NZ AI-Findability Index, September 2026 edition

Name: NZ AI-Findability Index, September 2026 edition
Creator: List-It
Published: 2026-09-20T14:17:24.321+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

List-It

This is the September 2026 edition, frozen on 21 September 2026. It does not change. The live index, updated daily, is at /findability.

September 2026 edition

The NZ AI-Findability Index

Findable, nationally

60.8%

of 112,573 business websites read

Did not load at all

20.9%

23,525 sites did not resolve when we visited

Findable, of those that loaded

76.9%

the fairer per-site number

On the register with a website

15.7%

120,669 of 769,478 entities

According to the List-It NZ AI-Findability Index (September 2026 edition, list-it.nz/findability/editions/2026-09), 60.8% of the 112,573 New Zealand business websites read could be confidently recommended by an AI assistant.

Source register: Companies Office Bulk Data September 2026, no file generation date stated in the release, 769,478 entities
Websites read: 112,573, read between 5 September 2026 and 21 September 2026, of 120,669 on the register with a website
Method: We read each business’s own website for four facts (about text of 40 characters or more, a dialable phone number of 6 to 12 digits, a logo image, and a link to at least one social profile). At least 3 of the 4 facts. Full method.
Computed: 21 September 2026 at 2:17 am NZ, frozen 21 September 2026 at 2:17 am NZ
Code: dpl_Bvu6wmmMapu7ocUyyq35hcuyKuS1

How we got this number

Findable, nationally: 60.8%
Among NZ businesses whose own website List-It has read, a business counts as findable when that website exposed at least 3 of 4 facts an AI assistant needs: a description of what it does, a valid phone number, a logo, and a social profile. Every fact is read from the business’s own website. Nothing List-It has added to a page counts towards its score.
68,444 of 112,573

Did not load at all: 20.9%
The site did not resolve when we visited. A site an assistant cannot load cannot be read by it either, so these count as not findable.
23,525 of 112,573

The denominator is every entity on the NZBN register, dormant companies and holding companies included. We do not filter it, because any filter would be a guess. Treat these as figures for the register, not for the trading economy.

Check it yourself. Any single business can be run through the free check, which shows the same four facts for that business, so you can test the method on a business you know.

Download this edition · How it is measured · All editions

By region

As at 21 September 2026. Regions with at least 100 businesses with a website.

#	Region	Findable	Description	Phone	Logo	Socials	Businesses
1	Southland	66.8%	58.8%	73.8%	84%	48.9%	977
2	Northland	65.4%	59.8%	70%	79.8%	45%	2,400
3	Taranaki	65%	58.8%	67.9%	78.9%	47.9%	1,812
4	Marlborough	64.4%	59.2%	69.2%	81.3%	46.8%	699
5	Hawke's Bay	64%	58.2%	68.4%	78.7%	47.2%	2,837
6	Bay of Plenty	63.8%	59.4%	68.6%	79.5%	45%	7,002
7	Nelson	63.4%	57.6%	70.1%	80.1%	46.3%	1,581
8	Otago	63.2%	59.1%	67.3%	79.5%	46.3%	5,245
9	Waikato	62.5%	57.7%	67.2%	78.6%	45.2%	9,041
10	Canterbury	62%	57%	68%	79.8%	45.8%	13,453
11	Tasman	62%	57.4%	65.2%	79%	47.5%	305
12	Manawatū-Whanganui	61.9%	55.4%	68.6%	79.5%	43.7%	2,711
13	Gisborne	60.9%	53.6%	67%	79.6%	45.5%	560
14	Wellington	60%	55.7%	65.3%	79.2%	44%	12,472
15	Auckland	58.9%	54.5%	65.4%	78.2%	42.8%	51,232
16	West Coast	57.3%	47.6%	69.1%	78.5%	43.9%	246

By trade

Trades with at least 200 businesses with a website.

#	Trade	Findable	Claimed	Businesses
1	Vets & Pet Care	70.5%	0%	386
2	Accommodation & Stays	68.9%	0%	1,609
3	Health & Beauty	67.9%	0%	8,059
4	Education & Training	64.4%	0%	1,966
5	Trades & Services	64.3%	0%	27,682
6	Automotive	63.6%	0%	3,841
7	Food & Producers	63.3%	0%	1,819
8	Makers & Studios	61.5%	0%	5,519
9	Cafés & Eating	61.4%	0%	4,015
10	Activities & Tourism	60.1%	0%	3,175
11	Retail & Shops	59.5%	0%	10,285
12	Professional Services	59.1%	0%	19,020
13	other	57.6%	0%	16,428
14	Web, SEO & Marketing	49.4%	0%	8,769

By town

Towns with at least 150 businesses with a website. Top and bottom ten.

Most findable

Sydenham73% · 419

Ashburton72.9% · 377

Hawera71.3% · 157

Te Aro69.5% · 420

Wellington Central68.8% · 349

Raglan67.7% · 254

Addington67.3% · 493

Takapuna67.3% · 965

Whangarei67.2% · 1,541

Mount Maunganui67.1% · 827

Least findable

Botany49.2% · 195

Mt Roskill49.5% · 550

Northland Wellington50.5% · 198

Browns Bay50.9% · 391

Halswell51.5% · 336

Mangere51.5% · 586

Glenfield52% · 381

Pakuranga52.1% · 219

Karori52.5% · 240

Remuera52.8% · 1,047

Cite this edition

List-It NZ AI-Findability Index, September 2026 edition, list-it.nz/findability/editions/2026-09, accessed 21 September 2026

More formats, the data files and their checksums are on the data page. For a cut we have not published, a town, a single trade, two places compared, email info@list-it.nz and we will run it, usually the same day.