Short answer: As of October 21, 2026, ChatGPT Ads are available in 89 countries, and OpenAI says more than 100,000 advertisers have run campaigns. Ads appear only to adults on the Free and Go plans, are labeled and kept separate from answers, and are bought on CPM or CPC through the self-serve Ads Manager. OpenAI switched AI creative enhancements on by default at the end of October 2026, so advertisers who need to approve every headline should turn them off in Ads Manager settings.
By Garry Grant, CEO of SEO Inc. Updated October 31, 2026. Every fact below links to its source.
ChatGPT Ads timeline: from test to 89 countries
| Date (2026) | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Jan 16 | OpenAI publishes its ad principles and plans a US test for logged-in adults on Free and Go |
| Feb 9 | US ad test begins |
| May 5 | Self-serve Ads Manager beta with CPC bidding, Conversions API and pixel |
| By Aug 11 | Ads live in the UK, Mexico, Brazil, Japan and South Korea |
| Sep 16 | AI-generated ad creative, opt-in creative enhancements, HubSpot and Shopify integrations, Sponsored Agents test (US) |
| Oct 5 | Visual ads during image generation (US test), more measurement partners, brand suitability pilots |
| Oct 21 | 26 more countries, 89 in total, and 100,000+ advertisers |
The October 21 expansion added markets including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Nigeria, South Africa, Serbia, Ukraine, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Availability is not the same as self-serve access: OpenAI’s help center lists a narrower set of countries where advertisers can buy directly in Ads Manager, and the billed business must be based in a listed country.
How ChatGPT Ads work: formats, targeting and bidding
Formats
Sponsored listings that are labeled and separate from ChatGPT’s answer. A visual format next to image generation and Sponsored Agents are in limited US tests.
Matching
OpenAI matches ads to the topic of the conversation, past chats and past ad interactions. Conversations are not shared with advertisers.
Audiences
First-party Custom Audiences, uploaded directly or through LiveRamp RampID, can be included or excluded.
Bidding
CPM and CPC buying. On CPC, OpenAI says you are “only charged based on a click outcome.” OpenAI has not published prices; figures in trade press are estimates.
Measurement
Conversions API and pixel, aggregated reporting, plus partners including AppsFlyer, Adjust, Northbeam, Triple Whale, Haus and Measured.
Reporting lag
Impressions, clicks and CTR refresh about every 15 minutes, but spend can lag 7 to 8 hours.
OpenAI’s stated principles include: “Ads do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives you,” and ads are not shown to users under 18 or near sensitive topics such as health, mental health or politics.
Creative enhancements are now on by default: how to opt out
OpenAI emailed advertisers on October 20, 2026 that creative enhancements would be switched on by default for new and existing self-serve campaigns. That change has now taken effect.
Creative enhancements rewrite headlines and descriptions to fit the conversation, translate ad text, resize images and can change the destination URL to a more relevant page on your site. Variations can run without you reviewing or approving each version.
Already live. OpenAI’s email gave Friday, October 30 and its help article Thursday, October 29 as the switch-over date. Either way, enhancements are now on for any account or campaign that had not opted out. You can switch them off at any time, and earlier opt-outs were kept.
Open Ads Manager settings
Go to Settings, then Manage settings in ChatGPT Ads Manager.
Switch off at account level
Turn off the Creative enhancement toggle to cover every campaign.
Or decide per campaign
Campaign settings override the account default, so you can test enhancements on one campaign.
Check regulated copy
Advertisers whose claims need legal review should keep enhancements off.
Who can advertise on ChatGPT
OpenAI’s ad policies (version 1.6, September 10, 2026) prohibit gambling, alcohol and tobacco, political content, adult content, recreational drugs, credit repair and debt settlement, and job and housing listings. Financial, health and legal services are allowed only in the US, case by case, and may require licensing. Landing pages must be reviewable.
How to start a ChatGPT Ads campaign the right way
- Confirm eligibility first: your category under OpenAI’s policies, and whether your country supports self-serve buying.
- Install the Conversions API and pixel before launch so CPC bidding and conversion reporting work from day one.
- Write many distinct ad angles. OpenAI’s own guidance is to build several variations, each with a different angle.
- Suppress existing customers with first-party Custom Audiences.
- Treat visual ads and Sponsored Agents as pilots, since they are limited US tests.
- Do not judge delivery on spend alone, because spend can trail clicks by hours.
SEO Inc. manages ChatGPT Ads alongside Google and Microsoft campaigns. See our ChatGPT Ads management service, our PPC management, and our professional SEO services for earning unpaid visibility in ChatGPT answers.
ChatGPT Ads FAQ
How many countries have ChatGPT Ads?
89 countries as of October 21, 2026, after OpenAI added 26 new markets. Self-serve buying in Ads Manager is available in a smaller set of countries listed in OpenAI’s help center.
How many advertisers use ChatGPT Ads?
OpenAI says more than 100,000 advertisers have run campaigns on ChatGPT. That is a cumulative count since launch, not the number of active advertisers.
Which ChatGPT users see ads?
Only logged-in adults on the Free and Go plans. Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise plans are ad-free, and users under 18 do not see ads.
Do ads influence ChatGPT’s answers?
OpenAI says no: ads are labeled, shown separately from the answer, and do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives. OpenAI also says it does not sell user data or share conversations with advertisers.
How do I opt out of ChatGPT Ads creative enhancements?
In ChatGPT Ads Manager, go to Settings and turn off the Creative enhancement toggle at the account level, or turn it off per campaign. Enhancements switched on by default at the end of October 2026; you can turn them off at any time, and earlier opt-outs were kept.
How are ChatGPT Ads priced?
Advertisers buy on CPM or CPC through Ads Manager, and on CPC OpenAI charges only for clicks. OpenAI has not published price levels, so any CPM or CPC figures in the press are estimates.
What businesses cannot advertise on ChatGPT?
OpenAI’s policies prohibit gambling, alcohol and tobacco, political content, adult content, recreational drugs, credit repair and debt settlement, and job and housing listings. Financial, health and legal services are US-only and reviewed case by case.
Sources
- OpenAI: ChatGPT Ads expands to 26 new countries (Oct 21, 2026)
- OpenAI: Our approach to advertising and expanding access (Jan 16, 2026)
- OpenAI: Testing ads in ChatGPT (Feb 9, 2026)
- OpenAI: New ways to buy ChatGPT ads (May 5, 2026)
- OpenAI: Reimagining advertising with AI (Sep 16, 2026)
- OpenAI: New ChatGPT ads format and measurement (Oct 5, 2026)
- OpenAI Help: Creative enhancements for ChatGPT Ads
- OpenAI Help: ChatGPT Ads availability
- OpenAI: Ad policies (v1.6, Sep 10, 2026)
- Search Engine Land: ChatGPT Ads to enable creative enhancements (Oct 21, 2026)
- TechCrunch: OpenAI launches visual ads alongside image generation (Oct 5, 2026)
Facts checked October 31, 2026. Figures belong to the cited publishers; where Google or OpenAI has not published a number, we say so.
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