Edit: As of January 2026, Ads in ChatGPT have officially been announced. Read more about it here.
ChatGPT now handles over 2.5 billion queries daily. Your potential customers are asking AI for product recommendations, comparing solutions, and making buying decisions without ever opening Google.
This shift has businesses asking: Can we advertise on ChatGPT as we do on Google or Facebook?
The short answer is no. For now, you can’t advertise on ChatGPT yet. But there are many signs that could point to a future where ads might be part of ChatGPT’s revenue source.
We’re going to discuss those signs in this article and what you can focus on right now:
- Current advertising options (or lack thereof) on ChatGPT
- How to check if your business shows up organically
- Strategies to improve your ChatGPT visibility today
- Preparing your business for future ads
- What the future holds for ChatGPT advertising
Advertising on ChatGPT
As of December 2025, you cannot buy ads on ChatGPT. There’s no ad platform, no sponsored placements, and no way to pay OpenAI to feature your business in ChatGPT responses.
But here’s what’s happening behind the scenes.
The financial reality pushing OpenAI toward ads
Sam Altman previously called advertising a “last resort.” That was before ChatGPT’s infrastructure costs skyrocketed. Running AI at this scale isn’t cheap, and the financial reality is pushing OpenAI toward advertising.
There’s also unconfirmed news from OpenAI, but reported by The Information. According to the report, the mockup shows a sidebar displaying sponsored information.
And honestly, putting ads on ChatGPT makes sense. ChatGPT’s user behavior is perfect for ads. People ask specific questions like:
- “What’s the best project management software for remote teams?”
- “How do I fix a leaky faucet?”
- “Which CRM works best for small businesses?”
These are high-intent queries. Compare that to social media, where users scroll mindlessly through content, ChatGPT users come with problems they need solved.
But since there are no ads in the foreseeable future, let’s focus on what’s actually happening right now: showing up organically in ChatGPT’s responses.
How to Check If Your Business Currently Shows Up on ChatGPT
Before worrying about future paid advertising, you need to understand your current organic visibility. Is ChatGPT already mentioning your business when users ask relevant questions?
Start with manual testing
Test ChatGPT with questions your potential customers might actually ask. Don’t search for your brand name directly. If you ask about your brand, then ChatGPT will try its best to find information about you.
Instead, ask the kinds of questions people use when they’re researching solutions in your industry.
For example:
- If you sell accounting software: “What accounting software do small businesses use?”
- If you’re a marketing agency: “Who are the top SEO agencies for early-stage startups?”
- If you sell fitness equipment: “What’s the best home gym equipment for beginners?”
Pay attention to:
- Whether your business appears in the response
- How it’s described
- What context surrounds the mention
- Whether ChatGPT cites your website as a source
Important: responses vary
ChatGPT’s responses vary based on:
- Timing
- Location
- Whether web search is enabled
Ask multiple people in different locations to test the same prompts. You’ll likely see different results, which tells you something important about consistency (or lack thereof).
For example, I’ve asked my team from different countries to share with me a screenshot of ChatGPT’s response when they ask “Who is Irene Chan?” Here’s the response:
The first one that ChatGPT suggested isn’t actually me. My name is so common that there are just so many potential answers. The response also vary based on the location.
Our team in Spain reported that I was mentioned third. While a team in Australia, mentioned I was fifth at the time she did the prompt.
Use a tracking tool for systematic monitoring
For a more systematic approach (that doesn’t involve a lot of screenshots!), use a GEO tool designed specifically for tracking brand mentions in ChatGPT.
Tools like GenRank let you:
- Monitor how ChatGPT responds to specific prompts over time
- Track whether your brand appears in responses
- Compare your visibility against competitors
- See both training data mentions and real-time web search results
Here’s an example of a prompt I’m tracking: “track mentions of brand in chatgpt.” As you can see, there are 25 citations for this prompt.
At the time this prompt was run, Genrank was the #1 listed tool for this prompt (which is exactly what we’re going for).
It now only shows you the citations, but it also shows you the actual response from ChatGPT.
Pro tip: Sign up for a free Genrank account to see it for yourself. You’ll have up to 10 responses that you can track and measure. What does ChatGPT say about your brand?
How to Show Up on ChatGPT Responses Organically
While you can’t buy ads yet, you can absolutely improve your organic visibility on ChatGPT. This is where Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) comes in.
GEO differs from traditional SEO in important ways. With SEO, you optimize to rank high in search results. With GEO, you optimize to become the authoritative source that AI tools reference and cite.
Make sure AI crawlers can access your site
ChatGPT uses bots like GPTBot and OAI-SearchBot to crawl and index web content.
If your robots.txt file blocks these crawlers, ChatGPT can’t access your content. Check your robots.txt configuration for AI crawlers and ensure you’re not accidentally blocking the bots that could be citing your business.
