How to Run Ads on ChatGPT: The Complete Tutorial

ChatGPT Ads are live, giving brands a new way to reach potential customers while they explore products, compare options, and make decisions through conversation. For smaller businesses, that timing matters. You do not need a huge ad budget to start learning what works, but you do need to understand how this new ad platform works before putting money behind a campaign. Editor’s note: This guide reflects OpenAI Ads Manager Beta as of September 2026. Features, specifications, advertiser availability, and campaign controls may change as the platform develops. 

If you are used to Google or Meta Ads, some parts of ChatGPT advertising will feel familiar. The setup, targeting, bidding, and campaign tracking follow the basic logic of paid advertising. The way people discover information inside ChatGPT creates a very different environment for your ads, though. Your offer can appear alongside answers at the moment someone is exploring a product, service, or solution.

This ChatGPT Ads tutorial walks you through the new self-serve advertising platform step by step. You will learn how to run ads on ChatGPT, how they differ from Google and Meta, how to set up your Ads Manager account, and how to create your first campaign. We will also cover the short ad copy limits, CPC and CPM bidding, and the metrics you need to watch after launch.

What Are ChatGPT Ads? 

You might have noticed a clearly labeled sponsored placement below a response while using ChatGPT. That is where OpenAI is introducing paid advertising. Brands can create campaigns through OpenAI Ads Manager Beta and place sponsored content in eligible parts of the ChatGPT experience. During the current rollout, ads may appear to eligible users on Free and Go plans. OpenAI does not show ads to Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, or Edu accounts or to accounts identified as belonging to users under 18.

The interesting part is how these ads are matched to users. 

Instead of targeting only a keyword, ChatGPT can consider the context of a user’s conversation and the intent behind what they are asking. The ad itself stays separate from the AI-generated answer and is clearly marked as sponsored. For advertisers, the setup includes familiar controls such as audience targeting, budgets, bidding, campaign settings, and ad creative. 

How ChatGPT Ads Work

ChatGPT Ads look at the context and intent of the current conversation. It can also consider your ad’s title, description, landing page, targeting selections, and the context hints you provide at the ad group level.

Below is a closer look at how ChatGPT Ads work: 

Ad Formats

A ChatGPT ad can include an advertiser name, logo, headline, description, image, and landing page. The sponsored placement appears below a ChatGPT response and stays visually separate from the answer itself.

Targeting and Context

This is where things get interesting. You can add context hints at the ad group level to describe the conversations, topics, or keywords where your product could be relevant. These hints guide the matching system, but they do not work like exact-match search keywords and do not guarantee that your ad will appear for a specific conversation.

Bidding and Ad Selection

OpenAI Ads Manager Beta currently supports CPM, CPC, and conversion-optimized CPC, or oCPC, objectives. CPM focuses on impressions, CPC focuses on clicks, and oCPC is designed around tracked conversion events. When multiple eligible ads compete for a placement, the system considers relevance and advertiser bids through a relevance-weighted, second-price auction. That means your bid matters, but it is not the only thing deciding delivery. Your ad needs to make sense for the conversation too.

Read more: How to Make AI Ads With Claude and Meta

ChatGPT Ads vs. Google Ads and Meta Ads

If you have run Google or Meta campaigns before, the basic idea of ChatGPT Ads will feel familiar. Here is how the three platforms compare:

