Adam Hafez
Key takeaways
- OpenAI is testing Sponsored Agents, an ad format that lets users start a conversation with a business-sponsored agent after clicking an ad in ChatGPT.
- The test runs with select advertisers in the United States, and only some users see the option after a relevant ad.
- Users can explain what matters to them, ask follow-up questions and follow a link to the business's website when ready.
- OpenAI says the Sponsored Agent conversation is labeled and distinct from ChatGPT's independent answers.
- OpenAI also announced other ChatGPT Ads changes, including flexible attribution windows, Shopify and HubSpot integrations and Event Quality Score.
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 announced
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.
The evidence
- Type
- tooling
- Impact
- medium
- Affects
- ChatGPT Ads, advertisers
Sources
- 1.OpenAI Testing Sponsored Agents For ChatGPT Ads - Search Engine Roundtable, September 16, 2026Primary
Frequently asked questions
What are Sponsored Agents in ChatGPT?
A new ad format OpenAI is testing. After clicking an ad in ChatGPT, a user may be able to start a clearly labeled conversation with a business-sponsored agent, ask questions and follow a link to the business's website.
Who can see Sponsored Agents?
Only a test group for now. OpenAI is testing the format with select advertisers in the United States, and some ChatGPT users will see the option after a relevant ad.
Are Sponsored Agent answers the same as ChatGPT answers?
No. OpenAI states that the conversation with a Sponsored Agent is distinct from ChatGPT's independent answers, and the conversation is labeled as sponsored.
About the author
Founder
Founder, UpgradIQ, Inc.
Adam Hafez works on technical SEO and search measurement: how pages get crawled, indexed, ranked and now quoted by answer engines. He founded UpgradIQ, which reads Google Search Console and GA4 to tie ranking movement back to the changes that caused it. He publishes what the data supports and states the limits of it.
- Technical SEO
- Search Console and GA4 measurement
- Answer engine optimization
- Structured data
Related reading
Google tests an AI Mode button in the results page search bar
Google is testing an AI Mode button in the search bar on results pages, not only the home page. The button is inconsistent and regular search still works.
Logging bug undercounted impressions in Search Console's AI report
A logging error cut reported impressions in Search Console's Generative AI report from August 13, 2026, Google says, with no real drop in visibility.
Bing reports how often AI answers cite your pages
AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools counts citations in Copilot and AI answers, names the cited URLs, and shows the queries behind them.
Search Console now reports impressions from Google's AI features
Google added a generative AI performance report to Search Console, showing how often your pages surfaced inside AI Overviews, AI Mode and Discover.