45%
of US consumers used an AI tool for local business recommendations in the past year, up from 6% the year before.
BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, n=1,002 US adults
2x
Amazon says customers interact with Alexa+ more than twice as much as they did with the old Alexa.
Amazon, Alexa+ now available to everyone in the US, updated Sept 1, 2026
$0
extra for Prime members, who get Alexa+ included. Everyone else pays $19.99 a month or uses a limited free chat at Alexa.com.
Amazon, Alexa+ now available to everyone in the US, updated Sept 1, 2026
Where Alexa gets local business information
Yelp has been Alexa's main source for local businesses for years. Yelp's 2026 filings say licensed Yelp content appears on Amazon Alexa, and that Alexa+ users can now book and manage Yelp restaurant reservations by voice. Listing services also feed Alexa directly. In 2018 Yext began sending business names, addresses, phone numbers and hours straight to Amazon.
Alexa+ adds booking partners. Thumbtack and Vagaro were already working inside Alexa+ by late 2025. On December 23, 2025, Amazon announced four more for 2026. Yelp, so Alexa+ can surface reviews and local home services from its database. Angi, so it can request quotes and book home pros. Square, so customers can book beauty and wellness appointments with Square sellers. And Expedia for travel.
Amazon says the Yelp and Angi work covers handyman, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, cleaning, moving and hauling, pest control, HVAC and appliance repair. Its examples are mowing a lawn, mounting a TV and getting a plumber out right away. Amazon said these would launch through 2026 and has not published which are live in every area, so check your own trade.
Alexa+ became available to everyone in the US on February 4, 2026. It works on Echo devices, in the Alexa app and at Alexa.com.
What Alexa appears to weigh
Amazon's own help page for booking salons, barbers, nail salons and spas says Alexa+ searches based on the customer's location and customer reviews. That is the clearest public statement of what it weighs. Distance and reviews first.
The partner model adds a third factor. Alexa can only book or request a quote from a business that is on the partner doing the booking. A barber on Square or Vagaro, a pro on Thumbtack or Angi, or a restaurant on Yelp reservations can be booked in the conversation. A business that is only on its own website may be named, but the customer has to take it from there.
Amazon has not published a ranking formula. Expect a short spoken answer with only one or two names, which makes being the first fit matter more than on a screen.
“Alexa books through its partners. If you are not on the partner, Alexa cannot book you.”
Step by step, how to get Alexa to name you
- 01
Claim and complete your Yelp page
Log in at biz.yelp.com. Set your categories, hours, phone, website, service area and services, add photos, and keep them current. Yelp is the source Alexa has used longest for local businesses.
- 02
Earn steady reviews
Amazon says Alexa+ searches on location and customer reviews. Ask happy customers for reviews on Google and on your booking partner. Yelp forbids asking for reviews, so on Yelp just make it easy to find you.
- 03
Join the booking partner that fits your trade
Home services, create or complete a Thumbtack pro profile and an Angi pro account. Salons, barbers and spas, take bookings through Square Appointments or Vagaro. Restaurants, turn on Yelp reservations.
- 04
Turn on instant booking or quotes where you can
In your Thumbtack, Angi, Square or Vagaro settings, publish your real availability, services and starting prices. A partner can only book you into time and services you have listed.
- 05
Push accurate listings data
If you use a listing service such as Yext, confirm Amazon Alexa is one of its destinations. Either way, make your name, address, phone and hours match on your site, Yelp and every partner.
- 06
Answer the spoken question on your website
Put your service area, hours, emergency or same day service, and a price range in plain text on your homepage and service pages. Alexa+ can research on the web, and short facts are easy to repeat out loud.
- 07
Respond to every booking and quote fast
Turn on notifications in each partner app. A quote request that sits for hours hurts you on the partner itself, and the partner is what Alexa+ books through.
How to check whether Alexa recommends you today
Use an Echo with its address set to your service area, or the Alexa app with location on. Ask what your customers ask. "Alexa, find me a plumber." "Alexa, who is the best HVAC company near me?" "Alexa, book a haircut for Saturday morning." "Alexa, I need someone to fix a leaking water heater today." Then try the same requests typed at Alexa.com.
Write down who it names, what it says about them, and whether it offers to book or request a quote. If it offers a booking, note which partner it uses. That tells you which platform you need to be on for your trade.
Repeat on a few days and from a second device, because answers vary. Our free pick report runs real customer questions through AI assistants and shows who gets picked and why, so you can see where you stand without testing by hand.
Questions we get asked
How do I get my business on Alexa?
- There is no direct Alexa business listing. Claim and complete your Yelp page, join the booking partner for your trade (Thumbtack or Angi for home services, Square or Vagaro for appointments), and keep your listings data accurate. Alexa finds businesses through these partners.
Where does Alexa get business information?
- Mainly from Yelp, which Yelp's 2026 filings confirm licenses content to Amazon Alexa. Listing services such as Yext have sent data to Alexa since 2018. Alexa+ also uses Thumbtack, Vagaro, Square, Angi and Yelp for booking and quotes.
Why did Alexa recommend my competitor?
- Amazon says Alexa+ looks at the customer's location and customer reviews. A competitor closer to the customer, with more or better reviews on Yelp, or listed on the booking partner Alexa used, has an edge. Compare their Yelp page and partner profiles to yours.
What is Alexa+ and is it different from Alexa?
- Alexa+ is Amazon's AI version of Alexa, available to everyone in the US since February 4, 2026. It is included with Prime or $19.99 a month. It holds a real conversation and can book through partners, where the old Alexa mostly read out a list.
Can Alexa book appointments with my business?
- Yes, if you are on a partner it books through. Amazon lists Thumbtack and Vagaro as live partners, with Yelp, Angi and Square announced for 2026. Yelp says Alexa+ users can already book Yelp restaurant reservations.
Can I pay to be recommended by Alexa?
- Amazon has not announced paid placement in Alexa's local recommendations. Partners such as Yelp, Thumbtack and Angi sell their own ads, but Amazon has not said those affect what Alexa says. Reviews and a complete partner profile are what Amazon says it uses.
Your free report
Find out who the assistants pick in your area
Get a free pick report. We run your customers' real questions through AI assistants and show who gets picked, the reasons they give, and what to fix first.
- 01We read your site and work out what your customers ask an assistant for.
- 02We run the top assistants on those requests in your area.
- 03You get where you rank, whether they would book you and why, and what to change first.