How can you advertise on ChatGPT? (and on other AI chatbots)
Generative artificial intelligence is advancing at a breakneck pace, and with it, the business models that support it and bring it to life. Since its launch, we have grown accustomed to interacting with ChatGPT in a clean, minimalist environment without visual interruptions. However, the digital marketing landscape is about to experience a historic shift.
OpenAI has officially announced that its advertising platform, known as ChatGPT Ads, will begin operating in Europe on August 24. This opens up an immense range of possibilities for brands that want to position themselves right at the moment users are looking for answers, researching products, or solving complex problems. But how exactly does advertising work in this new conversational era? Below, we explain it step by step.
The audience for ChatGPT ads
If you are a company looking to advertise your products, the first big question that surely comes to mind is: Will all ChatGPT users see my ads?
The short answer is no. OpenAI has decided to implement a tiered, highly intelligent system that protects the experience of its paid users. Advertising will be shown exclusively on accounts using:
- The free plan: The vast majority of the platform’s user base.
- The Go plan: The recent budget-friendly version, which costs 8 euros per month.
On the other hand, if you are targeting a user profile that subscribes to the higher-tier plans (such as Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, or Education), you should know that they will continue to enjoy a completely ad-free interface. This is vital for defining your strategy and understanding what type of audience will consume your advertising impacts.
Creating an ad in ChatGPT: Step by step
To advertise on ChatGPT, the process differs significantly from classic social networks or traditional search engines (like Google or Bing). Here, it is not about throwing random banners, but about integrating into the context of the conversation in real-time.
These are the key technical steps and aspects to start your campaigns:
1. Platform access (Ads Manager)
Although in the initial launch in Spain and the rest of Europe campaigns have been managed by partner agencies and OpenAI’s internal team, the company is already rolling out self-service access through ChatGPT Ads Manager. This tool allows European companies to register autonomously, verify their legal entity, and manage their own campaigns directly, democratizing access to this new showcase.
2. Purchasing models and budget
Entry barriers have dropped drastically. It is no longer necessary to make the minimum investment of $200,000 that OpenAI required in its exclusive pilot phase. Currently, campaigns can be launched with a daily budget starting at 25 dollars.
The platform allows buying advertising in two main ways:
- Cost Per Click (CPC): Ideal for capturing direct traffic to your website. Recommended starting bids usually range between 3 and 5 dollars per click, although in highly competitive sectors (like B2B software or finance) costs can be higher.
- Cost per Mille impressions (CPM): More oriented towards awareness or brand visibility campaigns, with costs usually ranging between 25 and 60 dollars.
Additionally, OpenAI has introduced the option to optimize bids to achieve specific conversions (oCPC), which allows for much more fine-tuning of the return on investment (ROI).
3. Ad formats
Transparency is key for OpenAI. You can choose from several formats that will always appear clearly labeled as “Sponsored” below the artificial intelligence’s organic response. Options include:
- Sponsored Responses: A text block of up to 320 characters that includes a catchy headline, your company’s logo, and a clear call-to-action (CTA) button.
- Sponsored Follow-ups: Integrated suggestions in the form of “quick questions” that appear at the end of a response, naturally directing the user towards your brand to continue the conversation.
- Shopping Cards: Visual mosaics ideal for electronic commerce or e-commerce. They display product images, dynamic prices, and a direct buy button, shortening the conversion funnel.
4. Cookieless targeting (The end of traditional retargeting)
Forget about chasing the user all over the web. On ChatGPT, you will not target by age, gender, or past interests. Given the strict focus on privacy, targeting is based on “Context Hints” and intent categories.
As an advertiser, you select the themes or commercial problems relevant to your product. OpenAI’s algorithm inserts your ad through a real-time auction only when it detects that the user is actively conversing about that specific topic.
You can also:
- Limit ads by country or device type.
- Use email lists of your current customers (provided they meet a required minimum volume) to create inclusion or exclusion audiences.
5. Measurement setup (The most critical step)
Traditional tracking systems, like client-side Google Analytics, often lose the origin of traffic generated on ChatGPT due to privacy blocks built into modern browsers.
For your advertising to be measurable and to know what works, it is mandatory for your technical team to integrate the OpenAI Pixel and, fundamentally, the Conversions API (CAPI). This allows sending sales, leads, or registration data directly from your company’s web server to OpenAI securely, guaranteeing an exact measurement of your ads’ performance without relying on third-party cookies.
Advertising on other AI chatbots
The ChatGPT model is setting a standard that other tech giants and conversational AI platforms (like Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, or Perplexity) are beginning to emulate.
In these other environments, the premise remains the same: context is king. Advertising success in the era of LLMs (Large Language Models) no longer depends on visually saturating the user, but on being the useful and sponsored answer at the exact moment the user asks a question. This will require brands to adapt their messages so they are conversational, direct, and provide real value to the user’s query, relying heavily on Server-Side data integrations (like CAPI) to measure success in cookieless environments.
At Luce IT, we help you maximize the impact of your digital campaigns and integrate artificial intelligence into your technological ecosystem. We optimize your Paid Media investments with SCM/SAM (Smart Concordance/Audience Management), and we ensure that your brand is read, cited, and recommended by generative engines through our specialized Agentic eXperience service.
If you want to know more about how Luce IT can help you lead in the new era of AI advertising, get in touch with us
Frequently Asked Questions about Artificial Intelligence ads
Is it necessary to have a giant budget to advertise on ChatGPT?
No, entry barriers have dropped and you can currently start your campaigns with a minimum budget of 25 dollars a day. However, to ensure every dollar has the maximum impact, having partners like Luce IT will help you fully optimize your ads and avoid unnecessary expenses.
How does targeting work if ChatGPT does not use third-party cookies?
The platform uses “Context Hints”, showing your ad only when the topic of the user’s conversation matches your product or service. Understanding this new logic requires experience, so relying on specialists like Luce IT will help you fully optimize your ads and hit the mark with search intent.
Why is it so important to integrate the Conversions API (CAPI)?
Because browsers increasingly block traditional tracking, causing you to lose visibility into which ads generate real sales. CAPI sends information securely from server to server. Being a complex technical setup, having the support of experts like Luce IT will help you fully optimize your ads by ensuring perfect measurement.
Can I use my own customer database to run ads on ChatGPT?
Yes, the platform allows you to upload email lists to include your current customers in promotions or exclude them if you are looking to capture only new traffic. To manage these audiences securely and strategically, collaborating with a team like Luce IT will help you fully optimize your ads and get the most out of your CRM data.
