OpenAI will begin testing a new visual ad format inside ChatGPT later this month in the US, with an initial group of advertisers. The placement triggers when a user asks ChatGPT to generate an image, placing a sponsored visual below the in-progress render.

How will the new visual ad format appear?

The unit loads below an image that is still being produced. OpenAI shared a preview showing a generation progress indicator at "62% done," with the ad slot pre-rendered underneath. OpenAI said the placement is designed to help users "imagine how products and services could fit into their lives" through inspiration, usage, and experience imagery.

The company stated the ads will be "clearly labeled, and remain separate from the image being created." OpenAI also reiterated a position it has held since introducing ChatGPT Ads: "advertising does not influence the answers ChatGPT provides."

Which advertisers are in the initial test?

OpenAI has not published a roster. The company described the launch as a pilot "with an initial group of advertisers," leaving the vertical mix, creative categories, and budget floors undisclosed. That gap matters for affiliate publishers, ecommerce brands, and creative-tooling competitors whose traffic or product discovery flows currently overlap with ChatGPT image generation.

What measurement partners are expanding?

In parallel, OpenAI announced it is broadening the ChatGPT Ads measurement stack and partner ecosystem. Integrations with Hightouch, Tealium, and LiveRamp now let advertisers pipe conversion data from existing systems directly into ChatGPT Ads.

Attribution coverage spans the web and app space. OpenAI lists Conversions API, reporting, and click attribution support with AppsFlyer, Triple Whale, Adjust, DV Rockerbox, Northbeam, Branch, Singular, Kochava, Airbridge, and Tenjin. Full-funnel and advanced measurement partnerships include Fospha, Measured, and INCRMNTAL.

Incrementality testing is still early. OpenAI is working with Haus, Measured, and WorkMagic on geo-based experiments to isolate causal lift from ChatGPT Ads.

What early performance signals have advertisers seen?

Three partner-reported numbers anchor OpenAI's announcement. Each is a vendor finding, not an OpenAI audit:

• WeightWatchers (DV Rockerbox): Attributed cost per acquisition on ChatGPT Ads ran 15.3% lower than the brand's blended paid-search benchmark.
• Dose (WorkMagic): The wellness brand saw statistically significant incremental lift, with 67% of incremental purchases coming from net-new customers.
• Portland Leather (Triple Whale): 93% of visitors arriving from ChatGPT Ads were new.

These figures describe specific advertiser outcomes through specific measurement vendors. They do not establish a vertical-wide benchmark.

What should advertisers and publishers monitor next?

Three signals will clarify how durable this placement is:

1. Whether OpenAI publishes impression, click-through, or conversion data for the image-generation ad unit after the pilot closes.
2. How third-party incremental measurement vendors report lift outside the three partnerships named in the launch.
3. Whether the format expands beyond image generation into text or search-style responses inside ChatGPT.

For ecommerce advertisers, the 15.3% CPA gap on WeightWatchers and the 93% new-visitor rate on Portland Leather are the most concrete early indicators. For agencies, the addition of Hightouch, Tealium, and LiveRamp to the data-pipeline list suggests OpenAI is preparing ChatGPT Ads for budgets that require closed-loop attribution rather than last-click reporting.