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Yelp Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 November 2026: press release, letter to shareholders. Guidance figures: 1 lowered, 1 narrowed, 5 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net revenue down 1% year over year: The company reported net revenue of $371 million, down 1% from the third quarter of 2025 and $1 million above the high end of its third-quarter guidance range. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA down 6% to $92 million: Adjusted EBITDA was $92 million, down 6%, with a 25% margin, and $17 million above the high end of the third-quarter range. Source
  • RR&O advertising revenue down 13%: RR&O advertising revenue fell 13% to $99 million on lower ad clicks and average CPC. Food ordering and delivery competition was a lesser factor. Source
  • Other revenue up 82% to $34 million: Other revenue rose 82% to $34 million, mainly from the Hatch addition, with growth in data licensing, food ordering and the Yelp Places API program. Source
  • Hatch run rate revenue near $37 million: Hatch annual run rate revenue reached about $37 million, up 55% year over year and 6% quarter over quarter. Growth uses unaudited pre-acquisition results. Source
  • Data licensing demand from AI partners: Data licensing demand was described as robust, including from partnerships with OpenAI and Meta. Yelp Reservations and Waitlist were integrated into ChatGPT. Source
  • Ad clicks down 8%, CPC up 2%: Ad clicks decreased 8% and average CPC rose 2% year over year, which management attributed to softer consumer demand. Source

“While we expect consumers and local businesses to continue facing a challenging economic environment, I'm confident our strategic initiatives will position Yelp to deliver long-term shareholder value.”

Jeremy Stoppelman, Yelp's co-founder and chief executive officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net revenue SourceFull year 2026$1.455 billion to $1.460 billionLowered from $1.460 billion to $1.470 billion
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFull year 2026$320 million to $325 millionNarrowed, low end up from $315 million to $325 million
Net revenue SourceFourth quarter 2026$347 million to $352 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFourth quarter 2026$57 million to $62 millionNew
Stock-based compensation as % of net revenue SourceFourth quarter 2026<6%New
Stock-based compensation as % of net revenue SourceFull year 2026~7%
Depreciation and amortization as % of net revenue SourceFourth quarter and full year 2026~5%
Acquisition and integration payments excluded from adjusted EBITDA SourceFourth quarter and full year 2026approximately $3 million and $12 millionNew
Tax benefit (affects net income, not adjusted EBITDA) SourceFourth quarter 2026approximately $30 millionNew
Other revenue annual run rate SourceEnd of 2028$250 million
Free cash flow returned to shareholders SourceEach yearmore than 50% of free cash flow

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance lowered: Full-year 2026 net revenue range lowered to $1.455 billion to $1.460 billion from $1.460 billion to $1.470 billion. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 adjusted EBITDA range narrowed to $320 million to $325 million from $315 million to $325 million; the low end rose. Source
  • New guidance: Quarterly guidance for the fourth quarter of 2026 added: net revenue of $347 million to $352 million and adjusted EBITDA of $57 million to $62 million. Source
  • New: Capital allocation framework described as evolved, with three priorities: investing for growth, acquisitions funded by cash and financing, and returning over 50% of free cash flow. Source
  • New: Yelp Reservations and Waitlist functionality was integrated into ChatGPT during the quarter. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net revenue down 1% year over year: The company reported net revenue of $371 million, down 1% from the third quarter of 2025 and $1 million above the high end of its third-quarter guidance range. Source
  • Net income fell 12% to $35 million: Net income was $35 million, or $0.63 per diluted share, versus $39 million, or $0.61 per diluted share, a year earlier. Net income margin was 9%. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA down 6% to $92 million: Adjusted EBITDA was $92 million, down 6%, with a 25% margin, and $17 million above the high end of the third-quarter range. Source
  • Free cash flow fell to $84.5 million: Free cash flow was $84.5 million in the third quarter, down from $118.9 million a year earlier. Operating cash flow was $100 million. Source

Advertising and other revenue

  • Services advertising revenue down 2%: Services advertising revenue fell 2% to $238 million on fewer ad clicks, partly offset by higher average cost-per-click. Paying Services locations also declined. Source
  • RR&O advertising revenue down 13%: RR&O advertising revenue fell 13% to $99 million on lower ad clicks and average CPC. Food ordering and delivery competition was a lesser factor. Source
  • Other revenue up 82% to $34 million: Other revenue rose 82% to $34 million, mainly from the Hatch addition, with growth in data licensing, food ordering and the Yelp Places API program. Source

“Looking ahead, we believe our disciplined approach and strategic focus on high-return areas will create long-term value.”

