Does ChatGPT know my location for local searches?
By the Pickgap team · Updated Oct 15, 2026 · 1 min read
Roughly. OpenAI says ChatGPT search can use an approximate location derived from your connection to make results relevant, so 'near me' questions get local answers. It isn't precise, and naming the city or neighborhood in the question gives more reliable results. When testing your own visibility, always include your customers' city.
How it works
When ChatGPT searches the web, OpenAI says it may share general location information, based on your IP address, with its search providers so results are relevant to where you are. That's how "plumber near me" returns plumbers in your area rather than somewhere random.
It's approximate. An IP address points to a city or region, not a street, and VPNs or mobile networks can place you somewhere else entirely. ChatGPT may also use a location you mention earlier in the chat or have saved in memory.
Why it matters for testing
If you test your own business from your office, you're seeing answers for your office's location, and possibly for an account that knows a lot about you. Your customers may live across town, or in a different suburb, and see different businesses.
To test fairly:
- Put the city or neighborhood in the question: "best roofer in Plano, TX".
- Use a temporary chat or a logged-out session, so memory doesn't shape the answer.
- Test the different areas you serve separately.
Pickgap runs every question as a searcher located in the business's city, so results reflect what local customers see, not where you happen to be.
"Near me" vs. naming a place
Customers do both. "Near me" questions depend on the asker's location and favor businesses close to them. Questions with a place name depend on which businesses the web associates with that place. Being clear about your city and service areas on your website and listings helps with both. See AI search for service-area businesses.