Factor	ChatGPT Ads	Google Ads	Meta Ads
Main environment	ChatGPT conversations	Google Search and Google’s wider ad network	Facebook, Instagram, and Meta placements
User intent	Users can be actively exploring, comparing, or deciding through a conversation	Strong intent when users search for a product, service, or answer	Intent can vary widely based on audience, interests, behavior, and campaign setup
How relevance is established	Conversation context, ad details, targeting, and context hints	Search queries, keywords, targeting, ad relevance, and other auction signals	Audience targeting, campaign settings, creative, and Meta’s delivery system
Keyword dependence	Does not rely on traditional keyword matching alone	Keywords remain an important part of Search campaign matching	Traditional keyword targeting is not the core targeting method
Targeting approach	Context and audience controls designed for the ChatGPT environment	Keywords, audiences, locations, languages, content, and other targeting methods	Audiences, demographics, interests, behaviors, custom audiences, and other options
Where the ad appears	Below ChatGPT responses as a clearly labeled sponsored placement	Search results, websites, apps, YouTube, and other Google properties depending on campaign type	Feed, Stories, Reels, and other Meta placements depending on campaign setup
Creative requirements	Short ad copy with advertiser details, headline, description, landing page, and optional image	Requirements vary by campaign and ad format	Multiple formats including image, video, carousel, and other creative types
Campaign objectives	Currently includes CPM, CPC, and oCPC objectives	Multiple objectives and bidding strategies depending on campaign type	Objectives are built around outcomes such as awareness, traffic, engagement, leads, and sales
Bidding	CPM, CPC, and oCPC options	CPC and several automated bidding strategies	Multiple bidding and optimization options depending on the campaign
Primary strength	Reaching users during conversational discovery and decision-making	Capturing existing search demand	Reaching and influencing audiences at scale
Best opportunity	Products and services that naturally fit questions, comparisons, recommendations, and decision-making	Products and services with clear search demand	Brands that have strong visual creative and defined audience segments
Competition	Newer advertising environment with a developing advertiser ecosystem	Mature and highly competitive	Mature and highly competitive
AEO relevance	High, since the advertising environment is built around conversational answers and discovery	SEO and search intent remain central	Less directly connected to answer engine visibility
Measurement	Campaign and conversion measurement through Ads Manager	Detailed campaign, click, conversion, and attribution reporting	Detailed campaign, engagement, conversion, and attribution reporting
Best starting point for a small brand	Test a focused campaign around a clear product or service and relevant conversational contexts	Start with specific search demand and controlled targeting	Start with a focused audience and a small set of strong creatives

Read more: ChatGPT Ads vs. Google Ads: How Paid Search is Changing

The biggest difference is the setting where each platform reaches users. Google Ads captures people actively searching, while Meta Ads reaches users through social feeds and audience targeting. ChatGPT Ads sit within conversations, making relevance and user intent especially important when someone is researching, comparing, or looking for a solution.

What You Need Before Setting Up ChatGPT Ads

Before you jump into Ads Manager, have the basic campaign pieces ready. ChatGPT Ads has its own account structure, billing requirements, and creative specifications, so sorting these out first can save you a few headaches later. Here is what you need before setting up a ChatGPT Ads campaign: 

What You Need	What to Prepare	Why It Matters
OpenAI account	An existing OpenAI account linked to your work email, or a new account	You need an OpenAI account to create your Ads Manager account
Business details	Business name, website, logo, industry, country, currency, and time zone	These details are part of account onboarding and verification
Account verification	Business information and the additional details requested during verification	Your advertiser account needs to complete the review process before full access
Advertiser name and logo	The exact business name and logo you want displayed in your ad	Your account name and logo can appear directly in the ad unit
Billing profile	Business name, billing address, invoice email, and payment details	Campaigns cannot start delivering until billing is fully configured
Payment method	A valid credit card and matching billing information	Required before your campaigns can deliver
Campaign objective	Decide what you want the campaign to achieve, such as reach, clicks, or conversions	Your objective affects the campaign setup and bidding approach
Campaign budget	A starting daily or total budget you are comfortable testing	Your budget controls how much you are willing to spend during the campaign
Audience and context	The types of conversations, topics, or situations where your product is relevant	Context hints help describe where your ads may be useful
Ad copy	A clear title and description that fit the platform's character limits	ChatGPT Ads use short-form creative, so every word needs to earn its place
Landing page	A live, accessible URL that matches the product or offer in your ad	Users need a working destination after clicking your ad
Image creative	A suitable square JPG or PNG if your campaign uses an image	Image assets have specific technical requirements
Conversion tracking	Conversion events, Pixel, or Conversions API if you want conversion-based optimization	Required if you plan to use conversion-focused campaigns
Team access	Email addresses and appropriate roles for anyone helping manage the account	Ads Manager supports different levels of account access

OpenAI currently requires advertisers to complete account onboarding, verification, account information, billing, and payment setup before campaigns can deliver. You can then build campaigns through the guided workflow or use a bulk CSV upload if you are managing campaigns at scale. 

Important Note: There is one thing worth checking before you spend time preparing everything: Ads Manager availability depends on your country. OpenAI currently lists self-service availability by country, and that list can change as access expands. If self-service access is unavailable in your location, creating an account does not automatically give you access to the platform. 

