The article explains that ChatGPT Shopping is driven by structured merchant feeds via OpenAI’s Agentic Commerce Protocol, not traditional web crawling. Contractors should model each service as a product SKU with rich, current data, and align their feed with site schema to appear in conversational recommendations and drive booked jobs. It details required and optional feed fields, how to use character limits effectively, and the controllable ranking signals like freshness, consistency, completeness, performance, and rich media. A 30-day execution plan begins with auditing top services and mapping IDs, pricing, availability, service areas, and media assets.

ChatGPT Shopping for Contractors: Feed Your Services or Get Invisible

TL;DR ChatGPT Shopping runs on structured merchant feeds, not web crawling. If you’re HVAC/plumbing/electrical, treat your services like “products” with SKUs. Max out required/optional fields, keep data fresh and consistent, add rich media and reviews, and align your feed with your site schema. This isn’t about clicks—it’s about owning the conversation so it results in calls and booked jobs.

ACP in Plain English: How ChatGPT Decides Who Shows Up

OpenAI’s Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) pipes merchant data straight into ChatGPT so it can recommend and sell in a conversation. That’s the backbone of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Translation: the machine isn’t guessing from your website—it’s reading your feed. If your data is thin or stale, you’re not getting visibility. If your data is rich, consistent, and current, you’re in the mix when a homeowner asks, “Who can do a same-day drain clear near me?”

Feeds Are the Authority—Not Your Homepage

Unlike traditional search, ChatGPT isn’t crawling everything and hoping to parse it. Your merchant feed is the source of truth. Authority is derived from that data, so your visibility and trust live or die on what you supply. For contractors, this is good news: you can control your inputs and remove guesswork.

Translate “Products” Into Service SKUs

• AC tune-up, drain cleaning, water heater replacement, panel upgrade—each becomes a product with its own ID.
• Variants capture size/options: “1-zone Mini Split Install,” “50-gal Gas WH,” “Level 2 EVSE Install.”
• Geo-targeting defines your service area and travel rules.

Build the Feed Right: Required and Optional Fields

Required fields are your foundation: product ID, title, description, price, availability, weight (for shipped items or equipment), merchant identity fields, and the main image. Treat these like paid search ad assets—you can’t afford weak inputs.

• ID: Use a durable internal code (no spaces, no reuse).
• Title: Be explicit: “Same-Day Drain Cleaning – No Trip Fee – Camera Inspection Available.”
• Description: Spell out inclusions, exclusions, timelines, and brand coverage.
• Price: Flat rate or starting-at pricing. Avoid “call for price” if you want to rank.
• Availability: Show realistic windows (same-day, next-day) and blackout periods.
• Merchant identity: NAP (name, address, phone), licenses, insurance, service area.
• Main image: Real crew, real truck, real job—no sterile stock photos.

Optional fields help you win ties and show differentiation: popularity scores, return rates (translate to callbacks/warranty claims), review data, videos/3D, custom variants, geo-targeting, and multiple categories. Use them. This is where your competitive edge lives.

Character Limits: Use the Real Estate

• Title (up to ~150 chars): Lead with the job type, add trust hooks (same-day, warranties, financing, license #).
• Description (up to ~5,000 chars): Cover process, brands, timelines, warranties, permits, disposal, financing, and service area boundaries.
• Custom variants: Think “capacity,” “fuel type,” “home size,” “breaker panel amperage.” Stay within typical caps (~70 chars for categories, ~40 for options).

Treat these like SEO title tags: front-load what matters and make every character earn its keep.

Ranking Signals You Can Actually Control

• Freshness: Update pricing, availability, promos, and inventory weekly (daily in peak season).
• Consistency: Align your feed with your site schema and NAP data. No mismatches.
• Completeness: Fill every applicable attribute. Empty fields look like risk.
• Performance signals: Low cancellation/return rates (read: low callbacks), strong review volume and ratings, fast response times. These are likely advantages.
• Rich media: Short install videos, before/after photos, crew intros—proof beats promises.
• Precise attributes: Brands, model ranges, permit handling, disposal, warranty years, financing terms.

Execution Plan: 30 Days to a Feed That Drives Calls

1. Week 1 – Audit: List your top 20 revenue services. Map each to an ID, title, price, availability, and service area. Pull review snippets and identify your best photos/videos.

2. User-provided content