMPLE | Who is a reliable roofer in Denver, Colorado? | on | no | Sample Peak Roofing; Example Roof Co | example.com; example.org | yes | Illustration only. Not a real answer. Delete this row. | |
| 1 | Prompt 1, run 1 | on | ||||||
| 2 | Prompt 1, run 2 | on | ||||||
| 3 | Prompt 1, run 3 | on | ||||||
| 4 | Prompt 2, run 1 | on | ||||||
| 5 | Prompt 2, run 2 | on | ||||||
| 6 | Prompt 2, run 3 | on | ||||||
| 7 | Prompt 3, run 1 | on | ||||||
| 8 | Prompt 3, run 2 | on | ||||||
| 9 | Prompt 3, run 3 | on | ||||||
| 10 | Prompt 1, search off | off | ||||||
| 11 | Branded accuracy | on |
The box under the table is the same log as text. Select it and paste it into a spreadsheet. The columns are separated by tabs. On a phone the lines scroll sideways so the columns stay intact.
Run Prompt Search Named me as a business to call? Place in the list Other businesses named Source domains Stayed in my city? Notes EXAMPLE Who is a reliable roofer in Denver, Colorado? on no Sample Peak Roofing; Example Roof Co example.com; example.org yes Illustration only. Not a real answer. Delete this row. 1 Prompt 1, run 1 on 2 Prompt 1, run 2 on 3 Prompt 1, run 3 on 4 Prompt 2, run 1 on 5 Prompt 2, run 2 on 6 Prompt 2, run 3 on 7 Prompt 3, run 1 on 8 Prompt 3, run 2 on 9 Prompt 3, run 3 on 10 Prompt 1, search off off 11 Branded accuracy on
In the notes for run 1, also write the date, whether you were signed in, and whether a VPN was on. Keep this log. The next check should use the same words.
Named consistently, sometimes, or not at all
Count only the nine Search-on discovery rows (runs 1 to 9), and count only a yes. Leave out the Search-off row and the branded row. A mentioned row is not a yes.
Named consistently
Your business was one to call on every Search-on discovery run in this sitting. Save the date and the log. This is a snapshot from one session, not a fixed place. OpenAI says placement is not guaranteed, and results can be incomplete or out of date. Ask the same prompts again later, in new chats. Until then, keep one public version of your name, phone, city, and services. If a cited source showed an old phone, correct that listing. The guide's section on what to fix next walks through the pages and listings. Doing that work does not guarantee the next answer will name you.
Named sometimes
You were a business to call on some Search-on discovery runs and not on others. Sort the log by prompt. If the job prompt missed you, check that a page on your site says, in normal sentences, that you do that job in that city. If the neighborhood prompt missed you, check that your site states the area you serve. Open the sources on the runs that named other businesses, and note any directory or review page that describes them and not you. Three runs can disagree even when you changed nothing, so "sometimes" means a mixed snapshot. Use the same fix section in the guide for the longer next step.
Not at all
None of the Search-on discovery runs named you as a business to call. Read the branded row before you change anything.
- If that branded answer could not find you, or it got your phone, city, or website wrong, check crawler access and the words on your homepage. Open your domain's robots.txt file and look for a block on OAI-SearchBot, or a block on every robot. OpenAI's crawler docs say opting out of OAI-SearchBot keeps a site out of ChatGPT search answers. A bare link and title can still be shown. The search help article says eligibility depends on that crawler being allowed to fetch the site, and on the host allowing traffic from the published searchbot IP addresses. Give a robots.txt edit about a day before you test again. Allowing the crawler does not guarantee a recommendation. GPTBot is the training crawler, a separate switch from search. ChatGPT-User may fetch a page because a person asked, and OpenAI says it is not the control for search inclusion. On your own homepage, the name, city, phone, and service need to be readable text, not only a logo. The guide has the lines to look for in robots.txt. If you add an allow rule, leave the other rules your site already needs.
- If the branded answer found you and the phone and website matched, people who already know your name can be pointed at you, and the open questions still did not recommend you. Compare who was named and which domains were cited. Then use what to fix next in the guide. One sitting is not proof that you can never be named.
What this sitting cannot prove
- About three repeats is a small sample from one hour and one wording. A different sentence can produce a different list.
- OpenAI says search results and citations can be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect. Open the sources rather than trusting the summary alone.
- The Search-off row is not the recommendation test. Score the pattern from Search-on discovery rows only.
- Answers move over time. See AI's #1 local pick changed in about half of markets in one month.
- A Maps ranking does not, by itself, mean ChatGPT will recommend you. The guide's Maps section summarizes two October 2026 checks. NamedScan does not see a private ranking score inside ChatGPT. We do not promise or guarantee rankings or recommendations.
What OpenAI's docs say
Checked 26 October 2026. Where this page describes how ChatGPT search behaves, it stays inside what the OpenAI documents below say.
- Searching the web with ChatGPT covers who can use web search (Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu, and people who are signed out), how a cited source is opened, and how an approximate location can come from the IP address. It also explains that ChatGPT may rewrite the question for another search provider and share a general location, without sending the IP address itself or the ChatGPT account. Memories can change that rewritten query. The article says placement is not guaranteed, and that a site is eligible when the search crawler can fetch it and the host allows the published searchbot IP addresses.
