ChatGPT Ads Are Here: What It Means for Brands

Not long ago, we were talking about ChatGPT advertising as a future move for 2026. Well, that future just arrived. Ads are now live inside ChatGPT, with testing now underway in the U.S. for Free users and the new, lower-cost ChatGPT Go plan.

Ads Now Live Across ChatGPT Free & Go Versions 

In early February 2026, OpenAI started testing ads inside ChatGPT for logged-in users on the Free and Go tiers in the United States. 

How Much Do ChatGPT Ads Cost?

According to reports from AdWeek, OpenAI is asking select few advertisers to commit around $200,000 and $60 CPM - a pricing model based on views, which advertisers will pay per 1,000 impressions. OpenAI has also indicated that additional ad formats, buying models and measurement capabilities will roll out over time as testing continues. In other words, this is just phase one and will continue to evolve over time.

What Do ChatGPT Ads Actually Look Like?

According to If you’re using ChatGPT on the Free or Go tier in the U.S., here’s what you might see: 

• Ads can appear right after the very first answer 
• They’re labelled “Sponsored” with a brand icon and relevant info, so users can clearly see they’re paid placements 
• They’re matched to the topic of the conversation — like products or services related to what someone asked about 
• OpenAI’s privacy rules mean advertisers don’t see user conversations, history, or personal data — only overall performance metrics like views or clicks 

OpenAI has been clear on privacy and influence: advertisers don’t see user chats and cannot shape ChatGPT’s answers. While ads may be matched to conversation context, the AI’s responses remain independent.

What Marketers Should Be Thinking About Now

If you work in marketing, this feels like one of those “remember when…” moments. Paid visibility inside a conversational AI, especially one with hundreds of millions of users, creates both opportunities and challenges and impacts the search discovery landscape. Here’s how we’re looking at it.

Think about AI discovery first

For most brands, organic presence inside AI answers is still the most accessible and cost-effective way to show up right now. Optimising your content so that ChatGPT and other models understand your brand, products and services deeply is more important than ever. 

Before you think about paid placements, think about being cited naturally. That means: 

• Structured content that clearly explains who you are and what you do 
• Content that ranks well on search and answers real user questions 
• Clean data layer and website architecture that AI systems can interpret confidently 

The brands that win organically will have an advantage, whether they choose to advertise later or not. 

AI search is changing the marketing funnel

People aren’t just googling,  they’re asking AI. These questions are often more detailed, more specific and more conversational. 

This means brands should think about: 

• Messaging that fits natural conversational contexts (not just keyword buckets) 
• Attribution models that include AI discovery 
• Treating AI visibility like a hybrid of search and display channel 

What's Next For ChatGPT Advertising?

OpenAI states they are only just beginning to test and will evolve the advertising program to include additional ad formats, objectives and buying models, and explore new ways for businesses to interact with consumers in ChatGPT. 

In Summary

1. ChatGPT ads are live (and in testing phase)

Paid placements are now appearing inside real conversations. 

2. Organic AI visibility remains critical

Being cited in AI answers is still premium positioning. 

3. Early paid access is expensive — but strategically valuable

If and when OpenAI expands the ad platform to be more accessible (especially outside the U.S.), the early adopters will have a massive advantage — not just in visibility, but in data and optimisation experience. 

This is similar to how brands learned Google Ads and Meta early: you don’t just get impressions, you get insight into user intent and behaviour. 

4. This launch currently favours larger advertisers - but there is a huge opportunity for organic strategy

Smaller and medium brands can still compete through content authority and AI search optimisation.