Ad placement
Sponsored cards beneath the organic ChatGPT answer, visually separated by a labeled divider. One to three placements per answer.
The first paid surface inside an LLM.
Self-serve since May 2026. Ads appear as labeled sponsored cards beneath ChatGPT answers. No minimum spend. We run more of this than almost anyone independent — here is what we know.
~$100M
Annualized revenue in the first six weeks of pilot.
600+
Brands testing during US pilot.
CPC + CPM
Both bid types from day one.
$3–$8
Typical CPC range in DTC categories.
How the auction actually works.
Bid types
CPC and CPM both supported. CPC is the dominant choice for direct-response; CPM is becoming the choice for brand work.
Targeting
Intent-based: bid against prompt families, not keywords. Audience signals optional. Negative prompts curated weekly.
Measurement
Click tracking native to the platform; conversion tracking via UTM + your existing pixel. Server-side tracking recommended.
Minimum spend
Zero. Removed at GA in May 2026. Most accounts start with a $2k–$10k monthly test.
Creative
Headline + structured details, written for conversational reading. Image creative optional, currently rolling out.
Questions we get about OpenAI Ads.
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How is OpenAI Ads different from Google Ads?
Three things. Intent is captured as a full prompt, not a 2–3 word query — so the targeting unit is a prompt family, not a keyword. Creative is read in flowing text, not scanned in a grid, so headlines must answer. And measurement runs through the chat session, not a clear referrer, so server-side conversion tracking matters more.
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Is the click traffic any good?
Early data shows higher intent than Google Search on transactional queries — buyers ask ChatGPT for recommendations and then click the sponsored answer. Bounce rates are below most paid-social benchmarks. Conversion rates depend on landing experience, same as any paid channel.
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How much does it cost per click?
Typical CPCs are $3–$8 in DTC categories and $8–$25 in B2B/finserv. Auction is competitive in vertical categories but sparse outside the top 200 prompt families.
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Do I need an OpenAI Partner agency?
No. The partner program (Dentsu, Omnicom, Publicis, WPP) is for enterprise spend. Independent agencies and direct-buy SMBs use the same self-serve UI. There is currently no "OpenAI Ads Certified" agency badge.
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When is it coming to my country?
US-first. UK, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, South Korea announced. EU and AU expected later in 2026. Localized auction inventory follows local availability.
Run it with us, or learn to run it.
Managed Ads, audits, or a cohort course for your team.
Book a call