Advertising on ChatGPT means showing sponsored ads below ChatGPT's answers, according to the context of the conversation. Since mid-September 2026, Israeli advertisers can buy and manage such campaigns themselves, through OpenAI's Ads Manager. For marketing and digital managers at large brands this is a new channel, with rules, targeting and measurement that differ from those of Google search.
In brief
- מה זה. A labeled ad that appears below the answer, and is shown only to users on the Free and Go plans.
- מה נפתח בישראל. Israel appears on OpenAI's availability page as a country where ads can be bought self-serve. The media reported an opening on September 16, 2026.
- מה מוגבל. Outside the US, ads for financial services and health services are generally prohibited, and ads for legal services are currently prohibited.
- איך מתחילים. A small test with one goal, measurement prepared in advance and a careful comparison with existing channels.
What is advertising on ChatGPT and how does it work?
Advertising on ChatGPT shows the user an ad related to what they are exploring in that conversation. According to OpenAI's official documentation at the time of writing, ads usually appear below the answer and are labeled as advertising. OpenAI states that ads do not influence the answers, and that they run on systems separate from the conversation model.
Ads are shown to Free and Go users only. Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu subscribers do not see them. They are also not shown to accounts identified as belonging to users under 18, in Temporary Chats, or alongside sensitive topics such as personal health, mental health and politics.
Context hints are natural-language sentences the advertiser writes at the ad group level, to explain to the system when its offer is relevant. According to OpenAI's context hints guide, they are not keywords or targeting rules, and they do not guarantee serving in a particular conversation. Alongside the conversation context, OpenAI cites product feeds, platform and location targeting, and custom audiences.
On the privacy side, matching relies on the current conversation and on general information such as approximate location and language. When personalization is on, previous conversations, memory and ad interactions are also taken into account. According to OpenAI, advertisers do not receive conversations, memories, name, email, precise location or IP address. They receive aggregated performance data only. The user can hide an ad, report it, see why it was shown and turn off personalization.
Buying is done through self-serve Ads Manager, or through OpenAI's sales team and media and technology partners. According to the company's August 2026 announcement, most campaigns are based on cost-per-click (CPC) pricing or on outcome-oriented bidding. Measurement relies on a ChatGPT pixel and a Conversions API.
What opened up in Israel in September 2026?
In September 2026, Israeli advertisers gained the option to buy ads on ChatGPT themselves, through Ads Manager. OpenAI's official availability page shows Israel as available for self-serve. The main condition is that the legal entity that advertises and is billed must be registered in one of the listed countries. Globes reported on September 17, 2026 that the opening had taken place the day before, and CTech, Calcalist's English-language technology site, also reported the opening that day.
It's worth separating two steps. Opening the system to advertisers is one step, and showing ads to users in Israel is a separate one. OpenAI has not published an official date on which Israeli users began seeing ads, and CTech noted that opening to advertisers does not mean ads will be shown immediately. Later, Calcalist reported on a Hebrew ad that appeared below an answer, so it's advisable to check the actual serving status before planning volumes.
Which categories are restricted outside the US, and why does it matter for brands in Israel?
According to OpenAI's advertising policy, updated on September 10, 2026, states that outside the US, ads for financial services and health services are generally prohibited, and ads for legal services are currently prohibited. In the US, approved advertisers in finance and health are reviewed case by case, and legal services are allowed only for an advertiser licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction where the ad is shown. For Israeli brands in banking, insurance, investments, health and law, this means it is currently hard to plan this channel as part of paid media.
There are also categories currently prohibited in all markets, including alcohol and tobacco, gambling, political content and unsubstantiated health claims, as well as ads for a specific job or a specific property for rent or sale. The policy includes several defined exceptions. It requires consistency between the ad and the landing page, and prohibits ads from imitating ChatGPT's interface or voice. This is a summary of the policy as published, and it is not legal advice for any specific case. Since it is updated, it's worth reading it again before every launch.
Brands that cannot advertise may still appear in the answers themselves. According to OpenAI, ads do not influence the answers, so organic visibility in them is a separate field, known as GEO/AEO.
What is the difference between advertising on ChatGPT and Google Search ads?
