By Nazreen Daud, Founder of Roquepress · Published 12 Nov 2026 · Last updated: 12 Nov 2026

The short answer: ChatGPT now lets some businesses claim an official listing. Claiming does not make ChatGPT pick you, and the Business Agent is US-only, with no date for other countries. For a Singapore or Malaysia practice that already uses Google, the useful work now is accurate details, a plain description, and pages that answer the questions clients already ask.

In this article

Why does a ChatGPT listing matter for a Singapore or Malaysia practice?

ChatGPT now lets some businesses claim an official listing. That is not the same as being recommended, and it is not a promise that a practice in Singapore or Malaysia can finish a claim today.

If you run a consultancy, clinic or coaching practice here, and you already rely on Google Business Profile and Search, the useful question is what to prepare now. The same kind of groundwork that keeps a Google listing useful still applies: accurate details, a clear description, and pages that answer the questions clients already ask.

What did OpenAI actually launch?

On 10 November 2026, OpenAI published Introducing Businesses in ChatGPT. The feature is in beta. OpenAI's own figure, in that post, is 1.2 billion people using ChatGPT each week.

There are two parts, and they are easy to mix up.

Business Hub is where a business can claim its listing, manage its information, and see aggregated insights. OpenAI says any eligible business located where ChatGPT is available can claim through Business Hub. Eligibility still depends on the business's location and type. The product page adds that claiming is initially available to eligible businesses with a website. The person claiming must own the business or be authorised to represent it.

Business Agents are a separate product. After a claim, eligible ecommerce and online service businesses in the United States can build a labelled chat that answers from information the business provides. The agent can explain products and policies and link to the website. It cannot complete purchases, bookings or order lookups. OpenAI says it plans to expand Businesses in ChatGPT and Business Agents to more markets and categories. It has not given a date. Practices in Singapore and Malaysia are waiting.

One more limit sits in the Help Center article on setting up your business: local stores and restaurants can currently claim only an existing US listing. There is no date for other countries.

Shopify merchants can connect a store from Business Hub or from the Shopify admin to streamline verification. Existing OpenAI Enterprise customers and advertisers can work with their representative. Neither path is required to attempt a claim, and neither one is a promise that a Singapore or Malaysia firm will get through.

What does a walkthrough often get wrong?

Julian Goldie walked through the claim, and the work after it, in a video on 11 November 2026. Those steps were checked against OpenAI's announcement, the product page, and the Help Center article, all opened on 12 November 2026.

His most useful caution is right, and it matches OpenAI. Claiming a profile tells ChatGPT who the business is. It does not make ChatGPT pick that business. OpenAI's wording is plain: claiming does not guarantee increased visibility or give direct control over ChatGPT's independent recommendations. Advertising does not influence those independent answers. Connecting a product feed also does not guarantee that ChatGPT recommends the products.

Three other claims in the walkthrough need to be tightened.

  1. The blue check does not arrive with the claim click alone. The Help Center says: "Claiming your business alone doesn't give its profile a verified badge. The verified badge, shown as a blue check, appears after your Persona verification is approved."
  2. The official setup is slower than "a few clicks, one check, and the profile is yours." After a claim is started, OpenAI reviews it. After the claim is approved, identity verification with Persona still has to be completed before profile changes can be published, insights viewed, a product feed connected, or an eligible agent created. That may require a government-issued ID, business registration information, and proof of authority to represent the business. OpenAI then reviews that submission too.
  3. Edits are not instantly live. OpenAI reviews and publishes changes. Updates can take time to appear in a listing or a ChatGPT answer, and ChatGPT may also use other sources. A saved change does not mean every answer will reflect it immediately.

Those corrections are built into the 24 steps below, rather than repeating the looser wording from the video.

What can be prepared now, as with Google?

This work does not depend on the claim being open today.

