A ChatGPT recommendation is a generated answer built from two sources: what the model learned during training and what ChatGPT finds through live web search. According to OpenAI, ChatGPT ranks search results using multiple factors intended to help users find relevant, reliable information. Three inputs are documented in 2026. First, OAI-SearchBot from OpenAI must be allowed in robots.txt, or a site cannot appear in ChatGPT search answers. Second, ChatGPT works with third-party search providers, so indexing in Bing and Google matters. Third, ads run on separate systems and do not influence the answers. For example, a business page that answers the question "which agency builds a client portal in Rotterdam?" gives ChatGPT a clear passage to cite. VirtuoLab in Papendrecht builds websites with Next.js along these lines and helps businesses get mentioned sooner and more often.
How does ChatGPT decide which businesses to recommend?
A ChatGPT recommendation is a generated answer, not a fixed ranking list, and the answer comes from two routes. The first route is the model itself. The foundation models behind ChatGPT learn from publicly available internet content, data from partners, and information from users and trainers, according to OpenAI. The second route is web search. ChatGPT may search the web automatically when a question benefits from current information, and users can also select Search manually. For search results, OpenAI states that ChatGPT ranks results using multiple factors intended to help users find relevant, reliable information. The list of factors and the weight of each factor are not public in 2026. Finally, the answer varies with every attempt. OpenAI explains the same question may yield different answers, because a model predicts text with an element of randomness. For example, two people asking for a software agency in Rotterdam can see different names, which is why measuring with ChatGPT over several months works best.
When does ChatGPT search the web instead of answering from memory?
ChatGPT search is the mode in which ChatGPT looks up current web pages before answering, and OpenAI offers the mode on every plan. Web search works on Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu, according to OpenAI, and even for people who are not signed in. ChatGPT may start a search automatically when a question would benefit from current information. Users can also start a search manually via Search in the tools menu. Without search, the answer relies on patterns the model learned during training. Recent changes, for example a new service, a new address or new opening hours, therefore reach the answer most reliably through search. Additionally, website owners control training separately: disallowing GPTBot in robots.txt tells OpenAI not to use the content for training foundation models. OpenAI does not explain how training data affects business recommendations in 2026. Search is therefore the most direct route for a business to get recommended.
Which sources does ChatGPT search use?
ChatGPT search draws on two documented sources: third-party search providers and the OpenAI crawler OAI-SearchBot. First, ChatGPT search sometimes partners with other search providers, according to OpenAI. ChatGPT typically rewrites a question into one or more targeted queries for the providers. OpenAI links to the privacy statements of Microsoft and Shopify on the same page, but does not say which provider handles which query. Indexing via Bing Webmaster Tools is therefore a sensible step. Second, OpenAI states that sites opted out of OAI-SearchBot will not be shown in ChatGPT search answers, though navigational links can still appear. According to the publisher FAQ, a disallowed page can still appear as a bare link and title in ChatGPT Atlas. For example, OpenAI may find the URL through a search provider. Allowing OAI-SearchBot is step 1 for every business in 2026. Changes to robots.txt take about 24 hours to reach the OpenAI systems.
How does ChatGPT find local businesses?
Local search in ChatGPT is a search based on the approximate location of the user, usually derived from the IP address. Sharing the precise device location is optional and off by default, according to OpenAI. ChatGPT may rewrite a question such as good restaurants near me into a query like top restaurants San Francisco, based on the city behind the IP address. For more local detail, ChatGPT may share location with trusted third-party providers of nearby business listings or weather reports. OpenAI does not name the listing providers. For restaurants, availability can come through OpenTable, Resy or Yelp, depending on the restaurant and the country. In practice, a local business cannot see which listing source feeds a ChatGPT answer. Consistent details are therefore step 1: the website, Google Business Profile and Bing Places for Business. Additionally, Google and Microsoft each name these profiles for the AI answers of their own search engines in 2026.
How does ChatGPT choose products and webshops?
Product results in ChatGPT are product cards selected by ChatGPT itself, and according to OpenAI the results are not ads and not influenced by OpenAI partnerships. A product appears when ChatGPT perceives the product as relevant to the intent of the user, based on the question and on context such as Memory or custom instructions. OpenAI lists three inputs. First, structured metadata from first-party and third-party providers, such as price and product description, plus other third-party content. Second, model responses generated before ChatGPT considers new search results. Third, the safety standards and product policies of OpenAI. For example, OpenAI mentions price, reviews and ease of use for a search for dog costumes. When several shops sell the same product, merchants are ranked on availability, price, quality and whether the merchant is the maker or primary seller. For a webshop, a complete product feed is step 1. Shopify merchants are integrated through Shopify Catalog, and in 2026 other merchants can apply for a direct product feed.
Can a business pay to be recommended by ChatGPT?
No, a business cannot pay for an organic recommendation in ChatGPT, because ads and answers run on separate systems. Ads do not influence the answers of ChatGPT, according to OpenAI, and advertisers have no ability to shape, rank or alter the responses. Ad testing started in the United States on February 9, 2026. Ads may appear for users with Free and Go plans, below the end of a response, clearly labelled as sponsored. Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu accounts see no ads. Additionally, OpenAI notes personalised ads are not initially available in the European Economic Area or Switzerland. An ad does not place a business inside the answer itself. For ads, OpenAI uses a separate crawler, OAI-AdsBot, which only visits landing pages submitted as ads. In practice, the organic route is open to every business in the same way: crawlable pages, clear answers and consistent details.
What does OpenAI not reveal about recommendations?