How to Run Ads on Chatgpt: Setting Up Ads Manger

Once you have your business details, billing information, and campaign assets ready, you can move on to Ads Manager. This is where you will create, launch, manage, and track your ChatGPT ad campaigns.

Step 1: Go to ChatGPT Ads Manager

Head to ads.openai.com and sign in with your OpenAI account. If your business is eligible for access, you can start setting up your advertiser account there.  

Step 2: Set Up Your Advertiser Account

Start by entering your business information. You will need to provide the details associated with your company and the information that will represent your brand inside the advertising platform.  

Step 3: Complete Your Billing Setup

Next, add your billing information and payment method. Your billing setup needs to be complete before your campaigns can start delivering. Double check the business name, billing address, payment details, and other account information at this stage.  

Step 4: Get Familiar With the Dashboard

Once your account is ready, you will work inside Ads Manager. The campaign structure uses three main levels:

Level	What It Controls
Campaign	Objective, overall budget, dates, and location targeting
Ad Group	Specific themes, topics, or user contexts
Ad	The creative users see, including advertiser name, headline, description, image, and landing page

Think of the structure as a funnel. The campaign sets the overall direction. The ad group defines the specific audience context. The ad contains the message users actually see.

Step 5: Choose Your Campaign Creation Method

You have two main ways to build a campaign: 

1. Guided campaign creation lets you enter the campaign details directly inside Ads Manager. This is the better starting point if you are running your first campaign.

2. Bulk upload lets you upload campaign information through a CSV file. This can save time when you are managing several campaigns or ad groups at once. Ecommerce advertisers may also be able to create campaigns from eligible product feeds. Product-feed availability and supported features may vary by account, so check the current options in Ads Manager before building the campaign. 

For your first campaign, stick with the guided setup. It gives you a better feel for how the platform is organized.

Step 6: Create Your Campaign

Inside Ads Manager, select Create → Create campaign. You will then enter the main campaign settings, including:

• Campaign name

• Campaign objective

• Budget

• Start date

• End date

• Target countries

After saving these settings, you can create your ad group. This is where you can define the specific conversation themes or contexts that relate to your product. You then move on to the ad itself, where you add your headline, description, landing page, and other creative details.  

How to Create Your First ChatGPT Ad Campaign

Once your Ads Manager account is ready, you can start building your first campaign using the following steps: 

Step 1: Choose Your Campaign Objective

Start by deciding what you want people to do after seeing your ad. Your objective should match the actual goal of the campaign. If your main goal is to bring people to your website, choose a traffic focused objective. If you already have conversion tracking in place and want to measure actions such as purchases or sign ups, a conversion focused objective makes more sense.

Step 2: Name Your Campaign

Give the campaign a name that makes it easy to identify later. A useful naming structure could include:

Product + Audience + Objective + Month

For example:

Running Shoes | New Buyers | Traffic | Sep 2026

Step 3: Set Your Target Location

Choose the countries where you want your ads to appear. If you sell only in specific markets, keep your targeting limited to those locations. Do not target a large number of countries simply because the option is available.  

Step 4: Create Your Ad Group

An ad group can focus on a particular topic, conversation theme, or user intent that relates to your product. Think about the questions your potential customers might ask before they make a purchase. For example, a company selling office chairs could build an ad group around conversations such as:

• Best chair for working from home

• Comfortable office chair for long hours

• Ergonomic chair recommendations

• Office chair for back support

Step 5: Add Context Hints

Context hints help describe the conversations where you want your ad to be relevant. You can add relevant topics, phrases, or keywords that describe your intended context. These are signals for relevance, not traditional exact match keywords. Your ad is not guaranteed to appear every time a particular phrase appears in a conversation.  

Step 6: Set Your Campaign Budget

Now decide how much you are comfortable spending. If this is your first ChatGPT campaign, start with a controlled test budget. The purpose of the first campaign is to collect useful performance data and understand how users respond. You can increase spending later if the campaign produces results that justify it.

