Advertising in AI search and assistants: where it already works
Google shows ads inside AI answers, OpenAI began testing ads in ChatGPT in February 2026, and sources contradict each other about Perplexity. An overview of what exists, what is only written about, and what is worth acting on today.
- Ads in Google AI Mode and AI Overviews are not a new campaign type: they come from Performance Max, Shopping and Search with AI matching.
- OpenAI began testing ads in ChatGPT on 9 February 2026 for free and Go accounts; paid tiers remain ad-free.
- Sources contradict each other on Perplexity, several reporting a retreat from advertising. Do not plan around it without confirmation.
This is the topic with the most articles and the fewest verified facts. Agency blogs promise a “revolution in advertising”, sell a service alongside it, and quote numbers that cannot be traced. So let us separate three things: what already exists, what is in testing, and what is speculation.
This topic changes faster than anything else on this site. The last-reviewed date is at the top and tells you the day we checked the state of play. Before spending money on anything here, verify the current situation directly in Google’s announcements, OpenAI’s documentation and with Microsoft Advertising.
Google: furthest along and least dramatic
Google introduced advertising inside AI answers and presented it at Google Marketing Live 2026. A MediaPost report from May 2026 describes paid items inside the generated answer, marked with a “Sponsored” label.
For an advertiser one thing matters most, and it tends to get lost in the coverage:
This is not a new campaign type. Ads reach AI answers from campaigns you already run — Performance Max, Shopping, and Search campaigns with AI matching, that is broad match or AI Max.
That has two consequences. First, you are probably already advertising there without knowing it. Second, you cannot steer it much: turning it on or off happens at the level of campaign type and matching, not through a “yes/no AI answers” switch.
There is also word of shopping ads with direct offers inside AI Mode, and an estimate that ads appear on roughly a quarter of AI results. That estimate comes from a single vendor and we could not confirm it.
OpenAI and ChatGPT: in testing
According to available sources, testing of advertising in ChatGPT began in the United States on 9 February 2026. It covers the free tier and the Go tier; Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu accounts remain ad-free. The formats are described as sponsored product mentions and sponsored links.
Some sources write about a launched self-serve advertising platform. There is also a figure claiming OpenAI generated 100 million dollars in annualised revenue immediately on entering advertising — we could not trace that to a primary source and do not recommend working with it.
The practical conclusion as of the review date: this is a US test. Planning a budget around it does not make sense; watching the development does.
Perplexity: the sources disagree
Caution is needed here. Some sources describe sponsored answers and brand partnerships. Others state that Perplexity stopped taking new advertisers as early as October 2025 and withdrew from advertising entirely in February 2026, citing Financial Times reporting. Another says it does not offer a publicly available self-serve platform.
Our conclusion: until Perplexity confirms otherwise, do not count on it as an available channel.
Microsoft Copilot
According to available descriptions, Microsoft can serve ads inside Copilot answers through eligible campaigns in Microsoft Advertising. The same logic applies as with Google: it is an extension of existing campaigns, not a separate product. Given Bing’s share in most European markets, it is a peripheral topic for most advertisers.
State of play
| Platform | Status at review date | How you get there | Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google AI Mode / AI Overviews | Launched | Automatically from eligible campaigns (PMax, Shopping, Search with AI matching) | High — it probably already affects you |
| ChatGPT | Testing since 9 Feb 2026, US, free and Go tiers | Self-serve platform per some sources; verify with OpenAI | Low for now, worth watching |
| Microsoft Copilot | Available through Microsoft Advertising | Eligible existing campaigns | Low, in line with Bing’s share |
| Perplexity | Disputed; several sources report a retreat | Do not count on it without platform confirmation | Negligible |
What to do today
- Find out whether you already advertise in AI answers. If you run Performance Max or Search campaigns with broad match or AI Max, you very probably do.
- Do not treat it as a new channel. It has no separate budget and no separate target; it is evaluated as part of the campaigns it comes from.
- Tighten your negative keywords. Looser matching is the ticket both into AI formats and into queries you do not want. See negative keywords.
- Work on what you can influence. Being cited in AI answers organically is more accessible and cheaper today than buying a position in them. See traffic from AI assistants and AEO.
- Measure what arrives from AI. Most sites today have no idea how many visits come from assistants, because they hide under direct traffic.
What to take away
Advertising inside AI answers is real, but it is not yet a new buying channel you switch on somewhere. With Google it is an extension of campaigns you already have; with the other platforms it is either a US test or disputed. Today the energy is better spent on two things entirely in your hands: control over which queries AI matching lets you into, and work on getting assistants to cite you without paying.
Common questions
Can you already advertise inside Google’s AI answers?
Yes. Google introduced advertising inside AI Mode and AI Overviews and presented it at Google Marketing Live 2026; paid items inside the generated answer carry a Sponsored label. It is not a separate campaign type though. Ads get there automatically from campaigns you already run — Performance Max, Shopping campaigns, and Search campaigns with AI matching, that is broad match or AI Max. If you run any of those, you are probably already advertising in AI answers.
Can you advertise in ChatGPT?
According to available sources OpenAI began testing advertising in ChatGPT on 9 February 2026 in the United States, covering the free tier and the Go tier; Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu accounts remain ad-free. The formats are described as sponsored product mentions and sponsored links. For most advertisers this currently means a US test worth watching but not worth budgeting for. Verify the current state directly in OpenAI’s documentation.
Is it worth investing in advertising in AI assistants?
There is not yet anything separate to invest in — with Google it is an extension of existing campaigns with no separate budget, and with the other platforms availability is either limited to US tests or disputed. It is more useful today to focus on two things fully within your control: negative keywords, because looser matching is also the ticket into queries you do not want, and getting assistants to cite you organically.
- Google "Sponsored" Ads Emerge In AI Mode, MediaPostNews report from May 2026 on paid items inside the generated answer marked with a Sponsored label.
- 2026 Guide to Advertising in AI Assistants: ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot & Perplexity, LapisSource for the ChatGPT test starting 9 Feb 2026 on free and Go tiers, and for Copilot availability. Agency material; verify individual claims with the platforms.
- Advertising in AI Search: ChatGPT, Google, Copilot, Branded AgencySource for the point that ads in AI Mode and AI Overviews come from eligible existing campaigns. An agency blog promoting its own service.
- Perplexity Ads for Marketers: First Results, CPCs and ROI Data (2026), DataSlayerOne of the conflicting sources on Perplexity. Others, citing Financial Times, report that Perplexity stopped taking new advertisers in October 2025 and withdrew from advertising in February 2026. Do not count on it without platform confirmation.