ChatGPT Ads in 2026: where it is available and how to start advertising

OpenAI started showing ads inside ChatGPT in February 2026 and within a few months took them to dozens of markets. It is a new channel with little competition so far, and it pays to understand how it works before investing.

How ads in ChatGPT work

The test began on 9 February 2026 in the United States, with adult users on the Free and Go plans. According to OpenAI, ads are clearly labelled and separated from the answer, they do not influence what ChatGPT replies, and advertisers do not get access to conversations.

• They are shown on the Free and Go plans. Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education have no ads.
• They are not shown to accounts identified as belonging to users under 18.
• They are matched to the topic of the conversation: if someone asks for recipe ideas, the answer may be followed by an ad for a grocery delivery service.
• Users can manage ad personalisation or dismiss ads.

Where it is available today

After the United States, in August 2026 the channel opened in the United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, Japan and South Korea, and from 24 August in 31 European markets: the 27 European Union countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. At the end of that month, self-serve buying through Ads Manager also opened in Europe, India and the Middle East and North Africa.

What about Argentina and the rest of Latin America

Brazil and Mexico are, for now, the only Latin American markets where you can advertise in ChatGPT. OpenAI has not announced dates for Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay or the rest of the region: it is opening the channel market by market.

That does not stop you from starting. An Argentine brand selling in Mexico, Brazil, the United States or Spain can already advertise to users in those countries. For the local market, the work today is having everything ready to switch on the day it opens.

How to get ready to advertise

1. Decide which live markets you sell in or want to sell in.
2. Check that your site clearly answers what your customer asks before buying: price, shipping, terms and differentiators.
3. Make sure conversions are measured properly, both on your site and in your CRM.
4. Separate traffic arriving from AI assistants in GA4 so you can compare it with the rest of your channels.
5. Start with a limited test budget and a concrete objective.

This channel is opening market by market: whoever arrives with the structure ready makes the most of the first months, while competition is still low.

How we handle it at Semcial

We run ChatGPT Ads campaigns in the markets where inventory is already live. For countries that do not have it yet, we keep the structure and measurement ready to switch on as soon as it opens, and in the meantime we capture demand through the channels already working in your market.