How to find local businesses that need a website with an AI research agent

Sales & lead generationOpenClaw + ChatGPT/Claude

The problem

Finding local businesses with no website, or a slow one, means hours of clicking through map listings before you can pitch web-design services.

Tools needed

ChatGPT or Claude
OpenClaw (agent runner)
Google Places API
An always-on server

Step-by-step recipe

Choose a city and a business type to target.
Have the agent search Google Maps listings (via the Places API) for that category.
For each listing, check whether it has a website and test that site's speed and mobile experience.
Flag businesses with no site as high priority.
Output a ranked prospect list each day for you to review.

Copyable prompt

Prompt template

Research task only, do not contact anyone.
Find up to [30] [BUSINESS TYPE] businesses in [CITY] from map listings. For each, record: name, address, phone, rating, number of reviews, and website (or "none").
For businesses that have a site, note whether it loads well on a phone and whether it looks outdated.
Return a table sorted by how strong a prospect each is for [SERVICE]: no website first, then weak websites. Add a one-line reason per row.

Original template written by AgentRecipes, not copied from the source. Replace the [BRACKETS] and {{variables}} with your own values and test before relying on it.

What the builder reported

The poster says this step produces a daily ranked list without manual searching. The thread gives no conversion, revenue or close-rate numbers, and commenters repeatedly asked for proof that the wider system makes money.

These are the source author's own claims. AgentRecipes has not tested or verified them.

Watch out for

The poster's full setup chained six agents, including email and SMS outreach; check the rules on cold outreach where you operate before going beyond research.
The only stated running cost is a cheap server (about $5-10 a month), plus separately paid APIs such as Google Places.

Source

Original write-up: Reddit (2026-03-01) ↗

Found via Agent Use Cases: “Find web design prospects with sales agents”. This recipe summarises the source in our own words; read the original for the full details. Link last checked 2026-10-15.

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