On Google the advertiser chooses keywords, while on ChatGPT they describe the offer and the need, and the system decides when they are relevant to the conversation. According to the Google Ads Help Center, keywords and match types (broad, phrase and exact) determine which searches an ad can enter the auction for. ChatGPT has no such matching mechanism, and control over timing and exact placement is more limited.
| Topic | Google Search ads | Ads on ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Main signal | The search query and keywords | Conversation context and context hints |
| Matching control | Match types: broad, phrase, exact | Context hints, audiences, location and platform, without exact matching |
| Placement | The search results page | Below the answer, within a conversation |
| קהל | People searching on Google | Free and Go users aged 18+ |
| Data for the advertiser | Reports by campaign and keyword | Aggregated data, without conversation content |
| Measurement maturity | An established channel with accumulated market experience | According to OpenAI, there are no cross-advertiser benchmarks yet |
How does a large brand build a first measured test on ChatGPT?
It's best to start with a test limited in time and budget, with one business question and measurement ready before going live. The first stage is an eligibility check: whether the category is allowed outside the US, whether the billed entity is registered in Israel, and whether the landing pages meet the requirements. Then define one goal, for example traffic to a product category or inquiries about a particular service, and build each ad group around one need.
Before launch, install the pixel and the Conversions API, and align the consent and privacy settings with the requirements of Amendment 13 to the Privacy Protection Law. It's worth deciding in advance what to compare against. A direct comparison of click-through rate with Google can be misleading, because the user is at a different stage of the decision. Metrics such as cost per result, traffic quality and the share of new customers give a more balanced picture.
Regarding early performance, OpenAI writes that there are no benchmarks yet across advertisers, industries and campaign types. The examples the company published, such as an e-commerce advertiser that achieved a 3x ROAS over 28 days, are figures presented by OpenAI itself, without details of the measurement method and without external verification. An external analysis by Seer Interactive, which examined 55,000 answers, found that 38% of the ads were in the same product or service category, 58% in a related field and 4% with no clear connection. These figures are best treated as background for the questions the test needs to answer.
Frequently asked questions
Do ads on ChatGPT influence the answers?
According to OpenAI, ads do not influence ChatGPT's answers. The company describes an ad system that runs separately from the conversation model, and states that advertisers cannot shape, rank or change answers. The ad is shown separately, usually below the answer, with a clear label. So a brand that wants to appear within the answers themselves needs to work on organic visibility, which is a separate field from paid advertising.
Can banks and insurance companies in Israel advertise on ChatGPT?
According to OpenAI's advertising policy updated in September 2026, ads for financial services outside the US are generally prohibited. The same rule applies to health services, and ads for legal services outside the US are currently prohibited. Brands in these fields in Israel should assume they currently have no paid advertising route in this channel. It's worth following policy updates, as they may change.
Who sees ads on ChatGPT?
Ads are shown to users on the Free and Go plans only. Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu subscribers do not see ads. OpenAI does not show ads to accounts identified as belonging to users under 18, in temporary chats, or alongside sensitive topics such as health and politics. Free users can also choose an ad-free mode, under conditions detailed in OpenAI's Help Center.
Does the advertiser receive the content of conversations?
According to OpenAI's Help Center, the advertiser does not receive conversations, chat history, memories, name, email, precise location or IP address. It receives aggregated performance data, such as impressions and clicks. For brands this means measurement relies mainly on the pixel, the Conversions API and the data on the site itself, and should be planned in advance and in line with privacy law.
Do you need keywords to advertise on ChatGPT?
No keywords are needed. The advertiser writes context hints, natural-language sentences that describe the offer, the need it addresses and the situation in which it is relevant. OpenAI notes that the hints are not targeting rules and do not guarantee serving. They complement the ad and the landing page, so each ad group should focus on one clear topic.
ראו גם: Paid Campaign Management, Data & Measurement, AI Search Optimization (GEO/AEO), תיקון 13 ומדידה בשיווק, channel prioritization in Google Ads.
Sources: OpenAI: ChatGPT Ads availability by country, OpenAI: Ads in ChatGPT, OpenAI: Ad Policies, OpenAI: Expanding access to AI with ChatGPT ads, OpenAI: Write context hints, OpenAI: Ads FAQ, Google Ads Help: About keyword matching options, Globes, September 17, 2026, CTech, 17.9.2026, Calcalist, October 4, 2026, Seer Interactive.
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