OpenAI has expanded ChatGPT Ads across 31 European markets, opening a new conversational advertising channel for brands looking to reach users during moments of research and decision-making. The company announced the rollout on August 18, 2026, and confirmed that self-service campaign creation through Ads Manager became available across the markets on August 31, 2026.
The expansion covers a broad set of countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Austria. Advertisers can initially buy placements through OpenAI’s Ads Solutions team, agency partners and technology partners; Ads Manager access — now live for the 31 markets — enables self-service campaigns as well.
OpenAI positions ChatGPT Ads as a way to reach people while they plan travel, evaluate software, furnish a home, learn a new hobby or otherwise pursue concrete goals in conversational form rather than with traditional search keywords. By appearing alongside those task-driven interactions, the company says ads can help connect brands with users across discovery, evaluation and purchase consideration.
Ads in ChatGPT will be shown only to users on the Free and Go plans. Paid subscriptions — specifically Pro, Plus and Enterprise — will remain ad-free. OpenAI frames advertising revenue as a mechanism to support free and low-cost access to ChatGPT while preserving ad-free experiences for subscribers.
Protecting user trust is central to OpenAI’s stated approach. The company says conversations are not shared with advertisers and that customer data is not sold. Ads are clearly labeled, kept separate from ChatGPT’s answers, and OpenAI asserts ads do not influence the model’s responses. Users retain control over ad personalization and can opt for paid plans to avoid ads entirely.
Alongside geographic growth, OpenAI has added advertiser-facing features to the ChatGPT Ads platform. These include conversion optimization beyond traditional CPM and CPC bidding, geo-targeting, custom audiences, and measurement tools such as the OpenAI Pixel, a Conversions API and third-party measurement integrations. OpenAI reports that tens of thousands of marketers have used ChatGPT Ads to date and says it is iterating on formats, optimization tools and measurement solutions as the platform scales.
The European rollout is the largest market expansion for ChatGPT Ads so far. The program began with a U.S. pilot in February 2026 and moved into eight additional markets over the following months before this broader expansion. Advertisers in the newly added countries can work immediately with OpenAI’s Ads Solutions team and authorized partners, or set up self-service campaigns via Ads Manager.
As OpenAI continues to add markets and develop the technical capabilities of ChatGPT Ads, the company says it will focus on expanding access to its models, maintaining user trust and helping businesses achieve measurable outcomes.
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