Can I pay to appear in ChatGPT's recommendations?

Not in the organic answers. OpenAI has introduced ads in some ChatGPT plans, labelled as ads and kept separate from the answer. Organic recommendations come from what the model and its searches find.

How long does it take to get recommended by ChatGPT?

With search on, ChatGPT can pick up new pages and listings within weeks. Its built-in knowledge updates more slowly, over months.

Does ChatGPT use Google or Bing?

OpenAI runs its own search crawler (OAI-SearchBot) and has used third-party search providers, including Bing. Being indexed in both Google and Bing is the safe approach.

How to Get Your Brand Recommended by ChatGPT (8 Steps)

ChatGPT recommends brands that are described clearly on their own website and mentioned consistently by sources it trusts, such as review sites, "best of" articles, Reddit threads and industry press. To get recommended: let OpenAI's crawlers read your site, say plainly what you sell, to whom and at what price, get onto the pages ChatGPT already cites for your category, and earn real reviews. Nobody can guarantee placement, but each step raises the odds and can be measured.

1. Check whether ChatGPT mentions you today

Ask ChatGPT five to ten questions your buyers ask, with search on: "best [category] for [use]", "[you] vs [competitor]", "is [you] any good". Note who's named and which links it shows. Do it twice; answers vary. Or get a free AI check.

2. Let OpenAI's crawlers in

OpenAI uses OAI-SearchBot for ChatGPT search results, ChatGPT-User when a user asks it to open a page, and GPTBot for training. Check your robots.txt allows them, and check your CDN or security plugin isn't blocking "AI bots" by default. Many sites block them without knowing.

3. Get indexed in Bing

ChatGPT's search has used Bing among its sources, and Microsoft Copilot runs on Bing. Add your site to Bing Webmaster Tools (it can import your Google Search Console setup in one click) and submit your sitemap.

4. Say what you are, plainly

Your home page and key pages should state, in the first two sentences: what you sell, who it's for, where you operate and roughly what it costs. "Acme is a UK maker of memory foam mattresses for side sleepers, priced from £399" is quotable. "Sleep, reimagined" is not.

5. Write answer pages for the questions you're missing

For each buyer question where you're never named, publish a page that answers it directly: comparisons, "best for" pages, pricing explained, honest pros and cons. Lead with the answer, back it with facts, add schema markup, and keep it updated.

6. Get onto the pages ChatGPT cites

This is usually the biggest lever. Look at the sources ChatGPT links when it answers your category's questions. They're often a small set of review sites and roundup articles. Send those publishers what they need to include you: samples, data, expert comment. Being on two of those pages often beats ten new blog posts on your own site.

7. Earn real reviews and honest forum mentions

Ask happy customers to review you on the site that dominates your category (Trustpilot, G2, Capterra, Google, Amazon). Take part in Reddit and forums as yourself, disclosing who you are. Never buy or fake reviews: it breaks consumer law and platforms remove them.

8. Measure monthly

Re-ask the same questions every month on ChatGPT and the other assistants and track your mention rate against competitors. Live-search answers can change within weeks; what the model "knows" changes over months.

How to get your brand recommended by ChatGPT