Getting listed in AI assistants

How a listing differs from a recommendation

There are two ways to show up inside an AI assistant, and they work differently.

A recommendation is when the assistant names you in its answer because it found you on the web: your site, your Google profile, a directory, a review roundup. You earn that over time, and the weekly check and fix queue are how Doug works on it.

A listing is a direct connection. ChatGPT, Claude, and other assistants can connect to outside services through apps and connectors, many of them built on an open standard called the Model Context Protocol. Doug is one of those connections. When a customer asks for a plumber in your town, the assistant can ask Doug which listed businesses do that work there, and your business can come back with real open times.

The two help each other. A listing gets you booked by the customers already in the chat. Recommendations get you named in the first place.

What happens when a customer books

The assistant finds your business by what you do and where you work. It checks your open times, the customer picks one, and the deposit is taken through Stripe. The booking lands on your calendar like any other, and reschedules and cancellations follow the refund window you set.

You need the same setup as booking on your own site: your services, your hours or a connected Google or Microsoft calendar, and Stripe. Doug takes nothing off a booking payment. On paid plans, a customer Doug sends you from the directory costs $15.

A free directory listing on Doug is a separate thing. It's a page with your services, areas, and contact details, and it costs nothing. Doug starts answering and booking once you pick a plan.

Common mistakes

• Turning on the listing before your hours are right, so the assistant offers times you can't make.
• Listing services too broadly, which sends you jobs you'd rather turn down.
• Treating the listing as a substitute for being recommended, when customers still ask assistants for names first.