“Which CRM is best for a small office?”, “How do I choose an English course for my child in Baku?”, “What air conditioner do I need for a 50 m² room?” — people increasingly ask these questions in ChatGPT rather than Google. In 2026 OpenAI started showing ads under these conversations, and since 21 October ChatGPT ads are available in Azerbaijan too. In this article we explain in plain language how ChatGPT ads work, who sees them, what you pay for and whether they are worth testing for your business.
ChatGPT ads appear below ChatGPT’s answer, in a separate block, labelled “Sponsored”. The ad is chosen not by keywords but by the topic of the conversation. You pay per impression (CPM) or per click (CPC). Only adult users on the Free and Go plans see ads. Ads do not change ChatGPT’s answers. Since October 2026 a company registered in Azerbaijan can launch ads itself in OpenAI’s Ads Manager (beta).
What are ChatGPT ads
ChatGPT ads are OpenAI’s own advertising platform. A user asks a question, ChatGPT writes an answer, and a separate ad block appears beneath it. The block shows the brand name, logo, headline, short description, image and a link to the website. Campaigns are managed in a dashboard called Ads Manager, with logic similar to the Meta and Google ad dashboards.
User asks a question
“Which printer for a small office?”
ChatGPT answers
The answer is independent of ads
Topic is matched
The conversation is compared with advertisers’ context hints
Sponsored block
Below the answer, separate and labelled
How a ChatGPT ad is shown. The ad never blends into the answer — it always comes after it, in its own block.
A short history
- February 2026 — testing started in the US, at first only with large advertisers and impression-based pricing.
- 5 May 2026 — Ads Manager opened to all US businesses, and cost-per-click bidding was added alongside impressions.
- Summer 2026 — the UK, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, then 31 European markets and India.
- September 2026 — Türkiye, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Southeast Asia.
- 21 October 2026 — 26 more countries, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, for a total of 89. According to OpenAI, more than 100,000 advertisers had run campaigns on the platform by then.
So in Azerbaijan ChatGPT ads are only a few weeks old. That is both an opportunity and a risk: there are few competitors yet, but there is also no local experience or benchmark data.
ChatGPT ads in Azerbaijan: what you need to know
- Who can advertise. A business registered in a listed country can open and verify an Ads Manager account itself. The account carries the company’s legal name, which is used for both billing and verification.
- The account country is permanent. Choose the country carefully when you open the account — it cannot be changed later.
- Beta. In new markets Ads Manager runs as a beta: only approved categories are accepted and every ad goes through a policy review.
- Home country first. Some new accounts can initially advertise only in their home country. Other countries unlock after identity verification is approved and enough spend has occurred at home.
- Who sees the ads. Only ChatGPT users in Azerbaijan on the Free and Go plans.
The country list and rules change often. Check OpenAI’s official “Ads Manager availability” page before you launch a campaign.
Who sees ads and who does not
See ads
- Free plan
- Go plan
- Adult users only
- Web, iOS and Android apps
Do not see ads
- Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, Edu
- Users identified as under 18
- Conversations on sensitive topics such as health, mental health and politics
Based on OpenAI’s documentation. A campaign can also be limited to web only, iOS only or Android only.
Targeting: not keywords, but “context hints”
This is the biggest difference. On Google you choose keywords, on Meta interests and demographics. On ChatGPT the advertiser writes context hints — short texts describing the conversations in which the product could be useful. OpenAI matches the topic of a conversation with these descriptions and shows a relevant ad.
According to OpenAI, context hints are not exact-match keywords and do not guarantee delivery in any specific conversation. So a good hint is not a list of words but a description of the customer’s situation.
| Business | Weak hint | Strong hint |
|---|---|---|
| Furniture store | furniture, sofa, cheap furniture | Someone choosing a sofa bed or space-saving furniture for a small flat |
| Language school | English course | A parent comparing English courses for their child, asking about lesson format and price |
| CRM software | CRM, software | A manager looking for a system for a small sales team that loses enquiries in WhatsApp and Excel |
| Travel agency | tour, travel | Someone planning a 5–7 day family beach holiday, asking about budget and flight options |
Put several closely related hints in one ad group and split different intents into separate groups: “comparing prices”, “learning for the first time”, “solving a specific problem”. That way you see which intent actually brings enquiries.
How ChatGPT ads are priced
- Pricing model. Per thousand impressions (CPM) or per click (CPC). Prices are set by auction — there is no fixed rate card.
- Daily minimum. The minimum daily campaign budget depends on the account currency — for example 25 a day in US dollars and 15 in euros. Ads Manager warns you if your budget is below the minimum.
- Budget and agency fee are separate. The ad budget is paid directly to OpenAI; agency work is a separate service.
Because the platform is so new, there is no reliable answer yet to “how much does a click cost in Azerbaijan?”. Most figures circulating online come from the US market and from individual agencies’ own campaigns. The sensible approach: start with a small test budget and compare cost per enquiry with Google and Meta.
How to measure results
Clicks do not prove an ad works — enquiries and sales do. Measurement for ChatGPT ads has two parts:
- OpenAI pixel — code placed on your website. It records events such as form submissions, call-button clicks, sign-ups and purchases.
- Conversions API — sends the same events from your server, so data is not lost when a browser blocks tracking or cookies are cleared.
On top of that, add UTM tags to your links so ChatGPT traffic shows up separately in GA4 reports. If enquiries are logged in a CRM system with their source, you can also see whether ChatGPT ads actually bring sales.
