OpenAI launches the beta version of Businesses in ChatGPT, opening merchant profiles and agency features

AT A GLANCE

According to a report by Dongcha Beating AI, OpenAI has launched a beta version of merchant features, supporting profile claiming, exposure statistics, and AI shopping assistance for eligible merchants.

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OpenAI brings business profiles into ChatGPT: You can check exposure and even launch a dedicated AI shopping assistant

Beating AI Flash News: OpenAI has launched the beta version of Businesses in ChatGPT. Merchants can now claim their business profiles in ChatGPT just like managing a Google My Business page, update company information, product prices, and inventory, allowing users to see more accurate content.

OpenAI also provides a merchant backend called Business Hub. Companies can view how many times they have been mentioned in ChatGPT, how many website clicks they have received, and what topics users typically use to find them. In the past, merchants mainly relied on third-party tools to estimate their exposure in AI search; now they can directly view the statistics provided by OpenAI.

Eligible merchants can also create a dedicated Business Agent, which is equivalent to opening an AI shopping assistant or customer service representative in ChatGPT. For example, when a user searches for running shoes and sees a recommendation from a certain brand, they can click into its merchant page and chat directly with the brand's AI to ask which model suits them best, what sizes are available, and how much they cost. The AI will answer based on the product and service information provided by the merchant, and users can go to the merchant's website to place an order if they wish to purchase.

Merchants can also pay to promote their AI shopping assistants. After users click on relevant ads in ChatGPT, they can directly enter the merchant AI's chat window to continue inquiring about products without first being redirected to the official website. These conversations will be clearly labeled and kept separate from ChatGPT's original independent responses. Claiming a profile or placing ads will not automatically grant merchants higher organic recommendation rankings.

To protect privacy, merchants can only view aggregated data such as exposure and website clicks, and cannot access user chat records with ChatGPT or Business Agents.

Currently, eligible businesses in regions where ChatGPT is already available can apply to claim their profiles, but Business Agents are temporarily limited to e-commerce and online service companies in the United States. Business Hub and merchant agents are free for now, but fees may be introduced in the future.

Original article link https://m.theblockbeats.info/flash/376773

Key points

According to reports, the Businesses in ChatGPT beta allows merchants to claim business profiles and update company information, product prices, and inventory.
Business Hub provides statistics on the number of times merchants are mentioned, official website clicks, and topics through which users discover merchants.
Eligible merchants can create a Business Agent that answers questions based on the product and service information provided by the merchant; when making a purchase, users still need to go to the merchant's website to place an order.
Merchants can pay to promote AI shopping guides; conversations directed by related advertisements will be clearly labeled and kept separate from ChatGPT's independent responses.
The report clearly states that claiming materials or placing advertisements will not automatically improve natural recommendation rankings.
Merchants can only view aggregated data and cannot read users' chat records with ChatGPT or Business Agent.
Eligible businesses can apply to claim their profiles in regions where ChatGPT is available; Business Agent is currently only available to U.S. e-commerce and online service businesses.
Business Hub and merchant agents are currently free, but fees may be introduced in the future.

AI-assisted interpretation

The following is analysis, separate from reported facts. Verify important claims independently.

According to the report, merchants can maintain their profiles within ChatGPT, view how they are discovered by users, and offer brand-specific AI shopping assistants when eligible. The shopping assistant is responsible for answering product questions, while the actual purchase is still completed on the merchant's website. Paid advertising placements are separate from organic recommendations, and paying does not automatically result in higher organic rankings.

Why it matters to readers

This provides merchants with an entry point to update their information, view exposure metrics, and handle product inquiries, while also allowing users to ask about prices, sizes, and other details before visiting the merchant's website.

A distinction needs to be made between ChatGPT's independent answers and merchants' AI shopping guides: the latter answer based on information provided by the merchant. Seeing a brand guide or advertisement does not mean that merchant ranks higher in natural recommendations.

Risks and unknowns

The material is a media paraphrase; OpenAI's original announcement was not provided, and product details cannot be independently verified.
The specific review criteria for merchant qualification were not specified.
Whether there will be charges in the future, the timing of the charges, and the price have not yet been determined.
The materials do not provide verification of the scale of merchant adoption, the effectiveness of the shopping guides, or the accuracy of the statistical data.

OpenAI launches the beta version of Businesses in ChatGPT, opening merchant profiles and agency features

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