OpenAI began selling ads inside ChatGPT in late 2025, creating the first major advertising channel inside a generative AI chatbot. The format remains small, but falling spending minimums, new performance pricing, and adtech partnerships are widening access beyond the largest brands. This FAQ covers how ChatGPT ads work, what they cost, and how marketers should evaluate the channel in 2026.

What are ChatGPT ads?

ChatGPT ads are sponsored placements that appear within ChatGPT conversations, sold by OpenAI through a pilot program and through adtech partners. The newest format lets advertisers create ads by sharing product information feeds with OpenAI, which the chatbot uses to surface relevant products in responses, according to The Information. OpenAI has also partnered with LiveRamp to improve measurement.

The channel is early-stage. EMARKETER expects ads in AI chatbots to generate less than $1 billion in revenues in 2026, about 3% of total AI advertising spending, per a June 2026 EMARKETER analysis. This indicates the format matters more as a test bed for AI-era advertising than as a scaled channel today.

How much does ChatGPT advertising cost?

ChatGPT advertising costs have dropped sharply since the ad beta launched. OpenAI initially set pricing at a $60 CPM and required roughly $200,000 upfront, per an April 2026 EMARKETER article. OpenAI then launched an ads manager and cut the pilot minimum to $50,000 in April 2026. Adtech partners have pushed entry costs lower still. Criteo reduced ChatGPT campaign spending minimums to $10,000, down from $50,000, and added simplified product-feed integrations and financial incentives, according to a June 2026 EMARKETER article citing Adweek. OpenAI is also shifting select ads from impression-based pricing to cost-per-click pricing, which gives performance-focused buyers a clearer way to justify spending.

Why are advertisers interested in ChatGPT ads?

Scale and intent drive advertiser interest in ChatGPT ads:

• Audience reach. ChatGPT is used by nearly three-quarters of the 152.9 million US generative AI users, per a June 2026 EMARKETER forecast.
• Traffic concentration. ChatGPT accounts for 70% of AI assistant traffic, according to a Criteo pitch deck shared with Digiday.
• Moments of discovery. Conversational prompts reveal shopper priorities and purchase considerations in ways keyword searches do not, letting ads reach consumers at points of high intent.

OpenAI projects $2.5 billion in ad revenues in 2026, per EMARKETER. This suggests OpenAI will keep expanding formats and targeting to attract budgets.

What are the risks of advertising in ChatGPT and other AI chatbots?

Consumer trust is the central risk of AI chatbot advertising. 63% of US adults say ads in AI search results would make them trust the output less, according to a January 2026 Ipsos survey cited by EMARKETER. 57% say ads in AI chatbots would reduce trust in the advertised brand, per a Partnercentric survey cited in the same article. Chatbots also face a credibility gap. Just 24% of consumers say AI chatbots offer the least biased recommendations, compared with 41% for Reddit and 29% for product review websites, per Partnercentric. Advertisers face their own concerns: limited performance data has made ChatGPT a measurement black box, which OpenAI is addressing through click-based pricing and its LiveRamp partnership.

How do ChatGPT ads perform for brands?

Performance evidence remains thin because the format is new and measurement is limited. Early advertisers received little information on ad performance beyond impressions, which made it difficult to determine whether ads drove specific business outcomes, per an April 2026 EMARKETER article. OpenAI's planned action-based ads, designed to drive app downloads or purchases, plus its Conversions-focused measurement updates, aim to close that gap. Comparable chatbot formats show promise. Amazon reports that almost 20% of shoppers who interact with a sponsored prompt continue the conversation about that brand, and around 70% of those who buy after clicking a sponsored prompt are new to the brand, per AdWeek reporting cited by EMARKETER. This suggests conversational ads can drive brand discovery, not just conversion.

How do Amazon and Walmart approach AI chatbot advertising?

Amazon and Walmart are building chatbot ad strategies on top of retail data, taking different paths than OpenAI. Amazon is migrating ad capabilities from its Rufus shopping assistant, including sponsored ads and product and brand prompts, to Alexa for Shopping. Alexa for Shopping draws on non-shopping signals such as recipe searches and music preferences to improve relevance, per AdWeek reporting cited by EMARKETER. Walmart is more conservative, prioritizing contextually relevant experiences over higher ad loads, chief growth officer Seth Dallaire said at the June 2026 Evercore Consumer & Retail Conference. EMARKETER analysis suggests retailers hold an advantage over standalone chatbots: shoppers already expect ads on retail platforms, and retailers' purchase data supports more relevant targeting.

How should marketers approach ChatGPT advertising in 2026?

Treat ChatGPT advertising as a structured test, not a core channel. Tactics to consider:

• Enter through adtech partners. Criteo's $10,000 minimums and simplified product-feed integrations lower the cost of a first test versus buying directly from OpenAI. StackAdapt also sells ChatGPT inventory.
• Demand performance measurement. Favor click-priced inventory and push for outcome data before scaling spend.
• Protect brand trust. Because most consumers say chatbot ads reduce trust, prioritize formats that help users solve problems rather than interrupt them.
• Watch the competitive set. Amazon, Walmart, and Google are building rival AI ad surfaces, so lessons from ChatGPT tests will transfer.

With chatbot ad revenues expected to stay under $1 billion in 2026, early tests buy learning, not scale.

EMARKETER forecast data was current at publication and may have changed. EMARKETER clients have access to up-to-date forecast data. To explore EMARKETER solutions, click here.

We prepared this article with the assistance of generative AI tools and stand behind its accuracy, quality, and originality.