On May 5, 2026, OpenAI launched the self-serve Ads Manager in beta: advertisers in the U.S. can now buy ads in ChatGPT directly through ads.openai.com.
How campaigns work
The campaign structure has three levels: Campaign, Ad Group, and Ad. At the ad group level, advertisers set “context hints” describing the types of conversations where ads should appear.
An ad consists of a brand favicon, headline, description, image, and landing page link. Before launch, every ad goes through manual moderation by OpenAI.
Who sees the ads
Ads are shown only to ChatGPT users in the U.S. on the Free and Go plans. Ads are not shown on other plans or to minors.
Budgets, bidding, and categories
Minimum budget requirements have been removed. OpenAI also added cost-per-click (CPC) bidding alongside the existing cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM) model, plus a Conversions API and pixel for tracking post-click actions.
Allowed categories are currently limited to home goods, local services, travel, entertainment, and education.
What’s in development
According to OpenAI monetization head Asad Awan, cost-per-action (CPA) bidding and third-party measurement integrations are also in development, though the company has not disclosed timelines or partners. Advertisers currently receive only aggregated metrics, without access to chat content or users’ personal data.
OpenAI revenue targets
According to Reuters, during the first six weeks of the pilot launched in February 2026, OpenAI generated more than $100 million in advertising revenue, with reported targets of $2.5 billion for 2026 and $100 billion by 2030.
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