ChatGPT Advertising: what we know, what we don't, and what to do now

Yes, beta testing is live. OpenAI began testing ads in mid-January 2026, with select brands starting campaigns as early as February 6, 2026. Access is currently invite-only with a $200K minimum commitment.

Not yet via self-serve. The beta requires a ~$200,000 minimum commitment and is invite-only through OpenAI's sales team. Some brands have been approached with commitments ranging from $100K-$250K depending on profile.

Beta pricing is approximately $60 CPM (cost per thousand impressions). This is premium pricing—near Super Bowl ad rates on a CPM basis—reflecting the high-intent, contextual nature of the placement.

No. Ads appear only for free-tier users and the new ChatGPT Go tier ($8/month). Plus ($20/mo), Pro ($200/mo), Business, Enterprise, and Edu tiers remain ad-free. This means ~95% of users will see ads.

Ads are contextual to the conversation—not based on user demographics or profiles. Users can also ask follow-up questions directly about advertised products within the same conversation, creating interactive engagement.

Focus on: (1) Building "sponsored-answer" creative that's helpful and evidence-backed, (2) Mapping your highest-intent buyer problem-spaces, (3) Setting up measurement that doesn't rely on clicks (UTMs, CRM capture, incrementality), and (4) Creating landing pages that continue the conversation.

OpenAI provides aggregated metrics (impressions, engagement rates) but not individual user data. Early analysis suggests attribution will be challenging, especially for B2B with long sales cycles. Build incrementality assumptions and brand lift tracking now.

OpenAI excludes ads from sensitive topics including health, mental health, and politics. Users under 18 won't see ads (enforced via age-prediction model). Brands in regulated categories should prepare alternative positioning.