  1. Keep the business details accurate: the name, website, how to get in touch, and a short description of what the practice does and who it is for. That is the same discipline as keeping a Google Business Profile current. A Google profile and a future ChatGPT listing would work together. They do not replace each other. The Google profile lives in Google. Business Hub is the place to tell ChatGPT directly, once a claim can actually be completed.
  2. Write that description in plain words. Julian's practical tip is to write it the way a happy customer would describe the practice to a friend: what it does, who it is for, and what makes it different, in two or three plain sentences, so the wording can be repeated cleanly.
  3. Turn the common questions clients already ask into clear pages on the site. How often ChatGPT already sends traffic is a separate question from whether a listing exists. For a business to be mentioned or cited, there still needs to be a page worth citing. Look at the questions clients already ask, and make sure the site answers them clearly: the answer at the top, the explanation underneath, and the usual follow-up questions covered. That work helps whether or not a ChatGPT listing is open yet.

If a second pair of eyes would help on whether the site already answers those questions, book a call.

What are the 24 steps, checked against OpenAI?

Julian walks the claim twice: first as a demo, then as a "this week" recap. There are 24 distinct actions. The last four lines in his recap are not new steps; they are his suggested order for the week. All 24 are below, in his order, corrected against OpenAI where they drift.

This list is not a promise that a claim can be completed from Singapore or Malaysia today. Until a claim is actually open, the prepare-now work still stands.

Claim the listing (steps 1 to 4)

  1. Find the business. Sign in to ChatGPT, open Business Hub from the sidebar, and search by name. In OpenAI's demo, which Julian uses, the business is a toy shop called Colorful Clatter, and there is a link that says "Claim this business." If the business cannot be found, the Help Center says an eligible online business may see an option to add it. Local stores and restaurants can currently claim only an existing US listing.

  2. Open that claim link. Julian describes a window that explains what you get: engagement with the profile, the ability to add photos, products and other details, and a blue check. Treat the blue check with care. It appears after identity verification with Persona is approved, not from opening this window.

  3. Click "Claim profile" and complete verification. OpenAI needs to know the person is authorised to represent the business. The methods offered can include business phone, business email, website domain (a DNS TXT record), or a Shopify store connection. Then comes a wait. OpenAI reviews the claim and emails its decision or a request for more information. After the claim is approved, identity verification with Persona still has to be completed before changes can be published, insights viewed, a feed connected, or an eligible agent created. If the business is an existing OpenAI Enterprise customer or advertiser, OpenAI says the representative can help. If the business sells on Shopify, connecting the store can speed up the checking. None of that skips the reviews.

  4. After a successful claim, a "you've claimed your business" screen appears. Julian describes two doors: getting ready to chat with customers (the Business Agent) and managing the business (edit details and see insights). The agent door is only for eligible US ecommerce and online service businesses. There is no date for other countries. The profile is not ready to publish until identity verification is approved.

Keep the listing current (steps 5 to 10)

  1. Open the Business Hub edit screen for the business information, once the claim and identity verification are approved.

  2. Fill in the About section in the practice's own words. Write what it does, who it is for, and what makes it different, in two or three plain sentences. Officially, OpenAI's help pages list a business description among the fields that can be updated, along with website, category, logo, delivery and return policy, a cover photo and other optional details.

  3. Fill in the contact details that are available, including the website. Julian also mentions a phone number in the demo. Use the fields the live screen actually offers, and keep them accurate.

  4. If the live edit screen includes opening hours, set them day by day, and change them when they change. Julian describes this in the demo and says ChatGPT then has the right answer the next time someone asks. The Help Center pages checked on 12 November 2026 did not name opening hours as an official field, so "hours" should not be treated as a confirmed official label. Whatever can be edited, the official limit still applies: changes are reviewed, they can take time to appear, and ChatGPT may also use other sources.

  5. If the business sells products, connect a product feed. OpenAI calls these self-service product feeds. A file can be uploaded, including prices and availability, then previewed and confirmed, or a Shopify feed can be connected. The point is to hand ChatGPT the actual products rather than leaving it to guess. Connecting a feed does not publish an agent, and it does not guarantee that ChatGPT recommends the products.

  6. Update the profile the same day whenever something material changes: a new service, a new product range, or a detail that is no longer true. An out-of-date profile is how ChatGPT can end up confidently repeating the wrong thing. A saved edit is still not an instant correction in every answer.

