OpenAI tests Sponsored Agents as a new ChatGPT ad format

OpenAI is testing a new ad format in ChatGPT called Sponsored Agents, according to a September 16, 2026 report from Search Engine Roundtable. The format turns the click on an ad into the start of a conversation with an agent that speaks for the advertiser.

How Sponsored Agents work#

OpenAI describes Sponsored Agents as letting people “start a conversation with a business-sponsored agent after clicking an ad in ChatGPT.” The option appears for some users after they see a relevant ad. If they take it, they enter a clearly labeled conversation instead of going straight to a landing page.

Inside that conversation, OpenAI says the user can explain what matters to them, ask follow-up questions and follow a link to the business’s website when they are ready to take the next step. OpenAI also states that the conversation with a Sponsored Agent is distinct from ChatGPT’s independent answers.

Test status#

Sponsored Agents are being tested with select advertisers in the United States. Nothing in the report describes a wider rollout, pricing, or how advertisers configure an agent, so none of that should be assumed.

Other ChatGPT Ads changes#

The same report lists several other ChatGPT Ads updates from OpenAI: conversion optimization with impression billing, flexible attribution windows of 7, 14 or 30 days, more granular platform targeting, Shopify and HubSpot integrations, AI-assisted ad creation, text customization, and availability of Event Quality Score.

Why we care#

The ad is no longer the last step before the site: for tested advertisers, a conversation sits in between. That is worth watching for anyone measuring ChatGPT traffic, because the visit that reaches a website may follow several exchanges with an advertiser’s agent. The labeling and the separation from ChatGPT’s own answers are the parts OpenAI stresses, and they are the ones to check as the test develops.