What Does a ChatGPT Ad Look Like? (And Why Agencies Charge So Much)
Short answer: A ChatGPT ad is a small sponsored card under ChatGPT's answer, clearly labelled and kept separate from it. It's matched to the context of the conversation, not exact keywords, so the opportunity is about moments, not search terms.
What does one look like?
Someone asks a question. The answer streams in. And underneath, there it is: a small card with a title, a line of copy, an image and a link. Kinda like a business card, sitting right where their eyes already are.
Why it's different from Google
It isn't about guessing the right keyword. OpenAI says ads are matched to the context of the conversation, and you describe the kinds of chats you'd want to show up in. Imagine being there when someone's describing exactly the problem you solve.
Picture this (a hypothetical): a café owner in Adelaide with quiet weekdays. Someone in the city asks ChatGPT for a quiet spot for a work lunch. A small sponsored spot sits under the answer. That's not a keyword. That's a moment, and that café could be the name they pick.
Your patch, your budget
In Australia you can aim right down to postcode, so you could show up for people in your patch rather than the whole country, with a budget you're comfortable with and the option to pay per click.
Why do agencies charge so much?
It's new, few people have run it, and specialists charge what the market will pay. Many agencies charge setup and monthly management fees on top of your ad budget.
Why I think this is huge
I genuinely believe this is the biggest new opportunity in recent years, the Facebook-in-2010 moment all over again. No one can promise results, but I know which side of the early window I'd rather be on.
Screens shown are illustrative.
Sources (checked 3 Nov 2026): Marketing-Interactive, 22 May 2026; AdNews, agencies on performance; OpenAI Help, Ads in ChatGPT.
FAQ
What does a ChatGPT ad look like?
A small, clearly labelled sponsored unit under ChatGPT's answer, with a short title, short copy, an image and a landing page link.
Are ChatGPT ads keyword-based?
No. OpenAI says ad selection considers the context of the conversation and advertiser-provided context hints, which aren't exact-match instructions.
How do you pay for ChatGPT ads?
Advertisers can choose CPM, CPC or conversion-optimised CPC objectives.
Can you target a location in Australia?
OpenAI says Australian campaigns can target country, state or territory, and postcode.
Tomorrow I'll walk you through exactly how to set up and launch your own ChatGPT ads, from start to finish. And you'll want to watch that walkthrough to the end, because I may have slipped in an early Black Friday offer you'll definitely not want to miss.