Use the insights (step 11)

  1. Review the Business Hub insights dashboard, once the claim and identity verification are approved. The official list is aggregated activity over the past 28 days, including mentions, website clicks, and discovery topics (common themes in answers that mentioned or cited the business). Figures only appear once there are enough conversations to meet OpenAI's privacy threshold. No actual conversations are shared, including chats with a business agent. A blank metric can mean the threshold has not been met, data is still being collected, or reporting is unavailable. It does not necessarily mean zero activity. Julian also describes "profile views" and a mentions chart in the demo dashboard. "Profile views" were not named on the Help Center insights list checked on 12 November 2026, so that phrase is not treated here as an official metric name. Use the topics to see what people are asking when ChatGPT brings the business up, and where the gaps are.

The Business Agent, which is US-only for now (steps 12 to 16)

These steps are part of Julian's walkthrough, and they are worth knowing in order to be ready. The agent is not available in Singapore or Malaysia today, and OpenAI has not given a date.

  1. If the business is eligible, open the agent setup screen after the claim and identity verification are approved, and write what customers ask about and how the agent should behave. Eligibility is currently limited to ecommerce and online service businesses in the United States that also meet the industry requirements in OpenAI's Business Agent Policy. Some businesses can manage a profile without being eligible for an agent.

  2. Test it in the live chat preview before it goes public. The Help Center suggests previewing with a question customers often ask, then fixing the information or instructions if the answer is wrong.

  3. Hit Publish only when it is ready. Customers can chat with a published agent only.

  4. How a customer reaches it, from the demo: they ask ChatGPT a normal question, ChatGPT gives its own answer, they click a business, the profile opens, and they press "Start chat." In the demo, a request for a gift for a six-year-old who loves drawing gets product suggestions with photos. The agent chat is clearly labelled, and it is separate from the person's normal ChatGPT conversation and from ChatGPT's own answers. This is a demo of the customer path, not a setup step for a Singapore or Malaysia firm today.

  5. Optional: sponsor the agent and use it as a destination for ChatGPT ads. OpenAI says those placements are clearly labelled and separate from ChatGPT's independent answers. Advertising does not influence those independent answers.

What is Julian's own SEO loop, and what is not official?

Steps 17 to 24 are Julian's own method for what to do after a claim. OpenAI does not prescribe this loop, and it does not say that publishing or indexing pages will increase recommendations. Every step he gave is included, because the underlying idea is sound and it matches the prepare-now work used for Google: if a business wants to be cited, the site has to answer the question. Treat the tools and the sequence as his suggestion, not as official setup, and not as a guarantee.

  1. After a claim, look at the questions customers ask. Do not stop at filling in the About box and waiting on insights. If a claim is not open yet, this is still the right place to start.

  2. Turn each question into a clear page on the website that answers it properly: the answer clearly at the top, the explanation underneath, and the usual follow-up questions covered.

  3. Get those pages found by Google. He sends every new URL through an indexing tool so pages are crawled in days rather than months. He argues that AI answers lean on the web search results underneath them, so an unindexed page is harder for AI search to find as well. That is his argument, not an OpenAI claim.

  4. Track how often AI search shows the site, and do more of what works. His loop is: profile, pages, indexing, tracking. He says he runs it inside an agent tool. That is his system, not OpenAI's.

  5. Use his SEO dashboard to read Google Search Console and find questions people already search where the site shows up but has no proper page yet. Those are the gaps. He says store gaps are usually product questions, and agency gaps are usually service questions.

  6. Have an AI writing tool draft a full answer page for each gap, then publish it and send it for indexing. He says not a thin page. Read it before publishing. An AI draft is not a finished page.

  7. Check Search Console every week and set those numbers next to Business Hub mentions and website clicks, so ChatGPT mentions and Google impressions sit side by side. When a topic climbs in one, write more pages around it for both. Insights only appear once OpenAI's privacy threshold is met, so this side-by-side view may be empty at first.

