How to check if ChatGPT recommends your business (free)
According to Capgemini, 58% of consumers now use AI tools instead of Google when looking for product and service recommendations. That means more than half your potential customers might be asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini for help. And if those AI engines don't mention you? They're sending customers straight to your competitors.
The good news: you can check your AI visibility right now, for free, in about 5 minutes. No tools required. Just the AI engines you probably already have open in another tab.
Here's exactly how to do it.
Step 1: test ChatGPT
Open ChatGPT (chat.openai.com) and type prompts that mimic how a real customer would search for your type of business. Don't use your business name. Use the kind of question a stranger would ask.
Prompts to copy and paste:
- "What are the best [your business type] in [your city]?"
- "I'm looking for a [your service] provider in [your area]. Who do you recommend?"
- "What [your product category] should I buy if I care about [key feature your product offers]?"
For example, if you run a yoga studio in Austin, try:
- "What are the best yoga studios in Austin, Texas?"
- "I'm looking for a beginner-friendly yoga studio in downtown Austin. Any recommendations?"
What good results look like
If ChatGPT recommends you, you'll see your business name in the response. It might describe what you offer, mention your location, or explain why you stand out.
What bad results look like
If you're invisible, ChatGPT will either recommend your competitors by name or give a generic answer without naming any specific business. Both outcomes mean ChatGPT doesn't know enough about you to recommend you.
Run at least 3-5 different prompts. AI engines give different answers to different questions. One prompt isn't enough to know where you stand.
Step 2: test Perplexity
Perplexity (perplexity.ai) works differently from ChatGPT. It shows sources for every answer. This makes it especially useful for testing because you can see exactly which websites and directories the AI is pulling from.
Prompts to try:
- "Best [your business type] in [your city] 2026"
- "Compare the top [your service] providers in [your area]"
- "Where can I find [specific product] near [your location]?"
What to look for
Perplexity numbers its sources. Check two things:
- Is your business named in the answer? If yes, great. You're visible.
- Are any of your web pages in the source list? According to Authoritas, 79% of AI-cited sources come from just 10 domains. If Perplexity cites Yelp, TripAdvisor, or a directory listing that mentions you, that counts. If none of the sources reference your business, you have a visibility gap.
Step 3: test Claude
Open Claude (claude.ai) and run similar prompts. Claude tends to be more conservative with specific business recommendations, but that makes any mention more meaningful.
Prompts to try:
- "I'm visiting [your city] and need a good [your business type]. What should I know?"
- "What should I look for when choosing a [your service] provider?"
- "Can you recommend [your product category] for someone who needs [specific use case]?"
If Claude mentions your business by name, your online presence is strong enough that it appeared in Claude's training data or web retrieval. If Claude gives general advice without naming anyone, you're likely invisible.
Step 4: test Google Gemini
According to BrightEdge, AI-generated answers now appear in 47% of Google searches. That means even Google itself is shifting toward AI recommendations.
Open Gemini (gemini.google.com) and try:
- "Recommend a [your business type] in [your city]"
- "What's the best [your product] for [specific need]?"
Gemini pulls heavily from Google's own index, so a strong Google Business Profile helps here. But having a Google listing doesn't guarantee Gemini will recommend you. It depends on whether your listing has enough detail, reviews, and structured information for the AI to work with.
How to read your results
After testing all 4 engines, you'll have a clear picture. Here's how to score yourself:
| Result | What it means |
|---|---|
| Named in 3-4 engines | Strong AI visibility. You're ahead of most businesses. |
| Named in 1-2 engines | Partial visibility. You have gaps to close. |
| Named in 0 engines | Invisible. AI engines don't know enough about you to recommend you. |
Don't panic if you're invisible. You're in the majority. When I tested over 100 businesses across all 6 major AI engines, 73% didn't appear in a single AI-generated answer. This is a fixable problem, not a permanent one.
Why you might be invisible (the 3 most common reasons)
1. Your website doesn't speak AI. AI engines rely on structured data (JSON-LD schema markup) to understand what your business is, where it's located, and what you offer. Without it, they have to guess. Most guess wrong.
2. You're blocking AI crawlers without knowing it. Your website's robots.txt file may be blocking GPTBot (ChatGPT's crawler), ClaudeBot, or PerplexityBot. If they can't access your site, they can't recommend you. You're invisible by accident.
3. Your directory presence is thin. AI engines don't just crawl your website. They pull heavily from directories like Yelp, TripAdvisor, G2, Capterra, and Apple Maps. If you're only on Google Business Profile, you're missing the directories AI engines actually cite.
What to do if you're invisible
You have two options.
Option A: fix it yourself. Start with the basics:
- Check your robots.txt file for AI crawler blocks (look for GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot)
- Add Organization or LocalBusiness JSON-LD schema to your homepage
- Claim and complete your listings on the top 10 directories in your industry
- Rewrite your "About" page with clear, factual statements instead of vague marketing language
Option B: get a full diagnostic first. Run a free AI visibility analysis at ChatReady. It checks all 6 major AI engines in 60 seconds and shows you exactly where you're visible, where you're invisible, and what to fix first. No account required. Just your email and your website URL.
The manual test you just ran tells you whether AI recommends you. The ChatReady analysis tells you why or why not, and gives you the specific steps to change it.
The 5-minute test that could change your business
According to Semrush, AI search traffic grew 527% year-over-year in 2025. This isn't a trend you can afford to watch from the sidelines.
The test above takes 5 minutes. The free analysis at ChatReady takes 60 seconds. Between the two, you'll know exactly where you stand with AI search.
The question isn't whether your customers are using AI to find businesses like yours. According to Capgemini, 58% already are. The question is whether AI is sending them to you or to your competitors.
Check your AI visibility for free and find out in 60 seconds.