OpenAI is adding product feed-based ads tools for ecommerce companies running campaigns in ChatGPT.

The update allows retailers to generate ads from existing product catalogues instead of creating campaigns for each item manually. The ads will continue to appear below ChatGPT responses and will be labelled as sponsored.

According to Digiday, the change applies to the campaign setup process rather than the ad placement itself. Retailers can connect a product catalogue and choose which products are eligible for advertising. The platform then creates ads using product names, images, and other catalogue attributes.

Product feeds enter ChatGPT ads

Retailers have already been able to upload product catalogues to ChatGPT to support shopping-related responses. That allowed ChatGPT to show information such as prices, availability, and product details when users asked shopping questions.

The new system connects catalogue data to paid advertising, using the same structured product information for organic shopping results and sponsored placements.

OpenAI’s merchant page says businesses can share product feeds with ChatGPT to support product discovery. The company says shoppers can be sent to a merchant’s own site or app by default. OpenAI says it does not charge fees for purchases completed on those destinations.

OpenAI’s product feed documentation describes the catalogue as a structured file that is ingested and indexed by ChatGPT. The feed supports product discovery and provides details such as pricing, availability, and seller context.

The setup is similar to shopping campaign workflows used on platforms such as Google. Retailers can reuse structured product files that they already maintain for other ad platforms, rather than creating a separate feed.

eMarketer noted that the format differs from advertising systems used by Google, Meta, and Amazon. The research firm said ChatGPT ads are tied to conversational intent rather than search history, social activity, or marketplace browsing behaviour.

The research firm forecasts that 23.4% of the US population will be AI-assisted digital shoppers this year, up 19% year over year.

OpenAI is asking new ecommerce partners to submit a sample of 100 products before providing a full catalogue. The platform can support up to one million stock keeping units per advertiser, according to an ad executive briefed on the update.

OpenAI has not announced a public launch date for the product feed campaign format.

Partners support ad access

Criteo is OpenAI’s first ad tech partner for the format. At least one retail brand has tested the process through Criteo, according to an ad buyer cited in the report.

Criteo confirmed in March that it had joined OpenAI’s advertising pilot in ChatGPT. The integration allows brands to use Criteo’s digital advertising platform as part of the pilot. In a May update, Criteo said it was the first advertising technology partner to integrate with OpenAI’s ChatGPT ad pilot.

OpenAI has also listed Adobe, Criteo, Kargo, Pacvue, and StackAdapt among the technology partners supporting access to ChatGPT ads. Its agency partners include Dentsu, Omnicom, Publicis, and WPP.

StackAdapt, one of the ad tech vendors through which advertisers can buy ChatGPT ads, said it already has feed connection capabilities ready for OpenAI support. Yang Han, StackAdapt’s co-founder and chief technology officer, said the vendor can post its feed to OpenAI once the platform supports it.

OpenAI expands buying and measurement tools

OpenAI announced additional advertising tools for ChatGPT on May 5, including the option to create ChatGPT ads through partners or a beta self-serve Ads Manager.

The Ads Manager allows US advertisers to register, add payment details, set budgets and bids, and upload ads. Advertisers can also manage campaigns and view performance through the tool. OpenAI said partners can support budgeting, bidding, and creative work, while OpenAI’s ads system controls delivery decisions.

OpenAI said in May that it was adding cost-per-click bidding after initially supporting CPM buying. Under the CPC model, advertisers are charged when users click on ads.

OpenAI said it is adding cost-per-click bidding and expanded measurement tools while continuing to support CPM and CPC buying. The updates add buying and measurement options for advertisers. It also said conversations and personal details are not shared with advertisers.

OpenAI is also developing cost-per-action models, where payment would be tied to a purchase or other defined action. The company has introduced conversion tracking and said third-party measurement features are planned.

Ad rollout follows checkout launch

OpenAI says ads are currently rolling out in ChatGPT in the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Ads may appear for users on Free and Go plans, while Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu accounts will not have ads.

The company also says it will not show ads to users who say they are under 18 or are predicted by OpenAI to be under 18. For logged-out users, OpenAI says it has designed the experience to show ads that are appropriate for all ages because it does not have age information.

The product feed update comes after OpenAI’s earlier move into checkout inside ChatGPT. Reuters reported in September 2025 that OpenAI launched Instant Checkout with Etsy and Shopify. The feature initially supported purchases from US-based Etsy sellers, with Shopify support planned.

OpenAI said at the time that merchants would pay a small fee on completed purchases, while the service would be free for users and would not affect product prices or influence ChatGPT’s product results.

The product feed format adds a catalogue-based option for ecommerce advertisers using ChatGPT ads.

(Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi)

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