  8. Do link-building outreach. He runs an outreach tool that finds sites in the niche that would genuinely want to link, writes a short personal pitch, and lines them up to send. He says more trusted sites pointing at a page means Google trusts the site more, and the AI answers that lean on Google start picking it up too. That is his rationale, not a result OpenAI promises, and not a result this article promises either.

What was his "this week" recap?

These four lines are his recap, not four new steps. His order is kept, with the same corrections.

  • Go to Business Hub and try to claim the business only if the claim is actually open. Do not assume it is available in Singapore or Malaysia today. The blue check, if and when it arrives, comes after identity verification is approved. If the business is on Shopify, connecting the store can help with verification. (Recap of steps 1 to 4.)
  • Fill in everything that can be edited: the description, contact details, and, if the business sells online, the product list. Write the description in plain words. Remember that edits are reviewed and can take time to appear. (Recap of steps 5 to 10.)
  • Write down the questions customers ask most. Check Search Console for the ones people are already searching, then turn each one into a clear answer page on the website. This part can be done while waiting. (Recap of steps 17, 18, 21 and 22.)
  • Get those pages found, and check the numbers once a week: Business Hub mentions and website clicks, once they are available, and Search Console impressions, one page at a time. (Recap of steps 19, 20 and 23.)

Who is this not for?

This is not a shortcut for anyone who wants a listing to replace a clear website. It is also not a guide to publishing a Business Agent from Singapore or Malaysia today. Anyone who only wanted a blue check this week will find the official process slower than the videos suggest. The work that still stands is familiar: accurate details, and pages that answer real questions.

What is the prepare-now checklist?

  • Write a plain description of what the practice does and who it is for, in two or three sentences.
  • Check that the website, contact details and other public facts are accurate and consistent.
  • List the ten questions clients already ask most.
  • For each question, check whether a page on the site answers it clearly.
  • Where a page is missing or thin, write a proper one, then make sure Google can find it.
  • Keep the Google Business Profile current. It does not replace a future ChatGPT listing, and a ChatGPT listing would not replace it.
  • When a claim is actually open, follow OpenAI's verification steps, including identity verification, and do not expect edits or a blue check to be instant.

If a walkthrough of those questions and pages would help, book a call.

FAQ

Can a Singapore or Malaysian business claim a ChatGPT listing today?

This article does not say yes, and it does not present a no as a test already run from Singapore. OpenAI says eligible businesses where ChatGPT is available may be able to claim, and that availability depends on location and type. Claiming is initially available to eligible businesses with a website. Local store and restaurant claims are currently limited to existing US listings. There is no date. The useful work in the meantime is preparation, not treating the listing as available in Singapore or Malaysia today.

Will claiming make ChatGPT recommend the business more often?

No. OpenAI says claiming does not guarantee increased visibility or give direct control over ChatGPT's independent recommendations. Advertising does not influence those independent answers. Julian's caution is the same: claiming tells ChatGPT who the business is. It does not make ChatGPT pick that business.

When does the blue check appear?

After identity verification with Persona is approved, not when someone first clicks claim. OpenAI reviews the claim, then the identity check has to be completed, then OpenAI reviews that submission. The Help Center is explicit that claiming alone does not give the profile a verified badge.

Is the Business Agent available in Singapore?

No. It is currently for eligible ecommerce and online service businesses in the United States. OpenAI plans to expand to more markets and categories, and it has not given a date. Practices in Singapore and Malaysia are waiting.

Is a Google Business Profile enough on its own?

It is a good start, and it should be kept current. A Google profile lives in Google. Business Hub, when it can actually be used, is the place to tell ChatGPT directly and to see how often it mentions the business. They work together. They do not replace each other.

Do profile edits show up in ChatGPT immediately?

No. OpenAI reviews and publishes changes. Updates can take time to appear in a listing or an answer, and ChatGPT may also use other sources. A saved change does not mean every answer will reflect it immediately.

Can a Business Agent take a booking or complete a purchase?

No. The current agent can explain products and policies and link to the website, where the customer finishes those actions.

If you run a practice in Singapore or Malaysia, which of the three prepare-now steps are you starting with while you wait?