Advertising in ChatGPT — where the customer decides what to buy
Your customers are already asking ChatGPT which product to choose, where to go and what they need. Since 24 August 2026 your offer can sit under the answer in Bulgaria too. According to OpenAI, an online shop achieves 3× return in 28 days, and over 80% of the traffic from ads in ChatGPT comes from new customers. I build campaigns that optimise for the order and are reported by cost per result. The ad budget works for revenue, not for traffic.
An expensive click. A cheaper customer.
A click in ChatGPT costs more than a click in Google. The customer works out cheaper, because the person has already described what they are looking for and narrowed their choice before even seeing the ad. Here is the calculation that matters for a business with a real advertising budget.
An illustrative calculation at typical values for the two channels. The click is one third more expensive, the customer one third cheaper. That is why campaigns are read by cost per result.
return on ad spend over 28 days for an online shop — an example cited by OpenAI in the official announcement of the platform.
of the traffic brought by ads in ChatGPT comes from new customers — according to an OpenAI technology partner. The channel brings growth; it does not redistribute your existing customers.
conversion from click to real action by vertical, versus 2–4% in Google Search and 1–3% in Meta. The reason: the person has self-qualified in the conversation.
higher traffic conversion from ChatGPT compared with organic search: 1.81% versus 1.39% across 9.46 million analysed sessions over 12 months.
annualised revenue run rate in under 200 days after launch, with tens of thousands of advertisers. The auction fills up quickly — that is the argument for an early start.
weekly active users of ChatGPT. Ads are shown on the free plan and the Go plan — that is where the reach is.
Sources: OpenAI, “A milestone in expanding access to AI”, 31.08.2026 · OpenAI Help Center (The Basics, Create Campaigns, FAQ) · Lapis, ChatGPT Ads Conversion Rate Benchmarks 2026 (the comparison values for Google and Meta are from WordStream/LocaliQ) · Visibility Labs, 12-month analysis of 94 online shops. The figures are from other markets and categories; no data has yet been published for Bulgaria, and OpenAI does not publish general benchmarks. The results of other advertisers are not a promise for yours.
The channel is weeks from its launch in Bulgaria
OpenAI announced the expansion on 18 August, ads launched in 31 European countries on 24 August, and self-serve access to Ads Manager for Europe opened on 31 August 2026. Whoever gets in now buys attention at a price that will not be repeated.
Few competitors in the auction
The auction is second-price: you pay relative to the next participant, not your own maximum. While Bulgarian advertisers in it are few, showing next to the right conversation costs less than it will cost in a year.
Data before the others
Which conversations bring orders, which hints work, which page closes the sale. This data accumulates only in an account that is already running — and it stays yours when the competition arrives.
One block under the answer
In Google the customer sees dozens of results, in Meta an endless feed. In ChatGPT, under the answer there is one clearly labelled ad block. Being present there now means attention that will later be shared.
One block, six elements, zero interference with the answer
The ad is shown under the end of the answer, clearly labelled as sponsored and visually separated. It does not affect what ChatGPT says and cannot “recommend” you. The advertiser gets no access to the conversations.
Illustration of the ad format according to OpenAI’s specification. Hpanov Digital is not an OpenAI partner; the trademarks are the property of OpenAI.
The customer now asks, compares and decides in a single conversation
Google captures search. Meta creates interest. Increasingly, though, the path to purchase goes through a dialogue with ChatGPT: a question, clarifying requirements, a shortlist, a decision. If your business is not present at that moment, the customer reaches Google with a choice already made.
The path so far
Need → Google search → ten links → comparison across several websites → decision.
The new path
Need → conversation with ChatGPT → the customer describes exactly what they need → shortlist → decision. Your ad sits under the answer, next to a conversation with clarified intent.
Three steps from conversation to order
Intent map
I define the questions, problems, comparisons and situations that precede a purchase for your customers: “what do I need in order to…”, “which is better suited to…”, “where should I go in…”.
Presence in the right conversations
A campaign, ad groups by intent and context hints — descriptions of the situations in which your offer is useful. For each group: different ads and the page that answers the specific comparison.
Measurement down to the order
The OpenAI Pixel and the Conversions API return the enquiry or order to the report; UTM parameters show it in your analytics too. Decisions are made by cost per result.
What you get
Full setup and management — you provide access and approvals, the execution is down to me.
The value is in the structure and the measurement, not in the volume of visuals.
Request a quote for ChatGPT ads →Only campaigns optimised for an order or an enquiry
OpenAI offers three objectives: impressions, clicks and conversions. I work only with the third. The campaign is aimed at people who are likely to order or enquire, not at cheap traffic that does not buy. According to OpenAI, campaigns optimised for results are already the majority on the platform. The ad budget goes directly to OpenAI — with no intermediary. Management terms are on request and depend on scale.
Tracking comes before the first click
A campaign optimised for an order requires a working Pixel and Conversions API. I put them in order before any budget starts.
Minimum daily budget
Set by OpenAI according to the account currency and visible when the campaign is created. The ad budget is yours and is paid directly to OpenAI.
Suitable for some businesses, closed to others
OpenAI allows a limited set of categories and checks every advertiser. That is why the first step with me is an eligibility check — before you pay anything.
Eligible categories as of September 2026
Online shops for home goods, tools, electronics, fashion and gifts · travel and experiences · local services · digital products and training. Strongest effect: products the customer researches and compares before buying.
Restricted or prohibited under OpenAI’s policies
Health services, dietary supplements and medical claims (outside the USA) · financial services · legal services · gambling · alcohol and tobacco · dating · political content. The policies change — I check the current status before every proposal.
Who sees the ads: users of the free plan and the Go plan. Plus, Pro and business subscriptions have no ads, and users under 18 do not see ads.
One expert who is personally responsible for the result
Hristiyan Panov — a Performance Marketing consultant with over 5 years of experience and over €2,000,000 in managed ad budget for more than 90 companies on Google and Meta. I add ChatGPT Ads to my work in the same way: with a check before launch, measurement down to the order and decisions by cost per result. Strategy, management and communication are not delegated. Every decision on your account goes through me.
Request a quote for ChatGPT ads →
Before we begin
Is this the same as ChatGPT “recommending” my business?
Can orders and enquiries be tracked?
Can the advertiser see users’ conversations?
Can my business advertise in ChatGPT?
How much does managing the advertising cost?
Does this replace Google and Meta advertising?
Articles about ChatGPT advertising
A breakdown of the new channel based on OpenAI’s official documentation — what has been verified, what still has no benchmark and what you can test yourself.
Request a quote
A short enquiry — the reply includes an eligibility check and a specific proposal according to scale.
You send an enquiry with the basic information about your business and website.
You receive a reply within 24 hours with an eligibility check.
Карта на намеренията и конкретна оферта според мащаба.
