Yelp rolls out upgraded AI assistant for seamless booking and queries in one chat

For years, consumer internet platforms have worked to keep users inside their apps by expanding the range of services they offer. With the rise of AI chatbots, that strategy is shifting toward a more conversational model in which users can both ask questions and take actions without leaving the chat. In its latest update, Yelp is moving strongly in that direction, allowing users to ask questions, make restaurant reservations, order food delivery, and book service professionals directly through its updated AI assistant.

The company introduced its AI assistant in 2024 to help users find services tailored to specific needs. It is now building on its platform data and AI capabilities to support a wider range of actions within the same interface.

In a demo viewed by TechCrunch, Yelp’s senior vice president of product, Akhil Kuduvalli Rames,h showed how users could search for dog-friendly hiking spots, find nearby takeout options with the ability to order via DoorDash, explore restaurant suggestions for weekend plans with reservation availability, and even ask for help arranging services like painting a Victorian house — all without leaving the chat.

“We would really like consumers to reconceive Yelp as a place where they can ask questions and get answers, not just that, but also complete the action. That’s Yelp reconceiving from a review platform to an answers and action platform,” he said. “Some of the investments we’re making will be in that lane.”

Users can tap into specific business pages for more details or ask follow-up questions about listings. Yelp says its responses are grounded in structured business information, website data, and user reviews, which reduces the likelihood of incorrect answers.

The assistant is being placed in a dedicated tab inside the app, now positioned centrally in the bottom navigation bar to encourage frequent use. It will launch on both iOS and Android, covering restaurants, retail stores, attractions, and other services. A desktop version and broader rollout across business pages are planned for later this year.

Yelp is also integrating external service providers to complete actions directly from the assistant. These include ordering food via DoorDash and Grubhub, booking fitness or beauty appointments through Vagaro, scheduling medical visits via Zocdoc, arranging car repairs through RepairPal, and managing general bookings via Calendly.

However, these actions currently redirect users to external apps or websites rather than completing transactions entirely within the chat interface. Kuduvalli noted that while this is the current setup, it may evolve toward deeper integration in the future.

A key challenge remains how such systems will handle overlapping provider options, such as when users do not specify whether they prefer DoorDash or Grubhub.

Alongside the AI assistant upgrade, Yelp is introducing additional usability features. The company previously launched a tool allowing users to scan menus and view dish photos uploaded by other users. Now, those images can be browsed directly within the app while scanning menus.

Users will also be able to search business media galleries using natural language instead of keywords. In addition, Yelp is adding an AI-powered tagging and grouping tool to organise before-and-after photos, reducing manual effort automatically.