Checked 19 October 2026
ChatGPT Sponsored Agents, explained
On 16 September 2026, OpenAI started testing Sponsored Agents: after clicking an ad, a person can chat with the brand's own agent inside ChatGPT before visiting the site. It is a small US test. Here is what is known, what is not, and how to get ready.
16 Sep
Test announced
Part of the same update that added oCPM billing and platform targeting.
Search Engine Roundtable, 16 Sep 2026
US
Where the test runs
Select advertisers only. No public list, no public criteria.
TechWyse, afaqs!, Sep 2026
1
Pilot brand named so far
Angi, the US home services marketplace. Pricing has not been published.
Angi press release, Sep 2026
What happens for the user
Ad first, then a chat, then the site
A normal ChatGPT ad sends people straight to your page. This adds a step in between.
The flow starts the usual way. ChatGPT answers a question and a relevant ad shows below the answer, labelled Sponsored. When the person clicks it, they can open a chat with the brand’s agent, ask follow-up questions, and then go on to the brand’s site.
That chat is labelled and kept separate from ChatGPT’s own answers and from the person’s original conversation. The brand does not get to speak inside the answer. It gets its own clearly marked space after the click (The Next Web, Search Engine Roundtable).
The one public example: Angi
Angi, the US home services marketplace, is the only pilot brand named so far. In its agent, a person describes their project, then moves into Angi’s service request flow. This agent is separate from Angi’s existing ChatGPT app (Angi press release, via Let’s Data Science).
That example shows the idea well. Some purchases need a few questions before someone is ready to act. The agent handles those questions before the click lands on your site.
Known and unknown
What has been reported so far
OpenAI’s developer docs do not cover Sponsored Agents yet. So every line below comes from press coverage and Angi’s own release.
| Topic | What we know | Source |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Ad click, then a labelled chat with the brand's agent, then the site | The Next Web, Search Engine Roundtable |
| Who can use it | Select US advertisers in a limited test | TechWyse, afaqs! |
| Named pilot brand | Angi, for home services | Angi press release, via Let's Data Science |
| What advertisers see | Aggregated performance data, not chat transcripts | TechWyse |
| How to join | OpenAI accepts expressions of interest. No public criteria | TechWyse |
| Pricing | Not published | Nothing found as of 19 October 2026 |
HubSpot and Shopify are not the gate
The same 16 September update brought HubSpot and Shopify integrations. Some coverage linked them to Sponsored Agents. They are something else: tools to build and track ChatGPT ad campaigns from those platforms (PPC Land). Using HubSpot or Shopify does not put you in the agent test.
You get totals, not transcripts
Advertisers in the test see aggregated performance data. They do not get the raw chats between people and their agent (TechWyse). Plan for that. You will learn what the agent did in numbers, not by reading what people typed.
What OpenAI has not said
- How Sponsored Agents are priced or billed.
- How advertisers are picked for the test.
- When, or whether, it opens beyond the US.
- Exactly what an advertiser controls inside the agent.
If someone gives you firm answers on these, ask for the source.
Why it matters
A standard ChatGPT ad gets one short headline and a description. An agent can answer the next 3 or 4 questions a buyer has. For services that need a quote or a brief, that is a big change.
Normal ads are unchanged
Self-serve Ads Manager still runs as before, in 63 countries, from $25 a day in the US. Sponsored Agents sit on top of that, for a few advertisers.
If you want in
How to get ready
There is no public checklist. These are our own suggestions, not OpenAI rules. They are useful whether or not you get picked.
1. Tell OpenAI you are interested
OpenAI accepts expressions of interest for future tests. It has not published a public form, so raise it with OpenAI’s ads team, or ask us to. It costs nothing.
2. Run standard ChatGPT ads first
An agent opens after an ad click. So you need ads that already show and get clicked. A live account also gives you your own data on which conversations bring buyers.
3. Track conversions properly
With no transcripts, your conversion data is how you will judge an agent. Set up the Measurement Pixel or the Conversions API now, and send the events that matter, such as leads or bookings.
4. Write down the questions buyers ask
List the 10 or 20 questions your sales team hears before a sale, with clear answers. Pricing, delivery, areas covered, what is included. That is the material any agent will need, and it also improves your landing pages today.
5. Have a clear next step
Angi sends people into a service request flow. Decide what yours is: a booking, a quote form, a product page. Make sure it works well on a phone.
Questions
What is a Sponsored Agent in ChatGPT?
It is a chat with a brand's own agent that opens after someone clicks a relevant ad in ChatGPT. The person can ask follow-up questions, then go to the brand's site. The chat is labelled and kept apart from ChatGPT's own answers.
Can any advertiser use Sponsored Agents?
Not yet. Since 16 September 2026 it is a limited test with select advertisers in the US. OpenAI accepts expressions of interest for future tests but has not published any entry criteria.
How much do Sponsored Agents cost?
OpenAI has not published pricing for Sponsored Agents. Anyone quoting a price is guessing. Standard self-serve ChatGPT ads start at $25 a day in the US.
Do I need HubSpot or Shopify to get a Sponsored Agent?
No. HubSpot and Shopify were announced as integrations for building and tracking ChatGPT ad campaigns. They are not the door into the Sponsored Agents test.
Can advertisers read what people say to their agent?
Reports say no. Advertisers get aggregated performance data, not the raw chat transcripts.
Which brands are in the pilot?
Angi, the US home services marketplace, is the one brand named publicly. In its agent, a person describes their project and is then taken into Angi's service request flow.
Next
Sponsored Agents are not open to most businesses yet. Standard ads are, and they are the first step anyway.
Know when it opens
When Sponsored Agents widen, or OpenAI publishes a price, we will say so. A short note once a month on what changed.
Keep reading
What is ChatGPT Ads Manager
Campaigns, ad groups and ads, and what each level controls.
Read the guideChatGPT Ads conversion tracking
Pixel, Conversions API, the 13 events, and which attribution window your numbers use.
Read the guideChatGPT shopping ads and product feeds
The 9 required fields, how to upload a feed, and which countries it can reach.
Read the guideHave us do it
We set up your ChatGPT ads and tracking for a fixed fee, live in 14 days, then month to month. Ready if agents open up.