Now Live: The 6 ChatGPT Ad Formats (And How They Work)

ChatGPT is quickly moving towards a monetisation strategy that is making ads as visible in its output as Google has in AI Mode. Learn about the different ad formats that are currently live.

In recent months, I’ve been keeping a close eye on what ChatGPT has been doing with its ads platform rollout. There have been many announcements related to the different types of ad formats that will start to appear in their results, but not all have been made visible to users.

Within this guide, you will learn about the different types of ad formats in ChatGPT that either I or others have spotted in the wild, detailing how advertisers can make the most of getting their brands in front of a fast-growing audience.

How can I place ads in ChatGPT results?

It was really only in April of 2026 that I started to see ads within ChatGPT ramp up. Initially, it was through 3rd party ad platforms where ads were appearing most frequently, where I was able to see the ads appearing with the &utm_term=criteo&utm_crt=1 parameters, signifying that the ads were showing via Criteo.

OpenAI has since introduced its own advertising platform, where ad campaigns can be developed and measured for brands. And more recently, they have also introduced the ability to develop ad campaigns based on product feeds, allowing merchants to automatically develop ads based on their products, similar to how campaigns are managed on Google and Bing.

ChatGPT ad formats

So far, I’ve been able to document six different ad formats that have appeared within ChatGPT output, being distinct from one another, and showing the direction that the platform is headed from a monetisation perspective.

Here are the different types of ChatGPT ads that are currently appearing within their results, ranging from standard text-based ads to product feed ads.

1. Standard singular text-based ads

The standard singular text-based ads are by far the most common ad format that appears in ChatGPT results. This ad format applies to all types of websites, where brands can have their ad appear at the bottom of the output on its own.

The standard singular text-based ad format includes an image, the brand favicon, site name, along with the title and description for the ad. Similar to most of the ChatGPT ad formats, the ads appear with a disclaimer separated at the bottom of the unit.

2. Standard singular text-based ads with a heading

In August of 2026, ChatGPT has now started to show a singular text-based ad format that includes a descriptive heading directly above the ad placement. This ad format mimics the display within Google’s AI Mode, being the standard approach for all of their ad formats.

The descriptive headings attached to ads are something that Google’s AI Mode has introduced in order to make the ads fit in more seamlessly with output. The reason for the heading is to make the ad unit feel more targeted to the search term, being an aspect that has made it more difficult for LLMs to monetise their output.

3. Standard double text-based ads (same domain)

Being the only ad format that I have not personally spotted in the wild, Adthena discovered that ChatGPT was testing out a double text-based ad format that features two ads for the same domain. Within the examples I’ve seen of this ad format, the preview for the ads is less rich (there is no imagery) and features two links.

This ad format gives more prominence within the ad unit and more choice for users to click on compared to the singular ad format. The standard double text-based ad format would feature a “Sponsored” label instead of the new “Ad” tag that now appears as the default in ChatGPT output.

4. Standard double text-based ads (two domains)

More similar to the standard ad format in Google’s AI Mode, ChatGPT has now started to show ads from two different domains. This ad format has been showing since July of 2026 with vibrant images to go along with them, making the ad format a likely contender for a standard ad display within ChatGPT that can apply to all types of sites.

At the moment, there have only been two different ads appearing within this format, though it does give the opportunity for there to be multiple ads that appear in the carousel down the site.

5. Product feed singular ads

I work heavily in the eCommerce space, so I was especially interested in seeing the rollout of product feed ads in July of 2026. So far, I’ve been able to document the ads showing a similar format, with the price and sale price being more dynamic, alongside the star rating for the product either showing with a gold star or a grey star like below.

The product feed ads approach works much better for Shopping-related queries, being a major source of monetisation within Google search results. Displaying an ad for a relevant product to the query is a more effective experience compared to linking to a PLP (Product Listing Page) that features a broader set of products that may be less related to the query.

6. Product feed carousel ads (same domain)

The product feed ads carousel release has been the most significant ads release from ChatGPT so far. The equivalent ad format within Google’s AI Mode would have to be the bottom Shopping carousel ads, which also show in a row, though it only shows products from a single retailer.

This approach is quite different to how Google’s Shopping ad results operate, where the carousel will show a mix of products from various retailers, likely being the direction that ChatGPT will end up moving in. With ChatGPT moving toward heavy use of their product feed ads system, I wouldn’t be surprised if their organic Shopping results start to be powered by the same source in the near future.

What’s next?

Ads appearing within ChatGPT are very much an evolving situation. At the moment, most of the ad units have only been appearing at the end of the output, rather than placing the ads in-line like Google’s AI Mode has started doing. 

ChatGPT will continue to expand the presence of ads within its output for various formats in an expanding set of regions. This article will be updated over time in order to document the rollout to give retailers the most accurate view of what is actually showing in their results.

FAQs

Will ads show in ChatGPT for paid accounts?

Currently, ads won’t show within ChatGPT Plus or Pro subscriptions. It is primarily only within the free account access where ads from ChatGPT will display.

Are product feeds in ChatGPT used for organic results?

Within the existing ads beta for product feed ads, product feeds aren’t used to power organic Shopping placements, though this will likely change in the future. This is a clear incentive for retailers who aren’t on Shopify or have opted in to the Shopping experience beta, where they may like to experiment with adding a product feed for potential future benefits.

How successful have retailers been so far with ChatGPT ads?

Based on my knowledge of brands that have been experimenting with ChatGPT ads, the results haven’t been particularly good so far. There is very little traffic or conversion being sent, and ad spend isn’t being used as effectively as Google’s systems. Many brands are holding off on assigning meaningful budgets to ChatGPT ads until their systems have evolved more.