The Pulse
OpenAI Tests Sponsored Agents in ChatGPT Ads
OpenAI is testing Sponsored Agents, a new advertising format that lets ChatGPT users start labeled conversations with businesses after clicking an ad. The company is also adding AI tools for campaign management and integrating ChatGPT Ads w
AI.info Team ·
OpenAI is testing a new advertising format that turns an ad in ChatGPT into a separate conversation with the business behind it. The company announced Sponsored Agents on September 16, 2026, describing them as clearly labeled, advertiser-backed AI representatives that users can question after clicking an ad.
“We’re testing Sponsored Agents, which let people start a conversation with a business-sponsored agent after clicking an ad in ChatGPT.”
— OpenAI
The test is limited to select advertisers in the United States. OpenAI says users can ask about a product’s features, fit, compatibility or care, then follow a link to the advertiser’s website when they are ready to continue.
The announcement marks a more direct attempt to connect commercial messages with the decision-making conversations taking place inside ChatGPT. It also expands the tools available to advertisers, bringing campaign creation, creative production and performance analysis further into OpenAI’s own products.
Sponsored Agents Keep a Separate Conversation
OpenAI’s stated dividing line is separation. A conversation with a Sponsored Agent is distinct from ChatGPT’s independent answers and from the original conversation that led a user to the advertisement. The company says the interaction will be clearly labeled so users can identify that they are speaking with a business-sponsored agent.
The format gives advertisers more room than a static placement, but OpenAI’s announcement does not describe the agent’s underlying model, the controls available to businesses, or the review process for agent responses. It also does not disclose which advertisers are participating in the U.S. test.
ChatGPT Work Moves Campaign Management Into Prompts
OpenAI is pairing Sponsored Agents with new tools for the people who create and manage campaigns. Advertisers can use natural-language prompts in ChatGPT Work with the Ads Manager plugin to create, update and analyze campaigns. OpenAI says a website or campaign brief can be turned into a campaign through the system.
Ads Manager is also gaining AI assistance for ad production. Advertisers can receive suggested copy and imagery based on a landing page and campaign objective, then review and edit those suggestions before deciding whether to use them.
An optional text-customization feature adapts existing headlines and descriptions to the context of a conversation and translates ad copy into a user’s preferred language. OpenAI says advertisers remain in control and can review and edit the material before adding it to a campaign.
HubSpot and Shopify Become the First Commercial Connections
OpenAI is integrating ChatGPT Ads with HubSpot and Shopify, naming them its first CRM and ecommerce partners. Businesses managing their customers in HubSpot can connect a ChatGPT Ads account, create campaigns, track performance and follow up on leads directly in HubSpot using their HubSpot context.
U.S.-based Shopify merchants can use a ChatGPT Ads app in the Shopify App Store to create and manage campaigns. The app lets merchants integrate their product catalog and measurement tools, allowing them to run ads and track performance. It will become available internationally in markets where ChatGPT Ads are available starting September 23.
The integrations are designed to bring ChatGPT Ads into tools businesses already use, reducing the need to rebuild existing advertising workflows around the service.
OpenAI’s Ad Business Moves Beyond Static Placements
The new announcement gives OpenAI’s advertising system a conversational layer. Instead of ending with a click from ChatGPT to a company website, an ad can now lead to a sponsored exchange inside the service before the user decides whether to visit the advertiser.
For businesses, the changes combine a new way to engage interested customers with tools for campaign creation, ad production and performance analysis. For users, Sponsored Agents offer an optional conversation that is labeled as sponsored and kept separate from ChatGPT’s independent answers.
For now, Sponsored Agents remain a limited U.S. test rather than a general ChatGPT feature. OpenAI’s announcement provides the launch, workflow changes and separation rules, but leaves the participating brands, agent capabilities and early performance data undisclosed.