ChatGPT Ads is here: how OpenAI’s new advertising platform works

For years, the industry has wondered when OpenAI would find a clear monetization path for ChatGPT. The answer is no longer a theory or a futuristic prediction: ads inside ChatGPT already exist, and OpenAI has started rolling out its own advertising ecosystem.

Yes, you read that right.

ChatGPT is already testing an advertising model based on conversational intent, featuring its own Ads Manager, CPC and CPM campaigns, a conversion pixel, and performance metrics similar to Google Ads. And although it is still limited to a few countries, this move marks the beginning of a new advertising channel: conversational advertising.

The question is no longer whether AI will change digital marketing. The real question is:

What happens when AI also becomes an advertising medium?

It changes almost everything.

What is ChatGPT Ads?

ChatGPT Ads is OpenAI’s new advertising platform integrated directly into ChatGPT. It is currently in beta and only available to selected advertisers in specific markets such as:

• United States
• Canada
• Australia
• New Zealand

For now, ads only appear to:

• Free accounts,
• and users on the Go plan.

Plus, Pro, Team and Enterprise users do not see ads.

In addition, OpenAI has confirmed that:

• users under 18 will not see ads,
• and that advertising will be clearly labeled as sponsored content.

In other words, OpenAI is building a model similar to Google Search Ads, but adapted to a conversational environment powered by generative AI.

From search engine to recommendation engine: the big shift

Until now, digital marketing was mainly divided into two major worlds:

But ChatGPT introduces a third category:

And this is extremely important.

Because users do not open ChatGPT to “browse.” They use it to solve problems, compare options, ask for recommendations, make decisions, learn, research, and shop smarter.

That means user intent is far deeper and more specific than in most other channels.

How ads work in ChatGPT

The bidding system

According to information shared by testers and industry sources, OpenAI uses a system very similar to the traditional Google Ads model:

• CPC campaigns (Cost Per Click),
• CPM campaigns (Cost Per Mille),
• real-time bidding auctions,
• and second-price auctions.

In other words: the winning advertiser does not necessarily pay their maximum bid, but rather an amount close to the second-highest bid.

Nothing particularly revolutionary here. OpenAI does not need to reinvent the advertising buying system. It simply needs the market to understand it quickly.

And honestly, copying a model that has worked for over 20 years does not sound like the worst idea in the world.

How much does it cost to advertise?

OpenAI currently recommends a CPC between:

• $3 and $5.

That may sound expensive compared to social platforms, but it makes sense once you understand the type of intent inside ChatGPT.

Because users here are not passively consuming content. They are actively trying to solve something.

ChatGPT’s Ads Manager

OpenAI is already testing its own campaign management platform.

Based on current leaks and early access reports, advertisers will be able to:

• create campaigns,
• set CPC or CPM bids,
• define campaign objectives,
• add headlines and ad copy,
• link landing pages,
• monitor performance,
• track conversions.

Available metrics would include:

OpenAI already has a conversion pixel

ChatGPT Ads includes a conversion tracking system through a conversion pixel that can be installed on a website to measure post-click actions.

That means OpenAI does not want to stop at:

• awareness,
• branding,
• recommendations.

It wants to compete in performance marketing.

And that is a huge leap.

Because the moment a platform can measure clicks, leads, sign-ups, sales and conversions, it automatically becomes a serious advertising channel.

Has ChatGPT Ads arrived in Spain yet?

No.

For now, official advertising accounts cannot yet be created from Spain, there is no public rollout date for Europe, and deployment remains limited to English-speaking countries.

And honestly, Europe will probably take longer due to regulatory concerns related to GDPR, the AI Act, consent, profiling and algorithmic transparency.

Because yes, managing ads based on AI conversations in Europe does not exactly sound like a simple administrative process.

The real shift is not the ads

And this is probably the most important reflection of this entire movement.

The big change is not that ChatGPT will display advertising.

The real shift is that conversation itself is becoming a new interface for discovery, comparison and decision-making.

Brands will now also need to optimize for generative AI systems.

And that forces brands to ask themselves new questions:

• Does AI truly understand what we do?
• Are we relevant within the conversations happening in our industry?
• Are we building semantic authority or simply producing content?
• How do we measure our visibility within generative environments?

This is where technology, measurement and strategy come together again.

At Adsmurai, we have been working in this direction for some time: helping brands understand how new digital environments evolve and how to adapt before they become the standard.