Create comprehensive, authoritative content
ChatGPT prioritizes sources that demonstrate expertise and cover topics thoroughly. Instead of multiple thin articles targeting different keywords, create:
- Comprehensive guides that establish you as the definitive source
- Content with expert quotes and authoritative sources
- Original data or insights that others can’t replicate
AI platforms look for citation-worthy content. Your content should be the kind of resource that other experts would reference.
Structure your content for easy AI consumption
Make it easy for ChatGPT to extract information from your content:
- Use clear headings: Structure content with descriptive H2 and H3 headings
- Add bullet points: Break complex information into digestible chunks
- Keep paragraphs short: 2-4 sentences maximum
- Include FAQ sections: Mark them up with FAQ schema
If a human can quickly scan your page and find the answer to a specific question, ChatGPT can too.
Build your digital authority signals
ChatGPT builds its understanding of your company from multiple sources across the web:
- Get mentioned in industry publications
- Contribute to relevant forums and communities
- Encourage detailed customer reviews
- Build consistent brand information across directories
Consistent, positive mentions in authoritative sources signal to AI platforms that your business is trustworthy and relevant. This is especially important since ChatGPT’s shopping features already prioritize brands with strong third-party validation.
Monitor your results
Check if you’re starting to see traffic from ChatGPT in your analytics:
- Look for utm_source=chatgpt in your traffic reports
- Track which content gets cited most often
- Analyze what makes it citation-worthy
- Apply those insights to create more content that ChatGPT will reference
While betting on ads to appear on ChatGPT sounds tempting, it’s just not a reality right now. Even if it’s going to happen in the next few months, businesses that will get a better ROI are those that have already spent time understanding how to show up on ChatGPT organically.
Preparing Your Business for ChatGPT Advertising in 2026
Even though ChatGPT advertising isn’t available yet, smart businesses are preparing now. Here’s what you should be doing.
Document your current organic visibility
Before paid advertising launches, establish your baseline:
- Which prompts already mention your business?
- Which competitors dominate AI responses in your space?
- What content gaps exist?
This baseline helps you measure the incremental impact of paid advertising when it becomes available. You’ll know what you’re getting from organic efforts versus paid placements.
Build your GEO foundation now
The businesses that will succeed with ChatGPT advertising are the ones that already have strong organic visibility. Think of it like Google Ads. Ads work better when you already have strong organic rankings, as they signal relevance and authority.
Monitor OpenAI’s announcements
OpenAI will likely announce advertising capabilities through official channels before public launch.
Stay informed:
- Follow OpenAI’s blog
- Subscribe to industry publications like Search Engine Land
- Stay connected with the GEO community
- Bookmark our blog for the latest news and learn what you can actually do about the news
When advertising launches, you want to be ready to move quickly. Early adopters often get better placement and lower costs as platforms work out their pricing models.
Start Preparing Today
ChatGPT advertising is coming. The question isn’t whether you should prepare but how quickly you can position your business for this new channel.
Start by understanding your current organic visibility. Are you showing up when potential customers ask ChatGPT about your industry? If not, you’re already losing awareness and consideration opportunities.
Then implement GEO strategies to improve your organic presence. The businesses dominating ChatGPT responses today will be best positioned for advertising success tomorrow.
Ready to see where you stand? Try GenRank for free and discover exactly how ChatGPT mentions your brand. Track up to 10 prompts without a credit card and get the baseline data you need to build your ChatGPT visibility strategy.
FAQs About Advertising on ChatGPT
Can you use ChatGPT to advertise?
Currently, no. ChatGPT does not offer advertising placements or sponsored content opportunities. However, OpenAI is actively building advertising infrastructure expected to launch in 2026. Until then, businesses can only improve organic visibility through Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategies.
How do I get my business listed on ChatGPT?
You can’t directly submit your business to ChatGPT like Google Business Profile. Instead, ChatGPT learns about your business from its training data and web search. To increase visibility, create comprehensive content, ensure AI crawlers can access your website, and build strong mentions across reputable industry sources.
Can I use ChatGPT for my business?
Yes, you can use ChatGPT for business purposes through ChatGPT Plus subscriptions, Team plans, or Enterprise solutions. These let you leverage ChatGPT for tasks like content creation, customer service, data analysis, and more. However, this is different from advertising your business to ChatGPT users, which isn’t available yet.
How to promote on ChatGPT?
Since paid promotion isn’t available, focus on organic visibility. Optimize your content so ChatGPT cites your website when users ask relevant questions. This involves implementing GEO best practices: creating authoritative content, ensuring technical accessibility for AI crawlers, building digital authority signals, and monitoring your brand mentions consistently.
