OpenAI widens ChatGPT ads pilot with self-serve tool

OpenAI has expanded how advertisers can buy and manage ads in ChatGPT, extending its advertising pilot with partner access, a beta self-serve buying tool and new pricing options.

Advertisers can now buy ChatGPT ads through agency and technology partners or through a beta Ads Manager that lets businesses sign up and run campaigns directly. OpenAI is also adding cost-per-click bidding alongside the cost-per-mille model used in the pilot's earlier stage.

OpenAI has been working with agency groups Dentsu, Omnicom, Publicis and WPP to support companies buying ads in ChatGPT. It has also added Adobe, Criteo, Kargo, Pacvue and StackAdapt as technology partners.

These arrangements let advertisers use existing tools and workflows for media buying, budgeting and creative management, while OpenAI retains control over ad delivery decisions inside ChatGPT.

The beta Ads Manager broadens access beyond the small initial group of advertisers that worked directly with OpenAI at the start of the pilot. Businesses can use the portal to register as advertisers, add payment details, set budgets and bids, control pacing, upload adverts, launch campaigns and track performance.

OpenAI is rolling out the self-serve tool gradually as it continues to test the product. It is intended for businesses ranging from small and medium-sized companies and start-ups to global brands.

Buying model

The addition of CPC bidding changes the commercial model for some campaigns by charging advertisers only when a user clicks on an advert. OpenAI introduced the feature because many ChatGPT interactions are tied to research and decision-making, where a click may signal that an advert was relevant to the user's next step.

CPM buying will remain available, and OpenAI expects to add more bidding and optimisation options over time tied to advertiser goals.

Measurement tools

OpenAI has also introduced Conversions API and pixel-based measurement tools to help advertisers see what happens after someone engages with an ad. Those actions can include a purchase, a lead, a sign-up or another defined outcome.

Advertisers will receive aggregated reporting rather than access to individual conversations or personal details. That reflects OpenAI's broader position that adverts in ChatGPT must remain separate from the service's answers and that user conversations should stay private.

The measurement changes respond to advertiser demand for better reporting on campaign performance. OpenAI says stronger performance signals can also improve matching between adverts and users without exposing private interactions.

Platform build-out

The changes mark a more structured effort by OpenAI to build an advertising business around ChatGPT usage. While the company still describes the effort as being at an early stage, the latest updates suggest it is putting in place the commercial and technical systems needed for wider adoption.

Details released alongside the launch show that Ads Manager Beta supports both guided campaign creation and bulk upload. Campaigns follow a campaign, ad group and ad structure, and advertisers can set objectives, budgets, dates and targeting before adding context hints to describe the types of conversations in which an advert may be relevant.

Advertisers can upload titles, descriptions, images and landing pages, then submit campaigns for review. Once approved, they can monitor metrics including impressions, clicks, spend, click-through rate, average CPC, average CPM and conversions, if measurement is configured.

The reporting tools include table views across campaign levels, trend charts over time and downloadable CSV files. Advertisers can also edit campaigns directly in the platform or use bulk-edit workflows to make larger changes.

The broader push is aimed at giving businesses more ways to participate in ChatGPT advertising while maintaining boundaries around privacy and the independence of the chatbot's responses. Advertisers can understand campaign impact "without access to individual conversations."