What’s changing? As of 9 February 2026, OpenAI is testing ads in ChatGPT for logged‑in adult users on the Free and Go tiers in the United States. Ads are clearly labelled, appear below answers, don’t influence responses, keep chats private from advertisers, and come with user controls—including an Ads‑Free option on Free.

Why this matters now

To keep broad, free access sustainable, OpenAI has started testing advertisements in ChatGPT. The test began 9 February 2026 and currently applies only in the United States for logged‑in adult users on the Free and Go plans. Paid plans (Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education) remain ad‑free.

Who will (and won’t) see ads

• May see ads (during the test): Logged‑in adults on Free and Go in the US.

• Won’t see ads: Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education users, and accounts identified as under 18.

Where ads appear and how they look

Ads are clearly marked (e.g., “Sponsored”) and are visually separated below ChatGPT’s answer. During the test there is one ad unit at a time when relevant to the conversation. Ads do not appear in Temporary Chats, when logged out, immediately after generating an image, or in the ChatGPT Atlas browser.

Independence of answers

OpenAI states ads do not influence ChatGPT’s responses. Chat outputs remain independent, and advertisers cannot shape, rank, or alter answers. Ads are selected based on conversation context (and, if you enable personalisation, past chats and ad interactions), but your chats aren’t shared with advertisers.

Privacy & data sharing

• Conversations stay private from advertisers.

• No selling of your data to advertisers.

• Advertisers receive only aggregated, non‑identifying performance data (e.g., views, clicks).

• Ads are excluded from sensitive or regulated topics (health, mental health, politics) and are not shown to users under 18.

Your controls (including Ads‑Free on Free)

You can manage your ad experience in Settings → Ad controls (where available):

• Turn off personalisation (you’ll still see contextual ads).

• Hide or report individual ads and see why you’re seeing an ad.

• Clear ad data at any time (retained up to 30 days before removal).

• Go Ads‑Free on the Free plan by accepting lower usage limits and reduced feature access (e.g., fewer daily messages; some tools like image generation may be unavailable). Alternatively, upgrade to Plus/Pro for an ad‑free experience with higher limits.

Practical examples

• You ask for meal‑prep ideas; you may see a clearly labelled sponsored grocery kit link beneath the answer.

• You can tap “…” → About this ad to learn why it appeared, hide it if it’s irrelevant, or Ask ChatGPT about that specific ad.

UK/EU readers: what to expect

This is a US‑only test for now. OpenAI says it will expand gradually and share updates as it learns from real‑world use. We’ll update this page when testing extends beyond the US.

Bottom line

Ads in ChatGPT are being trialled to support free access without compromising answer quality or privacy. You remain in control, and there’s an Ads‑Free path on Free or simply ad‑free paid tiers if you prefer.

FAQs

Will ads affect ChatGPT’s answers?
No. Ads don’t influence answers and are kept separate and clearly labelled.

Who currently sees ads?
Logged‑in adult users on Free and Go in the United States during the test.

Can I turn off ads?
Yes. On the Free plan, you can switch to Ads‑Free (with fewer messages and reduced tools) or upgrade to Plus/Pro for ad‑free access with higher limits.

What data is shared with advertisers?
Only aggregated performance data (e.g., views, clicks)—not your chats, chat history, memories, or personal details.

Will minors or sensitive topics see ads?
No. Ads aren’t shown to under‑18 accounts and are excluded from sensitive or regulated topics like health or politics.

Official resources:

• OpenAI announcement: Testing ads in ChatGPT

• Help Centre: Ads in ChatGPT

• Principles: Our approach to advertising & expanding access