How ChatGPT ads differ from Google search ads
| Difference | Google search ads | ChatGPT ads |
|---|---|---|
| Where they appear | Above and below search results | Below ChatGPT’s answer, in a separate block |
| What selects the ad | Keywords and the search query | The conversation topic and context hints |
| User’s situation | Types a short query, ready to click a link | Asks a detailed question, often already comparing options |
| Pricing | Mostly per click | Per impression (CPM) or per click (CPC) |
| Measurement | Google tag, GA4, conversion import | OpenAI pixel and Conversions API |
| Who sees them | Anyone searching on Google | Adult users on the Free and Go plans |
| Maturity | Years of data, mature tools | New platform, rules change often |
These two channels do not replace each other. Google search ads catch the “I want to buy now” moment; ChatGPT ads appear earlier — when people are comparing options. To see how Google advertising works, visit the Google Ads service page.
Who it suits and who it does not
A good fit:
- Businesses whose customers compare options before buying: electronics, home appliances, furniture, courses, travel, cars.
- B2B and software: CRM, accounting, logistics, corporate services — professionals often research work questions in ChatGPT.
- Companies that already run Google and Meta ads and want to test a new channel with a small budget.
Not a good fit:
- Prohibited categories: political ads, gambling, alcohol, tobacco and adult content. Healthcare, finance and legal services face strict restrictions.
- A small business advertising for the first time. Start with Meta or Google ads — measurement, audiences and know-how are far more developed there.
- A business with no website, or one that loads poorly on mobile. Someone arriving from ChatGPT must see the answer to their question on the landing page immediately.
Do ads change ChatGPT’s answers?
No. Under OpenAI’s advertising principles, answers are independent of ads, ads always appear in a separate labelled block, and conversations are not shared with advertisers. Advertisers only see aggregate results — impressions, clicks and conversions.
This leads to an important point: you cannot pay ChatGPT to “recommend” your brand. To be mentioned in ChatGPT’s own answers you need to work on your website content, your brand’s information across the web and SEO. Advertising and organic visibility are two separate jobs — the best results come when you do both.
How to start with ChatGPT ads: 5 steps
Check eligibility
Make sure your company’s country is on the Ads Manager list and your industry complies with OpenAI’s ad policies.
Open the account in the company’s name
Enter the legal name correctly and choose the country carefully — it cannot be changed. Add a payment method and complete verification.
Set up measurement
Install the pixel, define enquiry and sale events and, if possible, connect the Conversions API. Add UTM tags to links.
Write down your customers’ questions
Collect 20–30 real questions customers ask you, group them by intent and write context hints for each group.
Test with a small budget and compare
Run for 2–4 weeks, compare cost per enquiry with Google and Meta, and shift budget to the groups that work.
Ad copy should read like a continuation of the conversation. The person has already written a detailed question — they need a concrete answer and offer, not a generic slogan: “3 printer models for a small office, free delivery in Baku”, “English for kids: free trial lesson”.
Can you advertise on ChatGPT?
Yes. OpenAI started ChatGPT ads in the US in February 2026. As of October 2026 ads are sold in 89 countries, and you can advertise self-serve through the Ads Manager dashboard.
Are ChatGPT ads available in Azerbaijan?
Yes. Azerbaijan is among the 26 countries added on 21 October 2026. A business registered in Azerbaijan can open an Ads Manager account (beta), and users on the Free and Go plans see ads. The list can change, so check OpenAI’s official page before you start.
How much do ChatGPT ads cost?
You pay per impression (CPM) or per click (CPC), with prices set by auction. The minimum daily campaign budget depends on currency — for example 25 a day in US dollars. There is no reliable average cost-per-click data for Azerbaijan yet.
Who sees the ads?
Adult users on ChatGPT’s Free and Go plans. Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu accounts have no ads, and ads are not shown to users identified as under 18.
Do ads affect ChatGPT’s answers?
No. Under OpenAI’s principles, answers are independent of ads, ads appear in a separate block labelled “Sponsored”, and conversations are not shared with advertisers.
Which industries cannot advertise on ChatGPT?
Political content, gambling, alcohol, tobacco and adult content are prohibited. Healthcare, finance and legal services face strict restrictions, and ads are not shown next to sensitive conversations such as health or politics.
Will ChatGPT ads replace Google ads?
Not for now. Google search ads remain the core channel, with years of data and mature tools. ChatGPT ads are an extra channel that appears when people are comparing options. The best approach is to keep Google and Meta, test ChatGPT with a small budget and compare results.
Conclusion
ChatGPT ads are a new channel that appears exactly when people ask questions and choose between options. In Azerbaijan they are only a few weeks old: there are few competitors, but no local experience either. So the right approach is a careful test: set up measurement first, write context hints that match your customers’ real questions, start small and compare the numbers with Google and Meta.
We set up ChatGPT ads for you — from eligibility checks to pixel setup and weekly reports. Details: ChatGPT Ads service. To check together whether this channel makes sense for your business, request a free audit.
Sources: OpenAI Help — Ads in ChatGPT: the basics; OpenAI Help — Ads Manager availability; OpenAI — Ad policies; OpenAI — Our approach to advertising; OpenAI for Developers — pixel and Conversions API; CNBC — ChatGPT Ads expands to 26 more countries (21 Oct 2026).
