ChatGPT Ads: New manager features at a glance

OpenAI has informed advertisers by email about extensive updates to the ChatGPT Ads Manager and the ChatGPT ads experience. The platform is evolving further from an experimental channel into a structured advertising system within generative AI surfaces. The updates include custom audiences, a new overview tab, suggested ad drafts, a refreshed ad card format, and expansion into Japan and South Korea. For marketing and SEO teams, this marks another step toward paid visibility in AI-powered search and assistant environments.

Custom audiences for more precise targeting

With custom audiences, advertisers can now upload user lists with at least 25,000 entries to include or exclude target groups from campaigns. The feature follows models familiar from classic performance channels but transfers them to ChatGPT as an ad surface. At the ad group level, bid multipliers can also be set for defined audiences to steer budget toward especially valuable segments.

For companies with existing CRM or retargeting data, this opens new control options. Instead of relying solely on contextual or broad audiences, brands can actively include known customer or prospect lists or exclude them deliberately. This is especially relevant for brands already building organic or paid presence in AI environments and wanting to connect paid and owned data more closely.

New overview tab for account health and performance

The new overview tab consolidates central control information in one place. Advertisers can monitor account health, review recommended tasks intended to improve campaign performance, and analyze key metrics in a larger, more flexible trend chart. ChatGPT Ads thus moves closer to established ads manager interfaces that make account hygiene and optimization recommendations visible.

For teams running multiple campaigns in parallel, the tab simplifies daily checks. Instead of searching individual areas manually, users get a connected view of performance trends and action recommendations. That supports faster iteration on creatives, bids, and audiences — a key factor in a channel that is still evolving dynamically.

Suggested ad drafts from website metadata

Another update is suggested ad drafts. When a campaign could benefit from broader content coverage to optimize delivery, the campaign view shows the option "Add new ad." The system uses existing website metadata to prefill an ad draft with an image, title, and description. Advertisers can review and edit the draft, then assign it to a campaign and ad group.

The technical classification matters: OpenAI does not generate new ad copy or new images with AI here. Suggestions are based on existing page information. For SEO and content teams, that means clean title tags, meta descriptions, Open Graph data, and meaningful page content directly influence the quality of suggested ads. Those who optimize website metadata for classic search also lay the foundation for more efficient paid setups in ChatGPT Ads.

Market expansion to Japan and South Korea

OpenAI also confirmed that ChatGPT Ads are live in Japan and South Korea. Campaigns can now target users in both markets. For international brands, this extends reach in two economically significant digital markets within an AI-native ad environment. Companies doing business in Asia should check whether local landing pages, language variants, and conversion paths are ready for traffic from ChatGPT ads.

The regional expansion underscores that ChatGPT Ads are no longer just a US-centered pilot. At the same time, pressure grows on teams to think beyond Google, Meta, and classic search networks and treat AI platforms as distinct touchpoints.

Refreshed static ad card format

OpenAI is also rolling out a refreshed static ad card format on web and mobile. The new presentation is more compact, easier to read, and uses larger visual elements. An initial rollout had already taken place in late June; the current announcement confirms broader deployment. For advertisers, the visual impact in the chat feed changes: creatives must convince within a tighter, clearly structured card layout.

The new format emphasizes imagery more strongly and reduces visual friction. Teams should test existing ads for readability, image ratios, and clear messaging in the more compact display. Especially in AI chats where users scroll quickly and scan answers, a few seconds decide attention and clicks.

Why marketers should keep these updates on their radar

ChatGPT Ads are still in an early but rapidly maturing phase. OpenAI keeps adding features, testing formats, and expanding markets. For GEO and performance teams, that means the channel demands continuous monitoring, creative experiments, and close alignment between website metadata, content strategy, and paid delivery.

• Custom audiences: Include or exclude lists with 25,000 or more users; bid multipliers at ad group level.
• Overview tab: Manage account health, recommendations, and KPI trends centrally.
• Suggested ad drafts: Drafts from website metadata, without AI-generated copy or images.
• New markets: Targeting in Japan and South Korea.
• Ad card refresh: More compact, image-forward format on web and mobile.

Those who want to stay visible in generative search surfaces today can no longer treat paid ChatGPT ads as a footnote. The latest updates make the channel more operationally manageable — provided teams actively adapt metadata, creatives, and campaign structure to changing requirements.