David Schwarzbach, Yelp's chief financial officer

Products, customers and AI

  • Yelp Host calls reached 2.5 million run rate: Yelp Host calls handled reached a 2.5 million annual run rate in October, up 15x from October 2025. Food orders through Yelp Host grew more than 6x from June to October. Source
  • Hatch run rate revenue near $37 million: Hatch annual run rate revenue reached about $37 million, up 55% year over year and 6% quarter over quarter. Growth uses unaudited pre-acquisition results. Source
  • Yelp Assistant drove project submissions: Yelp Assistant generated about 10% of Request-a-Quote projects in the quarter and contributed to project growth of about 10% year over year. Source
  • Data licensing demand from AI partners: Data licensing demand was described as robust, including from partnerships with OpenAI and Meta. Yelp Reservations and Waitlist were integrated into ChatGPT. Source

Costs, margins and net income

  • Product development expense down 17%: Product development expense fell 17% to $65 million, on more work directed to infrastructure, more capitalized costs and lower labor costs, partly offset by Hatch costs. Source
  • Cost of revenue up 16%: Cost of revenue rose 16% to $42 million, mainly on infrastructure after the Hatch acquisition and AI platform investment, partly offset by lower advertising fulfillment costs. Source
  • G&A rose on Hatch deal costs: General and administrative expense rose 2% to $46 million on Hatch acquisition and integration costs, partly offset by a lower provision for credit losses. Source
  • Other income and tax provision lower: Other income, net fell 75% to $1 million on lower interest income and higher credit facility interest expense. Tax provision fell 17% to $16 million. Source

“Our AI tools for businesses are gaining traction, supported by substantial advances in voice AI that enable more natural conversations in both Yelp Host and Hatch.”

Jeremy Stoppelman, Yelp's co-founder and chief executive officer

Advertiser demand and ad clicks

  • Paying advertising locations down 1%: Total paying advertising locations were 509 thousand, down 1%. Services locations declined, and average revenue per location fell moderately. Source
  • Ad clicks down 8%, CPC up 2%: Ad clicks decreased 8% and average CPC rose 2% year over year, which management attributed to softer consumer demand. Source
  • RR&O locations rose 3%: RR&O paying advertising locations rose 3% year over year, largely from multi-location advertisers. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Repurchases paused to repay credit line: After the third-quarter repurchases, the company paused its repurchase program to pay down the revolving credit facility. Source
  • $339 million left on authorization: $339 million remained under the repurchase authorization at September 30, 2026. Full-year repurchases totaled about $200 million. Source
  • Cash and debt at quarter end: Cash and cash equivalents were $120 million and credit facility borrowings were $75 million at September 30, 2026. Source

Strategy, investment and cost plans

  • Resources shift to high-return areas: Management said it is maintaining a disciplined approach and shifting resources toward high-return areas, after holding overall headcount approximately flat. Source
  • AI tools drive engineering efficiency: Management said AI tools have already improved product and engineering velocity, and it expects further efficiency and employee productivity gains from AI. Source
  • Stock-based compensation down to 6%: Stock-based compensation fell to 6% of revenue, three points lower than a year earlier. Management said the reduction, with share repurchases, has helped GAAP EPS. Source
  • Q4 expenses expected modestly higher: Following strong third-quarter expense favorability, management expects fourth-quarter expenses to be modestly higher, focused on Hatch and Yelp Host. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 November 2026

  • Smart Lead Reply rollout in Q4: Smart Lead Reply, a paid agentic product that responds to service pro requests, is planned for rollout in the fourth quarter. Source
  • Check for Me agent upcoming: An upcoming Check for Me agent will check restaurant wait times for users. No date was given. Source
  • Weekly list-based recommendations: Management plans to introduce weekly personalized recommendations based on users' lists. No date was given. Source
  • Assistant to use search history: Yelp Assistant will soon factor in search history and other app activity to personalize answers. Source
  • Hatch expands to more service categories: Hatch is being expanded to additional service categories, including handyman, home cleaning, masonry, moving, pest control, auto repair and pressure washing. Source
  • Repurchases to resume in 2027: Management expects to resume share repurchases in 2027, subject to market and economic conditions and business requirements. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total paying advertising locations Source509 thousand (monthly average)
Ad clicks, year over year Source-8%
Average CPC, year over year Source+2%
Yelp Host calls handled, annual run rate Source2.5 million (October 2026)
Hatch annual run rate revenue Sourceapproximately $37 million
Yelp Assistant share of Request-a-Quote projects Sourceapproximately 10%
Other revenue annual run rate Source$136 million

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management said consumers and local businesses continued to face a challenging economic environment during the quarter. Source
  • Demand: Management expects the challenging economic environment to persist in the fourth quarter, with increased pressure on advertising revenue across categories. Source
  • External: Management cited competitive pressures from food ordering and delivery providers as a factor in RR&O results, to a lesser extent. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said it recently expanded Yelp Assistant restaurant booking, building on partner integrations previewed in the prior quarter. Source
  • Not stated: Management referred to previously disclosed third-quarter repurchases of about 1.0 million shares for $25 million, at an average $26.14 per share. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.