Step 7: Choose Your Bidding Strategy

ChatGPT Ads supports CPM, CPC, and oCPC objectives. Below, we explain what each objective means and when to use it: 

Bidding Method	What You Pay For	Best For
CPM	Impressions	Reaching a larger number of users
CPC	Valid clicks	Driving traffic to your website
oCPC	Optimized clicks based on conversion goals	Campaigns with conversion tracking

For a first campaign, CPC can be easier to understand if your immediate goal is to bring qualified visitors to your website. If you already have reliable conversion tracking, oCPC can be considered for campaigns focused on specific actions.

Step 8: Create Your Ad

Now you get to the part users will actually see. Add your:

• Advertiser name

• Logo or favicon

• Headline

• Description

• Image, if applicable

• Landing page URL

Step 9: Review Everything Before Launch

Before submitting the campaign, go through every setting one more time. Check your:

• Campaign objective

• Location

• Ad group context

• Context hints

• Budget

• Bid type

• Headline

• Description

• Landing page

• Tracking setup

Once everything looks right, submit the campaign for review and wait for it to become eligible for delivery.

How to Write ChatGPT Ad Copy

Writing ad copy for ChatGPT is a little different because you have very little room to work with. The platform gives you 16 characters for the headline and 32 characters for the description. That means you cannot squeeze in a full sales pitch. You need to make the message clear quickly using the following tips: 

Keep the Headline Short

Your headline has only 16 characters, so focus on the main benefit, product, or offer. Avoid filler words and long brand statements.

For example:

Goal	Example Headline
Product	Buy Running Shoes
Price	Shoes Under $50
Offer	20% Off Today
Service	Book a Free Call
Benefit	Better Sleep Now
Category	Shop Office Chairs

Make the Description Do One Job

You get 32 characters for the description. Use that limited space to add useful information that the headline could not fit.

For example:

Headline: Shoes Under $50Description: Free shipping today

Avoid Trying to Say Everything

With only a few characters available, resist the urge to mention every feature, benefit, and promotion. Pick one clear message.

A useful formula is:

Headline: Product or main benefitDescription: Offer, reason to click, or supporting detail

Check Your Copy Before Launch

Before publishing, make sure both fields fit the character limits and still make sense when read together. Check spelling, pricing, promotional claims, and the landing page URL too.

How to Track ChatGPT Ad Performance? 

Launching the campaign is only the beginning. Once your ads start running, you need to look at the numbers to understand how people are responding. Here are the main metrics to watch:

Metric	What It Tells You
Impressions	How many times your ad was shown
Clicks	How many users clicked your ad
CTR	The percentage of impressions that resulted in clicks
CPC	The average amount paid for a click
CPM	The cost of getting 1,000 impressions
Conversions	How many users completed your selected conversion action
Conversion Rate	The percentage of visitors who completed the desired action
CPA	How much you spent to generate a conversion

How much you spent to generate a conversion

Add UTM parameters to each landing-page URL so you can compare ChatGPT Ads traffic in GA4 or another analytics platform. Where supported, use separate parameters for campaigns, ad groups, and individual ads. Keep in mind that Ads Manager clicks and analytics sessions may differ because of page loading, consent settings, browser restrictions, redirects, and attribution rules.

For a traffic campaign, CTR and CPC can give you a useful first look. For a conversion campaign, you should pay much closer attention to conversions, conversion rate, and CPA.

How to Analyze and Optimize ChatGPT Ads 

Once you have enough campaign data, start looking for patterns. The goal is not to find the ad with the most clicks. You want to find the combination of context, message, audience, and offer that produces useful results.

Start by comparing your ad groups. If one conversational context consistently produces better clicks or conversions, that gives you a strong signal about where your product fits naturally.

Then look at your ad copy. A small change in the headline or description can affect how people respond, especially when you have only a few characters available.

You can use a simple comparison like this:

What to Compare	What to Look For
Ad groups	Which conversation contexts generate useful traffic
Headlines	Which messages attract more clicks
Descriptions	Which supporting messages improve response
CPC	Which ads bring visitors at a lower cost
Conversions	Which campaigns generate actual actions
CPA	Which campaigns produce conversions efficiently
Landing pages	Which pages turn visitors into customers

Avoid changing everything at the same time. If you change the audience, copy, budget, and landing page together, you will have a hard time figuring out what actually caused the performance change.

ChatGPT Ads Policies and Common Reasons for Rejection

OpenAI reviews ads, advertiser information, and landing pages for compliance with its advertising policies. An ad may be rejected if it contains misleading claims, promotes a restricted product, uses inaccurate branding, links to an inaccessible page, or creates a mismatch between the advertisement and its destination.

