In short: Since 24 August 2026 ChatGPT has shown ads in 31 European markets, including all EU member states, Bulgaria among them, and since 31 August European businesses can run ads themselves through a beta of Ads Manager. The ads appear to logged-in adults on the Free and Go plans and are matched to the topic of the conversation, while in Europe you should rely mainly on country-level targeting for now. The channel is new, so test it with a small budget, a clear goal and stop criteria you set before launch.
What exactly are ChatGPT ads?
OpenAI began testing ads in the US on 9 February 2026. Six months later, on 24 August 2026, ads went live in 31 European markets: all 27 EU member states, Bulgaria included, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. On 31 August 2026 the self-serve Ads Manager beta opened to European businesses.
The ad appears within the conversation, below ChatGPT’s answer, and is matched to the topic the user is writing about. According to OpenAI, advertisers do not see people’s chats, and ads do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives.
The good news is that you do not need to be a large advertiser or work through an agency with an OpenAI deal to try it. Bear in mind, though, that self-serve access is for businesses in approved categories, and every ad goes through a policy check. Our article on advertising in regulated sectors explains how to prepare for that check where the rules are stricter.
Who sees the ads, and who does not?
Ads are shown only to logged-in adults using the Free or Go plan. Users on Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education see no ads.
What does this mean for your business? Part of the audience, particularly people who use ChatGPT at work through a company subscription, will never see your ad. If you sell mainly to other businesses and your customers work in large organisations, you will probably reach a smaller share of them than you expect. Our page on B2B marketing covers which channels work for that kind of sale.
What can European businesses do as of September 2026?
As of September 2026, the terms for Europe look like this:
- Targeting: mainly by country. OpenAI says narrower locations such as region, city or postcode are offered only in some markets, so check what Ads Manager shows for your country when you create a campaign.
- Ad copy: OpenAI recommends a title of 16 to 24 characters and text of 32 to 48 characters, with a maximum of 50 and 100.
- Account country and currency: set by where the business is registered, and they cannot be changed once chosen. If your ad accounts or website prices are still in leva, see the euro changeover checklist.
- Access: self-serve through the Ads Manager beta, for businesses in approved categories.
- Prices: there are no confirmed public benchmarks for cost per click or cost per thousand impressions, so do not plan around other people’s numbers.
All of this is new. OpenAI may change the formats, targeting and rules, so check the current terms in Ads Manager before you plan a budget. For a step-by-step walkthrough of the account and your first campaign, see our ChatGPT ads setup guide.
How does it differ from Google and Meta advertising?
The difference lies in how a person expresses what they want. In a search engine they type a few words. On social media they are often not looking for anything. In ChatGPT they describe their problem in full sentences, and the ad is matched to the topic of that conversation.
| ChatGPT ads | Google Search ads | Meta ads | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How intent is expressed | A conversation with questions and detail | A short query built on keywords | No active search, the ad appears within content |
| Targeting in Europe | Mainly by country | Keywords, location, audiences | Interests, location, audiences |
| Who sees the ad | Adults on the Free or Go plan | People searching on Google | Facebook and Instagram users |
| Tools | New Ads Manager in beta | Established platform | Established platform |
The table does not compare prices or results, because there is no confirmed public data for ChatGPT. That is the real difference between a proven channel and a new one: with the new one, your own test numbers are the only thing you can rely on.
Is the channel right for your business?
The channel is worth testing if your customers think and compare before they send an enquiry. For example, when they are choosing software, a business service or a more expensive product, and ask questions like “what should I check before I choose”.
Check the following as well:
- Market: targeting in Europe is mainly by country. If you serve one city or area and narrower locations are not available, much of the budget will go on people you cannot actually serve.
- Short message: can you say what you offer within the 24-character title and 48 characters of text that OpenAI recommends. If the offer needs explaining, it will show in the results.
- Category: whether your line of business is among those approved for self-serve access.
- Tracking: whether your site records every enquiry and every order. Without that, the test will tell you nothing.
If your business is local and your budget is limited, it is more sensible to get your search advertising in order first. We cover how to do that with Google’s new features in the article on AI Max in Google Ads.
How should you prepare for a test?
1. Write for the question, not the keyword
People in ChatGPT do not type “accountancy services price”. They write “I run a small company with two employees, how do I choose an accountant”. So start from the questions your customers ask on the phone or in enquiries, and think about which of them your ad can pick up.
ScaleLab tip: Collect 20 real questions from recent enquiries and sales calls. Write short ad variants that answer groups of those questions, rather than describing the product in general.
2. Prepare the landing page
The visitor arrives from a conversation in which they have already had something explained. The page should carry on from there: a clear offer, a price or a way to find it out, and a short form. Do not send the ad to your home page.
3. Set up tracking
Tag the links in your ads with UTM parameters so you can recognise the traffic in GA4, and check what conversion tracking options Ads Manager offers at the moment. Send a test enquiry and make sure it is recorded exactly once. What to look at after that is covered in the article on paid advertising metrics beyond clicks.
4. Set a small budget and a time frame
Decide on an amount you are prepared to spend to learn something, without expecting a profit in the first month. Set a time frame too, for example four to six weeks, so you collect enough data.
5. Decide in advance when you will stop
Write down the criteria before the ads go live:
- Cost per enquiry: the maximum above which the test stops, worked out from your margin rather than market averages.
- Quality: how many enquiries turn into real conversations with customers.
- Time frame: if there is not a single suitable enquiry by the end of the period, you stop and reassess once the terms change.
ScaleLab tip: Compare the test with the numbers in your own enquiry and order records, not only with the Ads Manager report. The new platform has no track record yet by which to judge how accurately it reports.
What should you do now?
Do not rush to move budget away from channels that work. First check whether your business is in an approved category, whether your market is a whole country and whether your site tracking works. Then run a small test with a clear goal, a time frame and stop criteria.
That is also how we organise work on paid advertising: first a check that tracking records enquiries, then advertising in the channels that fit the goal, with budget moved according to cost per enquiry as recorded by the website’s own tracking.
Frequently asked questions
In which countries are ChatGPT ads shown?
Since 24 August 2026 ads have been shown in 31 European markets: all EU member states, including Bulgaria, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. They are seen by adults on the Free or Go plan.
Can I target an ad at a specific city?
As of September 2026, plan mainly on country-level targeting. OpenAI says region, city or postcode targeting is offered only in some markets, and product feed campaigns can only choose countries. Check what Ads Manager shows for your country.
How much do ChatGPT ads cost?
There are no confirmed public benchmarks for cost per click or cost per thousand impressions. So do not plan around other people’s numbers: set a small test budget and a maximum cost per enquiry based on your margin.
Can OpenAI or the advertiser see what I write?
According to OpenAI, advertisers do not see users’ conversations, and ads are matched to the topic of the conversation. OpenAI also states that ads do not influence ChatGPT’s answers.
Which users do not see ads?
Users on the Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education plans see no ads. Ads are not shown to under-18s either.
Sources
- CBS News: OpenAI starts testing ads in ChatGPT
- OpenAI: Testing ads in ChatGPT
- OpenAI: ChatGPT ads expands across Europe
- Digiday: OpenAI’s ChatGPT ads business hits $1 billion run rate as Europe gets self-serve access (31 August 2026)
- IndexLab: ChatGPT ads in Europe
- OpenAI Help Center: Create Campaigns for ChatGPT Ads
- OpenAI Help Center: Bulk Upload Campaign Schema Checklist