- Overview of OpenAI Crawlers separates the bots. OAI-SearchBot is the one that can put a site into a ChatGPT search answer. Opting out leaves the site out of those answers, while a navigational link can remain. OpenAI's recommendation is to allow OAI-SearchBot in robots.txt and to allow the published IP addresses. Plan on about 24 hours after a robots.txt edit. GPTBot can be blocked at the same time. It is for training, not for this search decision. ChatGPT-User is a visit triggered by a person's question. OpenAI says it does not decide search inclusion, and that robots.txt may not cover that visit.
Allowing OAI-SearchBot makes pages eligible to be quoted. It does not mean ChatGPT will recommend the business.
How NamedScan's score bands work
The self-check above does not produce a 0 to 100 score. It tells you whether you were named consistently, sometimes, or not at all in that sitting. NamedScan's AI visibility score is a separate measurement, from the questions we send to ChatGPT with live web search.
The score runs from 0 to 100. It combines how often ChatGPT names you (40%), where you appear in the answer (20%), your share of mentions against the top 5 competitors named (10%), how often your website is cited as a source (10%), and how ready your website is for AI search (20%, when your site can be reached). The free preview uses the same method with three questions, so it is an estimate. Bands: Low under 25, Emerging 25 to 49, Moderate 50 to 74, Strong 75 and above.
The same description is on the sample report section of the home page and on the About page. A band is a label for that snapshot. It is not a promise about the next answer.
Free preview
The log on this page is enough for a manual sitting. NamedScan can send the customer questions to ChatGPT with live web search and record whether you are named. That record is a snapshot. It cannot insert your business into an answer.
- The free preview on the home page uses three real customer questions. You see the estimated score, how often your name showed up in those three answers, and which other business was named most often. No card needed.
- The full AI visibility report is $5 one time, when you want every question, competitor, source, and fix in a branded PDF.
- Monthly plans, if you want ongoing help, are Starter (Guided) at $199 a month, Done For You at $300 a month, and Growth at $500 a month. Done For You at $300 is the plan we recommend. On Starter, you make the changes yourself. On Done For You and Growth, we make them.
We do not promise or guarantee rankings or recommendations. Prices are in US dollars. Details are on the pricing section.
Questions about this page? Use the contact page.
Questions
Does ChatGPT recommend my business?
Only a live ChatGPT answer can tell you, and the next answer can differ. There is no public list of businesses that are on ChatGPT. Use the self-check on this page: ask as a customer, without your business name, in a fresh chat, with your city in the question and web search on, and repeat each discovery prompt about three times. Then read the log as named consistently, named sometimes, or not at all. OpenAI says placement in search results is not guaranteed.
How do I check if ChatGPT recommends my business?
Open chatgpt.com, turn on Search, and send the example customer prompts on this page with your service and your city filled in. Leave your business name out of the discovery prompts. Start a new chat for each run, repeat each discovery prompt about three times, and write down the businesses named and the source domains. After that, ask a separate branded question for your phone number, address, and website.
Is my business on ChatGPT?
There is no directory of businesses that are on ChatGPT. ChatGPT can name a business when web search finds public information it can use. OpenAI says a site that blocks the OAI-SearchBot crawler is not shown in ChatGPT search answers, and that allowing the crawler does not guarantee placement. Ask for your business by name, with Search on, and see whether the answer finds you and cites a source. That is a findability check, not a recommendation.
Why repeat the same prompt three times?
One answer can differ from the next even when you change nothing. About three runs, each in a new chat, with the same wording, is enough to see whether you were named consistently, sometimes, or not at all in that sitting. It is still a small sample. It does not predict what ChatGPT will say tomorrow.
What is the difference between a recommendation and a correct description?
A recommendation is when a discovery answer names your business as one to contact, even though you did not type your name. A correct description is when a later question that does include your name returns the right phone, city, and website. You can be described correctly and still be missing from the open questions. Count only the search-on discovery runs when you decide consistently, sometimes, or not at all. If your name only appears in passing, and the answer does not tell the customer to contact you, that run is not a yes.
Does a high Google Maps rank mean ChatGPT recommends me?
No. A Maps rank does not, by itself, mean ChatGPT will name you when a customer asks. Run the self-check on this page to see what ChatGPT answered. The guide summarizes two October 2026 checks on how often AI answers matched Google Maps, and what to work on next. That work does not guarantee a recommendation.
What do NamedScan score bands mean?
NamedScan's AI visibility score runs from 0 to 100. Bands are Low under 25, Emerging 25 to 49, Moderate 50 to 74, and Strong 75 and above. The score combines how often ChatGPT names you (40%), where you appear in the answer (20%), your share of mentions against the top 5 competitors named (10%), how often your website is cited as a source (10%), and how ready your website is for AI search (20%, when your site can be reached). The free preview uses the same method with three questions, so it is an estimate. The self-check on this page does not calculate that score.
Sources
- Searching the web with ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center. How search is turned on, how citations and location work, and the statement that placement is not guaranteed, including the note on crawler access and the published IP addresses.
- Overview of OpenAI Crawlers. Which bot is for search, which is for training, and the lag after a robots.txt edit.
- searchbot.json, the IP address list OpenAI publishes for OAI-SearchBot.