The ranking formula is the big unknown: OpenAI names categories of factors, but publishes no weights and no complete list. Several other questions, for example about search providers and training data, have no official answer in 2026. First, OpenAI does not say which search provider handles which query. Second, OpenAI does not explain how training data shapes business recommendations made without search. Third, the documentation from OpenAI for publishers mentions referral tracking with utm_source=chatgpt.com, but no citation report like the AI Performance report available with Bing Webmaster Tools. Fourth, the OpenAI help articles for publishers do not mention llms.txt or schema.org markup, and only the shopping article names structured product metadata. Finally, the OpenAI crawler documentation gives about 24 hours for robots.txt changes, but no timeframe for re-crawling changed content. Anyone who claims to know the exact ChatGPT ranking formula is guessing. The table below separates documented facts from open questions, each with a source.
What can a business do to get recommended by ChatGPT?
A business gets recommended by ChatGPT more often by working on the documented inputs: access, indexing, clear answers and consistent details. First, allow OAI-SearchBot in robots.txt and check whether the CDN or firewall accepts requests from the published OpenAI IP ranges. Second, make sure the important pages are indexed in Bing Webmaster Tools and Google Search Console, because ChatGPT search works with third-party search providers. Third, write one page per important customer question, with the answer in the first sentence and a source for each figure. The GEO study by Aggarwal and colleagues found citations, quotations and statistics raised visibility in generative engines by 30% to 40% on the main metric. Fourth, keep the name, address, phone number and services identical on the website, Google Business Profile and Bing Places. Finally, measure with a fixed question set every month. For example, the robots.txt of virtuolab.dev explicitly allows OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot and Claude-SearchBot in 2026.
How do you check whether ChatGPT recommends your business?
A reliable check is a repeated test with a fixed question set, under the same conditions every month. ChatGPT personalises search in two ways, so control both. First, location: ChatGPT estimates the city from the IP address, so a VPN or a different office can change local results. Second, memory: when memory is enabled, ChatGPT may use saved memories while rewriting a search query. Temporary Chat lets users chat without using or updating memory, according to OpenAI, so Temporary Chat is step 1 of every test. Ask each question without naming your business, for example which agency builds a client portal in Rotterdam. Then open Sources to see which pages ChatGPT cited. Record whether your business appears, which competitors appear and which websites are cited. Additionally, track visits tagged utm_source=chatgpt.com with Google Analytics, and check the server logs for OAI-SearchBot. In practice, a trend over 3 months in 2026 says more than one screenshot.
Frequently asked questions
Does ChatGPT use Google or Bing for search?
OpenAI does not officially name one single search engine behind ChatGPT search. The OpenAI Help Center says ChatGPT search sometimes partners with other search providers, and the section on search providers links to the privacy statements of Microsoft and Shopify. OpenAI also runs a crawler of its own, OAI-SearchBot, to surface websites in ChatGPT search results. Microsoft wrote that Microsoft grounding powers nearly every major AI assistant, in a blog post from February 2026. Microsoft did not name the assistants. The practical answer for a business is the same either way. First, make sure the site is indexed with Bing Webmaster Tools and Google Search Console, allow OAI-SearchBot, and keep business details identical everywhere. For example, the same address and phone number on the website and on Bing Places help every provider. Finally, remember the hard rule from OpenAI: a page blocked for OAI-SearchBot cannot appear in ChatGPT search answers, apart from a navigational link.
Why does ChatGPT recommend a competitor instead of my business?
ChatGPT recommends a competitor when the competitor fits the question better in the eyes of the model, and OpenAI does not publish how the judgement works. Several documented causes are worth checking first. OAI-SearchBot may be blocked in robots.txt, or a CDN may reject the published OpenAI IP ranges. The site may lack a page which answers the exact question, for example a page about a client portal with prices and a service area. Business details may differ between the website, Google Business Profile and other listings. Location matters too, because ChatGPT uses the approximate location of the user for local questions. Finally, answers vary per attempt, so a single check says little. Measure the same questions with ChatGPT over several months before drawing conclusions in 2026. A competitor who appears is not paying for the spot: ads do not influence answers, according to OpenAI.
Do reviews influence ChatGPT recommendations?
For products, reviews play a documented role; for services, OpenAI publishes nothing specific. In the shopping documentation, OpenAI gives an example where ChatGPT may consider available options, price, reviews and ease of use. ChatGPT may also show review summaries generated from reviews on public websites, and OpenAI states the reviews and ratings are not verified by OpenAI. For local services, for example agencies, plumbers or dentists, the OpenAI Help Center only mentions listing data from trusted third-party providers, without naming review sources. Genuine customer reviews on public review platforms are a reasonable investment for any business in 2026. Reviews also help every potential customer who compares local businesses directly. Google and Microsoft both ask businesses to keep profiles up to date, so a sensible first step starts with Google Business Profile and a complete Bing Places listing.
How long before changes show up in ChatGPT?
The only official timeframe is the 24 hours for robots.txt changes, according to the OpenAI crawler documentation. Other changes have no official timeframe. First, a new or rewritten page needs a fresh visit from OAI-SearchBot, or needs to be found again through a search provider. OpenAI does not publish crawl frequencies. Second, sites with IndexNow notify participating search engines such as Bing when content is added, updated or removed, and Microsoft says faster discovery helps AI systems reference the most current version of a page. For webshops, OpenAI notes price and shipping updates can take some time to appear, and offers a direct product feed for up-to-date product information. In practice, a baseline in 2026 is step 1, followed by a comparison month by month. A single check one day after a change says little about the real effect.