Before submitting an ad, confirm that:

• The product, price, promotion, and availability claims are accurate.

• The advertiser name matches the business shown on the landing page.

• The landing page works and does not block OpenAI’s advertising and search user agents.

• The page clearly explains the advertised product or service.

• Required disclosures are easy to find.

• The offer complies with OpenAI’s current advertising policies.

If an ad is rejected, review the stated reason, correct the specific issue, and then resubmit it. Avoid repeatedly submitting the same version without addressing the policy concern. 

ChatGPT Ads Campaign Checklist

Setting up your first ChatGPT ad campaign involves several small decisions. It helps to have a checklist before you click the launch button. You can use the table below to review your campaign from account setup to performance tracking.

Checklist Area	How to Run Ads on Chatgpt	Why It Matters
Ads Manager Account	Your OpenAI account is ready and your advertiser profile is complete	You need a properly configured account before creating campaigns
Business Information	Business name, website, industry, country, currency, and time zone are correct	These details support account setup and campaign management
Account Verification	Complete any required verification steps	Some advertising features may require account verification
Advertiser Name	Use the name customers will recognize	This name can appear alongside your sponsored ad
Logo or Favicon	Upload a clear version of your brand logo or favicon	A recognizable visual helps users identify your business
Billing Profile	Add the correct business and billing information	Your campaign needs billing information before ads can run
Payment Method	Add a valid payment method	Ads cannot deliver without an active payment method
Campaign Objective	Choose CPM, CPC, or oCPC based on your campaign goal	Your objective determines what you are trying to achieve and how the campaign is measured
Campaign Name	Give the campaign a clear, recognizable name	A consistent naming system makes reporting easier when you have multiple campaigns
Target Locations	Select the countries or locations you want to reach	Your ads should reach people in the markets you actually serve
Campaign Budget	Set a daily budget that fits your testing plan	A defined budget gives you control over campaign spending
Bidding Strategy	Select the bidding approach that fits your objective	Your bidding settings influence how the campaign competes for available placements
Ad Group Structure	Group related audiences or conversation themes together	Clear ad groups make it easier to compare different targeting ideas
Context Hints	Add relevant conversations, topics, or situations where your product fits	Context hints help describe when your ad could be relevant
Ad Headline	Keep the headline short and focused	Limited space means every word needs to communicate something useful
Ad Description	Make the description support the headline	The description gives users another reason to consider the offer
Advertiser Branding	Check your name and logo before submission	Incorrect branding can create confusion for potential customers
Ad Image	Use a clear image that represents the product or offer	Your visual should support the message instead of distracting from it
Landing Page	Confirm that the URL works and leads to the correct page	A broken or unrelated landing page can waste paid traffic
Landing Page Message	Make sure the page matches the ad	Visitors should immediately understand the connection between the ad and the page
Mobile Experience	Test the landing page on a phone	A large share of users may interact with your site on mobile devices
Conversion Tracking	Set up the required tracking if measuring conversions	You need conversion data to understand which campaigns generate useful actions
Tracking Events	Confirm that important actions such as purchases or leads are being recorded	Accurate events help you measure campaign results
Ad Preview	Review how the complete ad looks before launching	This catches formatting, spelling, branding, and messaging problems
Campaign Settings	Check dates, locations, budget, objective, and other settings	A small configuration error can affect delivery
Final Review	Read the entire campaign as if you were a potential customer	A final review can catch issues that are easy to miss during setup
Launch Status	Confirm that the campaign has been submitted successfully	You want to know that the campaign actually entered the review and delivery process
Performance Monitoring	Check impressions, clicks, CTR, CPC, CPM, and conversions	These metrics show how the campaign is performing
Conversion Results	Compare conversions and CPA against your business goal	Traffic only matters if it contributes to the result you want
Ad Group Comparison	Compare different context themes and audiences	This helps you identify where your product performs best
Creative Testing	Test different headlines, descriptions, or images when appropriate	Testing can show which messages connect better with your audience
Landing Page Performance	Compare traffic with leads, purchases, or other actions	Poor results may come from the landing page rather than the ad
Campaign Adjustments	Make controlled changes based on actual data	Small, deliberate changes make performance easier to understand

A Simple Pre-Launch Check

Before launching, make sure you can answer yes to these questions:

• Is my advertiser account fully set up?

