How should B2B marketers get started with ChatGPT Ads?
Whether you’re a techno futurist, an AI skeptic, or somewhere in between, it’s undeniable that LLMs have upended the way people use the internet. This is especially true in the realm of search. Search engines’ AI-constructed summaries are conspicuous and omnipresent, mandating a new approach for advertisers.
Enter the paid era of AI assistants. Our expert team at Just Global, powered by Trilliad, has been anticipating this launch and is ready to help you get started. The backdrop: 72% of ChatGPT users (which holds a 45.3% market share to Google Gemini’s 25.2%) have set the chatbot as their default browser. In February of this year, OpenAI announced that it was beginning to test ads in ChatGPT. We quickly began testing the channel for clients. The official rollout began in the U.S. on May 5th, with pilots in the U.K., Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea occurring later this month. Ads will only appear in the app’s Free and Go tiers for adult (18+) users.
The opportunity for B2B brands is clear. Those who approach this channel thoughtfully have the most to gain, especially as other AI assistants attempt to monetize their platforms with ads. Trilliad’s POV on the matter suggests a helpful mindset when considering a ChatGPT Ads strategy.
B2B marketers who test ChatGPT Ads early have the most to gain. Read our playbook for practical guidance on getting started in the channel.
What are ChatGPT Ads? What are they not?
ChatGPT Ads are native sponsored placements appearing below the app’s AI-generated responses. They rely on real-time contextual information versus user demographics, browsing history, or keywords.
They are not:
If it feels like these ads will erode advertiser control, it’s helpful to liken ChatGPT Ads to Google AdSense. Both rely on contextual cues and target users who are interested, but not necessarily in-market. More on that below.
When to use:
Use ChatGPT Ads to capitalize on upper- and mid-funnel intent, or when users are researching and exploring solutions and products. Shifting entire search budgets over to ChatGPT Ads is unwise – search isn’t going anywhere, and it should remain a distinct line item in media plans. Recognize that this is a new product that will evolve rapidly over the next six months. And, as Perplexity’s short-lived ads run showed us, we can’t predict if and how users will embrace ChatGPT’s version.
It is worth noting that ChatGPT is currently prioritizing consumer verticals and restricts certain categories from accessing the platform, at least for now. Banned companies include those in FinServ, legal services, healthcare, data brokerages, and other highly regulated verticals.
Best practices for getting started:
For a comprehensive guide, we recommend viewing our ChatGPT Ads B2B Playbook. This guide provides more detail on the points below as well as detailed information for B2B marketers.
1) Write context hints that describe conversations, not products. Consider the user’s needs and how they might convey these needs to the chatbot. Think, “I’m struggling to stay on top of my projects,” not, “project management software.”
2) Treat your landing page as part of your targeting. Well-structured and specific URLs lend themselves to relevance in OpenAI’s algorithm.
3) Write creative that fits the research moment. Think of your creative as a useful next step – not an interruption – to your audience’s experience. As tempting as it may be to pepper your copy and imagery with superlatives, focus on the outcomes your company delivers to address real problems.
4) Structure campaigns around decision stages, not products. For awareness, think “how do I” framing, and bid lower to optimize for reach. Consideration and comparison stages benefit from “X vs Y” or “how does [category] work” framing, and competitive bidding to optimize for clicks. Decision stages are where you can insert more of your brand’s solutions and products, e.g., “[specific product] pricing” or “[vendor] reviews.” Lower funnel campaigns require aggressive bidding to optimize for conversion.
5) Build your measurement infrastructure before you spend. As retroactive attribution is not an option, you will need to:
6) Set the right expectations with internal teams. Treat ChatGPT Ads as a structured test channel and align on expectations as you would for any new investment. Assess early, be realistic about outcomes, and capitalize on learnings.
Actions to take right now:
Before spending a dime, set yourself up for a successful test. We recommend the following three actions:
1) Audit your search term and opportunity attribution data to determine a context hint inventory. Strong context hints exist in high conversion search strategies.
2) Implement the OpenAI pixel and Conversions API on your highest intent pages. These are ChatGPT Ads’ measurement tools that capture both conversions and downstream events such as landing page views, add-to-cart, and other key engagement activities.
3) Define what a “qualified opportunity” means to your sales leadership; the most common reason test channels fail is because marketing and sales cannot agree on what a lead looks like.
While advertisers own their ChatGPT Ads accounts, your agency partner can manage strategy and activation. While this platform is new, the discipline is not, and agencies have honed transferrable skillsets that will serve as indispensable assets when entering a new channel.
Platform Basics FAQs:
ChatGPT Ads are sponsored placements that appear below relevant AI-generated responses in ChatGPT. They are shown only to logged-in adult users on the app’s Free and Go tiers. The ads are clearly labeled as sponsored and are visually separated from ChatGPT’s answer. They do not influence what ChatGPT says.
ChatGPT Ads are contextually matched to conversations, not to declared search queries. Users are in research and reasoning mode, not in active purchase mode. The intent signal is noisier, the conversion cycle is longer, and the creative needs to speak to exploration rather than to a purchase decision.
Ads are shown to logged-in adults (18+) on Free and Go ($8/month) tiers. The following are ad-free: Plus, Pro, Enterprise, Business, and Education plans. Current markets include: United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
A context hint is a plain-language description of a conversational moment — not a keyword. At the ad group level, advertisers write phrases that describe the situation, problem, or question a user might be exploring when their ad is most relevant. OpenAI’s system uses these hints alongside the ad’s landing page, headline, and copy to match ads to relevant conversations.
Each ad unit includes advertiser name, favicon/logo, headline (title), description copy, image asset, and destination URL. There is currently one ad format — no carousels, video, or interactive formats exist yet.
· Cost Per Click (CPC)
· Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM)
Ads Manager Beta reports: impressions, clicks, spend, CTR, avg CPC, avg CPM, and conversions. Conversion tracking is set up in Ads Manager. UTM parameters persist through ad clicks and work with GA4 and other analytics tools.
Advertisers must create their own accounts directly at ads.openai.com. You can then invite your agency in as a user to manage campaigns on your behalf.
The platform launch focuses on consumer verticals. B2B software, productivity tools, professional education, and general technology products are generally eligible. The following are currently restricted:
• Financial services and financial advice
• Legal services
• Healthcare and clinical health claims
• Highly regulated verticals generally
OpenAI has stated it will expand eligible categories as its review systems mature. Check openai.com/policies/ad-policies before activating spend in any category that touches regulated claims. If in doubt, submit for review.
OpenAI has named five official technology partners with native API integration. All five handle campaign operations; OpenAI controls all delivery decisions.
• Criteo: First partner (March 2026). Commerce media/cross-channel performance. 17,000+ advertisers. Best for brands with existing Criteo relationships and ecommerce programs.
• Adobe: Creative partner only — not a buying partner. Adobe Advertising Cloud manages ChatGPT creative assets alongside other channel creatives. Best for brands already on Adobe’s marketing stack.
• Kargo: Cross-channel (CTV, open web, social, retail, AI). AI-native formats via Project KERA. Best for brands with existing Kargo relationships.
• Pacvue: Commerce automation/retail media. 100+ channels including ChatGPT in one platform. Best for brands managing Amazon and other retail media.
• StackAdapt: Omnichannel programmatic with strong B2B vertical specialization. Best for B2B advertisers seeking cross-channel orchestration.
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