The AI agent isn't just answering questions anymore. It's choosing which tool gets the job.
On September 25, Anthropic opened a submission portal for its Claude directory, where companies are invited to list plug-ins and connectors that people add right inside Claude (think Adobe, Canva and more). Four days later at DevDay, OpenAI said it had improved how plug-ins are ranked and recommended within ChatGPT's directory, and when ChatGPT recommends a vendor plug-in in the middle of a conversation. And on November 17, Google starts converting Gemini Gems into Skills, which Gemini can apply on its own when it decides one of those skills is relevant.
When you add up these new changes, a pattern shows up. The AI agent isn't just answering questions anymore. It's choosing or recommending which tool to use to get the job done.
That's a different kind of AI visibility. Being cited means the AI mentions you. Being picked means the AI engine uses your plug-in, often before the buyer ever compares options. Ask ChatGPT to turn an essay into a LinkedIn carousel, and the plug-in it reaches for will win the job. The ones it passes over never get a second look.
The AI platforms (ChatGPT and Claude) decide which plug-ins people see first. Anthropic's own documentation says it decides where a listing is placed in its directory, and whether it earns a “Verified label,” during review. There's no form to apply for a better spot.
So what earns the pick? Early signs point to the listing itself. When I tested ChatGPT right after OpenAI announced this change at DevDay, it chose a plug-in based on what the listing specifically promised, not on the brand's reputation. What would happen if I added one constraint, like a tight budget? Would the plug-in pick change? (The answer is in our full write-up on the Ignite X blog.)
This is the same lesson AI search has been teaching us, now applied to plug-ins. Brands that spell out exactly what their plug-ins do, who they’re for and when to use them get chosen. For example, Canva’s plug-in names specific features, like Brand Kit checks and LinkedIn resizing. So, remember specific beats general. I’d also encourage thoroughness over brevity. Vague descriptions get skipped, whether they live on your website, in a Reddit thread or in a plug-in listing.
If your company makes a product that does a specific job, two questions belong on this quarter's list. Should we list our product as a plug-in in these AI platform directories? And if we do, does our listing tell the assistant exactly when to pick us?
Being cited gets you mentioned. Being picked gets you used.
Get Found. Get Cited. Get Chosen.
