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Where Do ChatGPT and Perplexity Get Local Business Information?

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From a mix of their own web search, your website and other sites, and third-party data providers, and neither company publishes a complete list. OpenAI says ChatGPT may share your approximate location with "trusted third-party providers" that supply things like nearby business listings, and Perplexity was reported in 2024 to license business data from Yelp.

ChatGPT

From OpenAI's help page on ChatGPT search, checked November 11, 2026:

  • ChatGPT search sometimes sends rewritten queries to other search providers. The page links the privacy policies of Microsoft and Shopify.
  • It may use an approximate location from your IP address for local results, and may share location with trusted third-party providers "such as nearby business listings or weather reports." It does not name those providers.
  • For restaurants, reservation availability may come from OpenTable, Resy or Yelp; OpenAI says Yelp reservations are available in the United States and Canada.

Separately, a business that is eligible can claim and manage its own profile through Business Hub. OpenAI's help article notes that ChatGPT "may also use other sources when answering questions about your business."

Perplexity

  • Its own index: Perplexity says it tracks over 200 billion unique URLs (Perplexity, September 25, 2025), gathered by PerplexityBot.
  • Yelp: Maginative reported on March 12, 2024 that Perplexity integrated Yelp data through Yelp's Fusion data-licensing program. That is a 2024 news report, not a current Perplexity page, so treat it as a lead.
  • We found no claim-your-business feature for local businesses in Perplexity's help centre or documentation as of November 11, 2026.

Google's AI features

Google says its AI Overviews and AI Mode use pages that are eligible for Google Search, with no extra requirements (Google). For local results on Search and Maps, your Google Business Profile is the source you control directly.

What no one has published

Neither OpenAI nor Perplexity names every provider behind its local business results, how often that data refreshes, or how it is weighed against your own website. Anything you read that names the "real" source for either tool, without a link to the company's own page, is a guess.

What to do about it

  • Keep your name, phone, address or service area and hours identical on your website, your Google Business Profile and every directory you appear on, including Yelp.
  • Make sure the tools can read your own site (see is your website blocking AI search?).
  • If your business is eligible, claim your ChatGPT profile through Business Hub.
  • Check what the tools say about you every few weeks, and fix wrong facts at the source they cite.

How Schkovl can help

We audit listings and site facts for consistency in a Gap Analysis, then keep them right through Digital Growth Services and SEO & Answer Engine Optimization. Start here.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Does ChatGPT use Google Business Profile data?

OpenAI's pages do not say. They name Microsoft and Shopify as search providers and say third-party providers supply things like nearby business listings, without naming them.

Should my business be on Yelp for AI answers?

OpenAI names Yelp for restaurant reservations, and Perplexity was reported in 2024 to license Yelp business data. Neither proves Yelp drives answers for every business type, but an accurate Yelp listing is a reasonable step if your category is on Yelp.