An AI agent books a business in three stages: it finds the business, understands whether it fits the customer's request, and completes the next step for them. A site that fails any stage loses the request, usually without anyone noticing. This checklist covers all three in twelve checks. Each one links to the guide that explains it, and the agent-ready guide explains how they fit together.
Run the free AX Audit first if you want a head start: it tests many of these checks automatically and ranks the fixes.
Be found
1. AI crawlers are allowed in robots.txt. Check each crawler by name: GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, and ChatGPT-User for OpenAI; ClaudeBot, Claude-SearchBot, and Claude-User for Anthropic; PerplexityBot; and Google-Extended. A rule for one doesn't cover the others. How to check robots.txt for AI crawlers
2. Key pages work without JavaScript. Open your homepage and a service page with JavaScript turned off, or view the page source. Your services, prices, location, and contact details should be in the HTML.
3. No bot wall in front of public pages. A CAPTCHA or aggressive bot protection on the homepage stops agents as well as spam. Keep challenges on forms and logins, not on the pages agents read. Is your website visible to AI agents?
4. An llms.txt file summarizes the business. A short plain-text file at /llms.txt with what you do, who you serve, and links to your key pages. What is llms.txt?
Be understood
5. Business facts match everywhere. Name, address, service area, hours, and phone are identical on your site, your Google Business Profile, review sites, and your structured data. Conflicts give an agent a reason to pick someone else.
6. Each service has its own plain description. Who it is for, who it is not for, price or price range, duration, and what the first appointment looks like. "Personalized care" tells an agent nothing it can compare.
7. Structured data describes the business and its services. Schema.org markup such as LocalBusiness and Service, with the same facts as the page. Schema.org for AI agents
8. Proof and policies are on the page. Reviews, credentials, cancellation and refund rules, and response times. An agent uses them to justify a recommendation and to answer the customer's follow-up questions. How AEO differs from SEO
Be bookable
9. The form can be completed without clicking through it. An assistant should be able to read the questions and submit the answers directly. On a Dashform form, AI Handoff adds an Or let your AI fill it in row to the start screen. Can an AI assistant fill out your intake form?
10. The questions decide fit. Ask what tells you whether a request is worth a call: service, budget range, timing, location. Use specific options an assistant can choose from a customer's notes. An Agent Funnel does this for people and agents in one flow.
11. The next step confirms. A Reply is an inquiry. Put a booking widget or calendar link on the step after the form so a qualified request reaches an open slot, and route Replies to your team the moment they arrive. How service businesses become bookable by AI agents
12. AI clients can reach you directly. List your business so AI clients connected to Dashform can find it by category or location and submit a Reply: turn on Marketplace participation in your form's Agent tab and complete the Business Profile and Booking Link. How to get booked through ChatGPT and Claude
Check your work
Once you've worked through the list:
- Re-run the AX Audit and compare your AX Score with the first run. How the AX Audit works explains each check, and the leaderboard shows how your category scores.
- Ask ChatGPT and Claude about your business, in a fresh chat, the way a customer would. Check whether they find you and whether they quote your facts correctly.
- Have an assistant complete your own form with a made-up customer's notes, and look at what arrives.
None of this guarantees an agent will choose you. It removes the reasons it would skip you, and that is the part you control.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which checks should I do first?
Start with crawler access and server-rendered content. If an AI agent can't read your site, nothing else on the list matters. Then fix inconsistent business facts, then the form.
How long does the checklist take?
The checks themselves take an afternoon. The fixes depend on your site: a robots.txt rule takes minutes, while rewriting service pages or replacing a contact form can take a few days.
Do I need a developer?
For robots.txt, structured data, and server-rendered pages, usually yes, or your website platform's settings. The service descriptions, the form, and the booking link are things a business owner can do alone.
