ChatGPT Ads

ChatGPT Ads. They're coming, are you ready?

Adthena's intelligence platform identified the very first live ads in ChatGPT, analysing over 300k daily prompts to map who's advertising, when ads trigger, and what it means for your search strategy.

Join waitlist for ChatGPT Ads Intelligence

>300k Daily AI prompts tracked by our platform

16 industries Ads found in 16 different industries

$26B Projected AI search ad spend by 2029

$60 CPM 3× Meta's average rates

Adthena spotted the first live ChatGPT ad

A single Expedia placement appearing on the very first response to the travel query “What’s the best way to book a weekend away?”.

This shattered assumptions that ChatGPT ads would require lengthy conversations to trigger.

Get the ChatGPT Ads breakdown

Adthena spotted the first live ChatGPT ad

The numbers shaping this new landscape

0.91% ChatGPT Ads CTR

At a 0.91% CTR, ChatGPT ads are nearly 7× lower than Google Search (6.4%) in the same sector, making precise measurement vital.

44% Retail's share of ad inventory

Retail and grocery brands dominated 44% of early ChatGPT ad placements. All sectors fuelled by high-intent conversational queries.

600% Impression volume growth

Sensor Tower reports ChatGPT ad impressions surged 600% in early-to-mid March 2026.

AI-driven search advertising in the US will surge from approximately $1.1B in 2025 to $26B by 2029 - a 23-fold increase. ChatGPT sits at the epicentre of this shift.

eMarketer, 2025

300k prompts analyzed: How ChatGPT Ads work

Immediate intent triggers

Ads trigger on prompt 1

Speculation that ads require long conversations was wrong; most appear on the first prompt. However, some only trigger after 3–4 repetitions, suggesting the system wait for reinforced intent signals.

Context over cookies

Intent is everything - no cookies

ChatGPT’s model is purely contextual, matching ads to the query rather than user profiles or cookies. High-intent terms like "best" or "buy" reliably trigger ads, while emotional framing currently has little impact.

Branded conversational cards

A new ad format entirely

Ads appear as branded cards within the chat flow, distinct from organic answers to protect AI independence. Notably, Best Buy secured the first "double-placement," appearing twice in a single response.

Broken measurement reality

Measurement is the current Achilles heel

A significant reporting glitch in OpenAI’s Ad Manager, combined with low CTRs, leaves brands unable to track ROI. In this vacuum, third-party intelligence remains the only reliable source of truth.

Who's advertising in ChatGPT right now?

Adthena have tracked advertiser participation across verticals since the February 9 launch. These are the categories and brands dominating early inventory and some of the brands we've discovered.

Retail & eCommerce Best Buy | Target | Williams Sonoma | Albertsons | Pottery Barn

Food & Lifestyle Hello Fresh | Mrs Meyers | Audible | DoorDash | Kroger

Adthena's ChatGPT ads research

Our team has been publishing the most detailed public analysis of the ChatGPT ads landscape.

Don't let competitors get there first

Adthena's ChatGPT Ads Intelligence solution is coming. Join the waitlist to be first in line and to get our ongoing research delivered to your inbox.

No full subscription required. ChatGPT Ads Intelligence will be available as a standalone product - designed for teams who need AI search intelligence without the full Adthena suite.