Last updated November 2, 2026. Based on Yelp's October 20, 2026 announcement, checked on October 24, 2026.
Smart Lead Reply was announced but not yet live when we wrote this. We'll update this post when Yelp publishes its help pages.
If Yelp quote requests are a real part of your work and you can't always reply quickly, Smart Lead Reply is worth trying for $30 a month once it reaches your account. It only works inside Yelp, and Yelp hasn't said yet how much control you get over what it says. Set it up carefully, and don't count on it for phone calls, Google leads, or following up on quotes.
What's below: what Yelp announced, what it hasn't said, who should turn it on, how to set it up, and when you need more.
What Yelp announced on October 20, 2026
Yelp calls Smart Lead Reply "a new agentic product that responds to customers, vets leads, and helps service professionals win more business." When a customer sends a project through Yelp's Request a Quote (the button on your Yelp page that lets customers send you job details and ask for a price), it will "step in right away" and reply "directly within the message thread." (Yelp Official Blog)
It "draws on information that's already in their Yelp for Business account and Yelp business page to automatically answer customer questions, gather project details, and qualify leads." (Yelp Official Blog)
Owners can "add a scheduling link, specify services offered, set pricing or promos, indicate questions to ask, and add preferences for how conversations should be handled." (Yelp Official Blog)
Once a lead is qualified, it shares your scheduling link. "Every conversation is logged in their Yelp inbox, with a notification to review the qualified lead, and pick up where the agent left off." (Yelp Official Blog)
Yelp says the price is "$30 per month" through the Yelp Business Owner Account. Yelp says it is rolling out "next month" (November 2026) to "businesses in eligible categories that use Request a Quote, including movers, roofers, plumbers, home cleaners, contractors, electricians, and more." (Yelp Official Blog, Yelp press release)
Smart Lead Reply works in Yelp messages, not on the phone. Yelp sells a separate AI phone agent called Yelp Receptionist. (PPC Land)
Yelp also announced booking and lead-sync connections with several field-service software tools. (Yelp Official Blog)
What Yelp hasn't said yet
| Question | What Yelp has said |
|---|---|
| Can you approve replies before they're sent? | Not stated. Yelp says you get a notification to review qualified leads and can "pick up where the agent left off." (Yelp Official Blog, PPC Land) |
| Can it give a price you didn't set? | Not stated. You can "set pricing or promos." (Yelp Official Blog, PPC Land) |
| What happens when it can't answer a question? | Not stated. (PPC Land) |
| Does it tell customers they're talking to software? | Not stated. (PPC Land) |
| Is there a free trial or an off switch? | Not stated. (PPC Land) |
| Which categories are eligible? | Movers, roofers, plumbers, home cleaners, contractors, electricians, "and more." No full list yet. (Yelp Official Blog, PPC Land) |
| Is it U.S. only, and is the $30 on top of your ad budget? | Not stated. (PPC Land) |
| How well does it work? | Yelp hasn't published accuracy or results figures. (PPC Land) |
PPC Land's coverage lists the same open questions.
Who should just turn it on
It's a good fit if:
- Yelp quote requests are a steady source of work for you.
- Leads often sit for hours because you're on a job.
- You have a scheduling link for estimate visits and prices or ranges you'd stand behind for any customer.
- You're fine with a tool that only handles Yelp.
Yelp says speed matters. These are Yelp's figures: "Businesses with a response time of less than a day see 4x more requests than businesses who wait longer to reply." (How do I respond to a quote request for my business?) And: "customers are 2x more likely to respond when a pro replies within an hour and addresses project details and questions." (4 tips for turning job requests into sales)
At $30 a month, it's a small bet. Try it for a month and read every conversation.
Before you switch it on: set it up like a new hire
- List the services you do and the ones you don't, so it doesn't qualify jobs you'd turn down.
- Write the questions you'd ask on the phone: emergency or routine, what's wrong, where, and when they need it.
- Only enter prices you'd honor for any customer. If your prices depend on seeing the job, don't enter them. Have it say a person will follow up with a price.
- Only enter promos that are running right now.
- Use a scheduling link that books an estimate or a visit, not the whole job.
- Turn on Yelp for Business app notifications so you see qualified leads fast. (How do I respond to a quote request for my business?)
- Read every conversation for the first couple of weeks, and fix the setup when it gets something wrong.
The free option you already have
Every quote request already has three reply buttons: "Send an Estimate and Availability", "Need More Information", and "Unable to Service". (How do I respond to a quote request for my business?)
Yelp turns off messaging if you don't reply to a new message within 7 days and haven't replied to any message in 30 days. (How do I respond to a quote request for my business?, How do I turn messages or quote requests for my business on or off?)
Messages received after work hours aren't counted in your response time. (4 tips for turning job requests into sales)
For shops with a few Yelp leads a week that they answer the same day, the app and these buttons may be enough.
When Smart Lead Reply isn't enough
It only covers Yelp. Your phone calls, Google leads, website forms, and texts need their own answer. Google can now charge you for some missed calls.
It hands off once the lead is qualified. Yelp hasn't described following up on quotes that go quiet after the estimate. See quotes that go quiet after the call.
You want a person to approve every price, booking, or quote before it goes out. Yelp hasn't said that's possible.
Your jobs are big enough that one wrong answer costs more than the time saved.
You want every lead source handled the same way, by one setup.
Where Hardihood fits
If Yelp's agent works for your Yelp leads, keep it. We'd rather tell you that than sell you something you don't need.
Hardihood can build a mix, fitted to the shop: an agent that answers calls by voice and asks the right questions for the trade, texts back callers it missed, and follows up on quotes that go quiet. It can cover leads from all your sources, not just Yelp.
The missed-call text goes out on its own, because it only says you saw the call and will get back to them. Anything that commits you, like a price, a booking, or a quote, waits for a person to approve it.
We'll look at where your leads come from on the free call.
Fixed-price Agent Sprints: $1,500, $2,500, or $4,000, delivered in 5-12 business days. Read what an AI agent costs.
You own the agent. Need help later? We're here. But we build agents to run on their own, so most owners never need ongoing support.
Agents can connect to tools like QuickBooks, Shopify, Square, Google Workspace, and HubSpot.
Based in Alpharetta, GA. We work with businesses anywhere.
If a cheaper fix will do, we'll tell you.
See done-for-you AI automation for small businesses.
Frequently asked questions
Not sure if Yelp's agent is enough? Tell us where your leads come from. The first call is free.
Sources
Checked October 24, 2026.
- Y1 Yelp Official Blog - Do more on Yelp: Smarter AI answers, seamless reservations, and automated tools for businesses (Oct 20, 2026)
- Y2 Yelp press release - Yelp Announces More Personalized Yelp Assistant, Agent that Checks Restaurant Wait Times and AI Tools for Service Professionals
- Y3 Yelp for Business Support - How do I respond to a quote request for my business?
- Y4 Yelp for Business Support - How do I turn messages or quote requests for my business on or off?
- Y5 Yelp for Business - 4 tips for turning job requests into sales
- S1 PPC Land - Yelp charges $30 a month for AI agent that answers and qualifies leads (Oct 21, 2026)
- S2 ACHR News - Yelp Launches AI-Powered Tools for Service Contractors