ABN Group × ChatGPT
Partner briefing

ChatGPT launches ads.

OpenAI now shows contextual ads below responses — on Free and Go accounts. In LATAM they are live in Mexico and Brazil; in Spain, since August 24. We put this briefing together for when your clients start asking.

Live · ES · MX · BR · and expanding
ChatGPT mobile mockup: a fence-building answer with a labeled HarborWest Supply Co. ad underneath.

This is how they look: a card labeled “Ad,” below the answer and separated from the organic text.

01 What they are

Advertising at the moment of decision.

People come to ChatGPT with a clear goal: compare options, build a plan, pick a product. Ads appear below the answer, labeled and visually separated. OpenAI states they do not influence what the model replies.

The ad sits in the conversation — not inside the answer.

02 Who sees them

Only on Free and Go.

Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu stay ad-free. Ads are also not shown to accounts identified as under 18.

With ads

Free · Go

Logged-in adults in markets where the rollout is already live. The mass discovery audience.

Broad reachHigh intent
No ads

Plus · Pro · Business · Enterprise · Edu

Paid and enterprise plans: no advertising. There is also an ads-free Free option with lower limits.

Ad-free

OpenAI’s key principle: the ad does not change the model’s answer.

03 Where they are live

Spain and LATAM — already rolling.

The rollout is country by country. In the region, these are the markets your clients will ask about first:

Mexico

Live · Aug 2026

Brazil

Live · Aug 2026

Spain

Since Aug 24, 2026

In late August, OpenAI opened self-serve Ads Manager to more countries across Europe, India, the Middle East, and North Africa. The rest of LATAM is a matter of time — better to be ready before it lands.

04 Format

A simple unit — highly contextual.

Each ad includes advertiser name, favicon/logo, title, description, landing page, and creative. Delivery is based on expected relevance: conversation context, landing page, copy, and advertiser context hints (not exact-match keywords).

Placement

Below the end of ChatGPT’s response. Clearly labeled as an ad / sponsored.

Matching

Chat intent + advertiser hints. No guarantee of appearing in specific conversations.

Brand safety

Not shown next to sensitive or unsafe contexts under OpenAI’s Ads Policies.

05 Buying & pricing

CPM or CPC — with a clear starting point.

OpenAI recommendation · CPC
USD 3–5

Suggested max bid to start on click campaigns. Ads Manager also signals whether a bid looks competitive.

Reach objective

Pay per thousand impressions (CPM). Optimizes for exposure volume.

Clicks objective

Pay per valid click (CPC). OpenAI uses a relevance-weighted second-price auction.

Access via the Ads Solutions team, partners, or self-serve in the Ads Manager (Beta). Reporting covers impressions, clicks, CTR, average CPC/CPM, and conversions (pixel + Conversions API), plus UTMs on the landing page.

06 What it means for your brand

The essentials, in four points.

01

A new intent channel — not just another banner.

The user is exploring options in natural language. The ad competes on relevance in that moment — not on scroll position.

02

Inventory is still lightly filled.

On Free accounts in Spain, searches across verticals still rarely show ads. There is a window to test before competition densifies.

03

Mexico and Brazil can buy today; the rest of LATAM is next.

If you operate in MX or BR, the channel is live. If you are in AR, PE, CL, or elsewhere, map use cases and creatives now.

04

Measure from day one.

UTMs on the landing page, pixel / Conversions API in Ads Manager, and a clear hypothesis for which conversations you want to accompany (context hints).

Want more depth on measurement — pixel, Conversions API, events, and feeds? OpenAI’s Ads documentation.

07 Timeline
Early 2026

ChatGPT ads pilot (U.S. and first markets).

Aug 2026

MX · BR · ES live. First Spanish- and Portuguese-language markets.

Aug 31, 2026

Self-serve Ads Manager opens across Europe, India, MENA, and more.