• Is my billing information correct?

• Did I choose the right campaign objective?

• Are my target locations correct?

• Does my ad group have relevant context hints?

• Is my headline clear and within the character limit?

• Does my description support the headline?

• Is my landing page live and relevant?

• Is conversion tracking working if I need it?

• Have I reviewed the campaign settings and ad preview?

• Do I know which metrics I will use to judge performance?

If the answer is yes across the board, you are ready to launch and start collecting real campaign data. The next step is to monitor those results and use them to decide what deserves more testing, what needs changing, and what should be paused.

Final Key Takeaways

Learning how to run ads on ChatGPT starts with understanding how the platform approaches advertising.

Before launching a campaign, take time to set up your Ads Manager account, choose the right objective, define your context hints, and create clear ad copy. Your landing page matters just as much as the ad itself, so make sure it supports the message and gives visitors a clear next step.

Once your campaign is live, focus on the numbers that match your goal. Look at clicks and CPC for traffic campaigns, then pay closer attention to conversions and CPA when you are measuring business results. Give your campaign enough time to collect useful data before making major changes.

ChatGPT Ads are still a developing advertising channel, so testing will be part of the process. Start with a focused campaign, learn how your audience responds to different conversation contexts and creative, and use those findings to guide your next campaign.

Ready to Get Your Brand Seen in AI Search?

ChatGPT is becoming another place where people discover businesses, products, and services. A strong strategy can help your brand stay visible across both traditional search and AI driven platforms.

Gray Bay Marketing can help you build that strategy with LLM SEO Services, paid advertising, and Google Ads Management tailored to your business goals. If you want a broader approach to paid campaigns, you can also explore our Paid Media Agency services.

Start building a search and advertising strategy that meets your customers where they are looking. Contact us now! 

Can You Connect Other Advertising Platforms to ChatGPT?

You can use supported connectors, integrations, or MCP servers to work with data and tools from certain advertising platforms. However, connecting an Amazon Ads, Microsoft Advertising, or Google Ads account to ChatGPT is different from running paid advertisements through OpenAI Ads Manager.

An external advertising connection may help with reporting, analysis, campaign planning, or supported account actions. ChatGPT Ads Manager is the separate platform used to purchase sponsored placements that appear in ChatGPT. 

FAQs About How to Run Ads on Chatgpt

How do I know if my ChatGPT ad is showing in the right conversations?

Look at the types of users and conversations your campaign is reaching, then compare that with your intended audience. Your context hints should describe situations where your product or service is genuinely relevant.

Why is my ChatGPT ad costing more than I expected?

Your costs can vary based on your campaign objective, bidding strategy, competition, and available opportunities for your ad to be shown. Check your CPC or CPM alongside conversions before deciding that the campaign is too expensive.

Should I use the same ad copy I use on Google or Meta?

You can reuse useful ideas, but the copy may need adjustment. ChatGPT Ads appear within a conversational environment, so the message should feel relevant to the type of problem or intent that brings someone to ChatGPT.

How much should I budget for my first ChatGPT Ads campaign?

Set a budget that gives you enough room to test without putting too much of your advertising spend into an unproven channel. Start with a clear objective and use the initial results to decide how much to invest next.

What should I do if my ChatGPT ad is rejected?

Check the reason given during the review process and identify the specific issue with the ad, landing page, or account. Make the required correction before submitting it again rather than repeatedly resubmitting the same version.

How to Connect Amazon Ads to ChatGPT?

To connect Amazon Ads to ChatGPT, you need a supported connector or MCP server that can access your Amazon Ads account. After authorization, ChatGPT can work with the advertising data and actions supported by that connection.

How to Connect Bing Ads to ChatGPT?

You can connect Bing Ads, now Microsoft Advertising, to ChatGPT through Microsoft's Advertising MCP Server. After setting up authentication and permissions, you can use ChatGPT with the advertising tools supported by the connection.

How to Use ChatGPT for Google Ads? 

ChatGPT for Google Ads can help you develop ad-copy variations, organize keyword themes, summarize campaign data, identify performance patterns, and suggest tests. Unless you use a supported connection that provides specific account actions, you still create, manage, and launch the campaigns through Google Ads.