Summary
OpenAI is testing Sponsored Agents that let users begin clearly labelled conversations with businesses after clicking an ad in ChatGPT. It is also adding AI campaign tools and integrations with HubSpot and Shopify.
OpenAI is testing a new advertising format in ChatGPT that lets people start a conversation with a business-sponsored AI agent after clicking an ad. The company says the new Sponsored Agents are clearly labelled and give users a way to ask follow-up questions about a product or service before visiting the advertiser’s website.
The announcement, dated September 16, 2026, also introduces AI tools for creating and managing campaigns, along with integrations for HubSpot and Shopify. Together, the changes extend ChatGPT Ads beyond displaying an ad towards a conversational system for exploring products and managing advertising workflows.
Sponsored Agents turn an ad into a conversation
A Sponsored Agent is presented after a user interacts with a relevant ad and chooses to continue with the business. The user can describe what matters to them, ask questions and follow a link to the company’s website when ready to take the next step.
OpenAI gives the example of a shopper considering a dining table. Instead of moving directly from the ad to a product page, the shopper could ask whether the table fits a particular space, how many people it seats or how to care for its finish.
The conversation is separate from the user’s original ChatGPT conversation and from ChatGPT’s independent answers. That separation, together with the clear labelling, is part of the way OpenAI says it is distinguishing business-sponsored interactions from ChatGPT’s own responses.
Sponsored Agents are being tested with selected advertisers in the United States. The announcement presents the feature as a way for businesses to help interested customers explore their offerings through a personalised conversation, rather than as a general-purpose ChatGPT interaction.
AI tools for campaign creation and management
OpenAI is also adding natural-language controls to advertising workflows. Through the Ads Manager plugin, advertisers can use prompts in ChatGPT to create, update and analyse campaigns. The company says a website or advertising brief can be turned into a campaign, while campaign performance can be summarised and used to generate recommendations for next steps.
AI assistance is also being added directly to Ads Manager. When drafting an ad, advertisers can receive suggested text and imagery based on a landing page and campaign objective. They can review and edit those suggestions before deciding whether to add them to a campaign.
A separate opt-in feature, called AI-powered text customisation, can adapt an advertiser’s existing headlines and descriptions to fit the context of a conversation. It can also automatically translate ad copy into a user’s preferred language.
These tools are designed to reduce the amount of manual work involved in converting a brief into advertising material and managing a campaign. The advertiser remains responsible for reviewing suggested content before using it, according to OpenAI.
HubSpot and Shopify integrations
OpenAI says HubSpot is its first CRM partner and Shopify its first ecommerce partner for ChatGPT Ads.
Businesses using HubSpot can connect a ChatGPT Ads account, create ads, track performance and follow up on leads within HubSpot using the context held there. US-based Shopify merchants can use the ChatGPT Ads app in the Shopify App Store to create and manage campaigns. Their products are integrated through Shopify Catalog, allowing merchants to begin running ads and tracking performance through the app.
The Shopify app is scheduled to become available internationally from September 23 in markets where ChatGPT Ads are available.
The combined release shows the two-sided approach OpenAI is taking: a conversational ad experience for people and AI-assisted tools for the businesses creating and managing those ads. Sponsored Agents remain in the testing stage, while access to the advertising tools and integrations depends on the markets and services covered by ChatGPT Ads.