OpenAI Adds CPC Bidding, Self-Serve Ads Manager to ChatGPT Ads Platform
Tuesday's expansion of ChatGPT's ad platform gives advertisers two pricing paths: the CPM bidding available since the pilot began, and a new cost-per-click option that ties spend directly to clicks. A self-serve Ads Manager, now in beta, lets US advertisers sign up and buy ads without going through OpenAI directly. Dentsu, Omnicom, Publicis and WPP are supporting agency clients on the platform, and Adobe, Criteo, Kargo, Pacvue and StackAdapt have signed on as technology partners. OpenAI paired the launch with a Conversions API and pixel-based measurement tool for tracking purchases, leads and sign-ups, plus a landing page with video guides and sign-up instructions. Glenn Gabe, president of G-Squared Interactive, tested the sign-up flow and reported that OpenAI verifies every advertiser account before it goes live.
Performance-based buying on ChatGPT lets media teams judge results against paid search and social using the same cost-per-click math they already track. The agency partnerships with Dentsu, Omnicom, Publicis and WPP give planners an established path to test budgets without building direct relationships with OpenAI, and the Conversions API closes a measurement gap that made early ChatGPT ad tests hard to justify against other channels. Self-serve access also means smaller advertisers can experiment without agency involvement, though OpenAI's account verification signals it intends to keep some control over who buys inventory.