Does Microsoft Copilot recommend local businesses?
Updated October 15, 2026
Yes. Ask Copilot for a plumber in your town and it usually names a few local businesses with links. Microsoft says Copilot grounds its answers in Bing search results, so Bing's index and your Bing Places listing feed what it says. We don't test Copilot in our check yet, so check it by hand alongside our four.
Where does Copilot get its answers?
Microsoft describes Copilot as using Bing to search the web and ground its answers, with links to the sources it used. For a local question, that means the pages Bing finds for your trade and town, plus Bing's own business listings.
ChatGPT's search has also been reported to draw on Bing's index. So a Bing presence can count twice.
What should a local business do for Copilot?
Mostly the same things that help elsewhere, with Bing in mind:
- Claim Bing Places for Business. You can import your Google Business Profile to save time.
- Check your site in Bing Webmaster Tools and make sure Bingbot isn't blocked.
- Keep your details identical on the directories Bing surfaces for your trade.
- Write pages that answer the exact questions customers ask, with your town in them.
How do I check whether Copilot names me?
Ask it the questions a customer would ask, without your business name, in a fresh conversation. Try several phrasings and note every business it names and which sources it links. Repeat a few times, because answers vary.
Our check covers ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity. We haven't added Copilot, so we don't hold stored Copilot answers and can't tell you how often it names local firms.
Check your business for free
Enter your website. We ask ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity the questions your customers ask and email you who they recommend.
Common questions
Does Copilot use Google Business Profile?
Microsoft points to Bing for Copilot's search. Bing Places can import from a Google profile, which is the quickest way to get both right.
Is Copilot in Windows the same as Copilot in Bing?
They're the same family of assistant from Microsoft, with search through Bing. The answers you see can still differ between apps and accounts.
Will you add Copilot to the check?
Maybe. For now we stick to the four assistants we can test the same way every week.
Does Copilot work for businesses outside the US?
Bing and Bing Places cover many countries, and Copilot answers about the place in the question. Check it the same way wherever you are.