OpenAI Expands ChatGPT Ads to Visual Formats During Image Creation
Starting later this month in the US, ChatGPT will display labeled visual ads alongside image generation as OpenAI expands measurement partnerships.
Key takeaways
- OpenAI will test visual display ads and product carousels below ChatGPT image generation results starting in October 2026 in the US.
- Ads remain clearly labeled, distinct from generated images, and absent from ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Enterprise tiers.
- OpenAI added attribution and measurement integrations with partners including AppsFlyer, Triple Whale, Adjust, DoubleVerify, and Integral Ad Science.
- According to OpenAI, ChatGPT now counts 1.2 billion weekly active users, with ad revenue reaching an annualized run rate of $1 billion across more than 40 countries.
OpenAI announced plans to test a new visual ad format inside ChatGPT starting later in October 2026. The format introduces image-based promotions and product carousels that appear while the platform generates user-requested images, marking an expansion from the text-and-logo sponsored links introduced earlier this year.
The test will initially launch in the United States with a select group of advertisers, according to an announcement on the OpenAI official blog. OpenAI stated that visual ads will be clearly labeled and kept separate from user outputs, emphasizing that commercial placements do not influence the chatbot's answers.
How Visual Ads Work in ChatGPT
Under the new format, users requesting image generation will see sponsored visual content showing product inspiration, product usage, or related brand experiences. As reported by The Decoder, the visual ads appear below the generated image either as a carousel or a row of product images.
OpenAI stated that advertising helps support broad access to its tools across its free and lower-cost user tiers. Paid subscribers on ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Enterprise plans will continue to experience an ad-free environment, according to reporting from The Verge and Engadget.
OpenAI maintains automated placement guardrails and human oversight to prevent commercial messaging in sensitive contexts. The system evaluates whether a conversation involves emotionally vulnerable or personal topics—such as health or mental well-being—and suppresses ads accordingly. For brand-specific exclusions, OpenAI is offering a Negative Phrases tool to qualifying advertisers.
Measurement Integrations and Performance Tracking
To attract performance-driven marketers, OpenAI is expanding its reporting and attribution infrastructure. The company confirmed integrations with customer data platforms Hightouch, Tealium, and LiveRamp to facilitate conversion data transmission, as detailed on the OpenAI blog.
Attribution and reporting partners now include AppsFlyer, Triple Whale, Adjust, DV Rockerbox, Northbeam, Branch, Singular, Kochava, Airbridge, and Tenjin. Advanced full-funnel measurement integrations include Fospha, Measured, and INCRMNTAL, alongside geo-based incrementality testing through Haus, Measured, and WorkMagic.
OpenAI cited early partner metrics to illustrate performance across its platform:
- WeightWatchers: Achieved a 15.3% lower attributed cost per acquisition on ChatGPT Ads compared to blended paid-search benchmarks, according to DV Rockerbox.
- Dose: Recorded statistically significant sales lift, with 67% of incremental purchases originating from net-new customers, according to WorkMagic.
- Portland Leather: Generated 93% new visitors from its ChatGPT ad traffic, according to data from Triple Whale.
To address brand suitability, OpenAI is collaborating with DoubleVerify (DV) and Integral Ad Science (IAS) on pilot testing environments. According to OpenAI, these pilots allow third-party verification of safety guardrails without granting partners access to private user conversations.
Business Scale and Regulatory Obligations
According to OpenAI, ChatGPT currently reaches 1.2 billion weekly active users worldwide. OpenAI first introduced ads in February 2026 and expanded text placements to India and 31 European countries in August 2026, bringing commercial coverage to more than 40 countries, according to reports from TNW and The Decoder.
Ad revenue crossed a $1 billion annualized run rate within 200 days of launch, with internal company projections targeting $100 billion in ad revenue by 2030, The Decoder reported. Earlier this year, approximately 5 percent of active users paid for a ChatGPT subscription.
As OpenAI expands its ad ecosystem, it faces regulatory scrutiny. On August 31, 2026, the European Commission designated ChatGPT as a very large online search engine (VLOSE) under the Digital Services Act after monthly EU users reached 159.1 million, well above the 45 million threshold. Under DSA rules reported by TNW, OpenAI must publish a public repository by January 2027 detailing a rolling year of ad placements, targeting parameters, runtimes, and audience reach.
Frequently asked questions
Where will visual ads appear in ChatGPT?
The visual ads will appear below the image generation output in ChatGPT, displayed as an image row or product carousel during the US test phase.
Will ChatGPT Plus or Enterprise subscribers see visual ads?
No. ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Enterprise subscribers will not see ads in their chats or image workflows.
Do ChatGPT visual ads influence the AI's generated answers?
No. OpenAI states that advertising does not influence the answers ChatGPT provides and remains separate from the image being created.
When does testing begin for the new visual ad format?
OpenAI begins testing the visual ad format later in October 2026 with an initial group of advertisers in the United States.
Sources
- Building advertising for the way people use AIOpenAI · Official
- OpenAI Is Testing More Ads In ChatGPTEngadget · Oct 5, 2026
- OpenAI is putting ads inside ChatGPT’s image generationTNW | Artificial-intelligence · Oct 5, 2026
- ChatGPT's new ad format fills the image generation loading screen with product carouselsThe Decoder · Oct 5, 2026
- OpenAI is sticking more ads in ChatGPTThe Verge · Oct 5, 2026
- OpenAI launches visual ads that appear alongside image generation resultsTechCrunch · Oct 5, 2026
- ChatGPT is adding new ads9to5Google · Oct 5, 2026
How this story was made: the newsroom picked it up from openai.com, Google News and Techmeme, gathered the full text of the sources above, and drafted it with AI assistance. Every factual claim was then checked against those sources before publishing (33 claims checked). Illustrations marked as AI-generated are not photographs. Spotted an error? Tell us.
Published October 6, 2026 at 00:42 UTC
