ChatGPT Ads adds Sponsored Agents, Shopify and HubSpot

4 min read By Anil Mathew , AI & Automation, JR HQ

OpenAI announced on 16 September 2026 that ChatGPT Ads is testing Sponsored Agents, a format that lets someone who clicks an ad start a separate, clearly labelled conversation with that business’s own AI agent. In the same update it added AI tools that draft ads from a landing page and launched integrations with HubSpot and Shopify. OpenAI said the Shopify app would open to all ChatGPT Ads markets from 23 September. The UAE is one of those markets, but when we checked in September, neither integration was available for our UAE accounts.

What happened

OpenAI’s announcement, “Reimagining advertising with AI”, covers four changes:

  • Sponsored Agents (testing). After clicking an ad, a user can choose to chat with an agent sponsored by the business, ask follow-up questions and then click through to the website. The chat sits apart from ChatGPT’s own answers and from the user’s original conversation. Only selected advertisers in the United States have it, in what OpenAI’s Help Center calls a limited alpha.
  • Campaigns from a prompt. Advertisers can create, update and analyse campaigns in plain language inside ChatGPT, using an Ads Manager plugin.
  • AI creative in Ads Manager. Ads Manager now suggests copy and images based on the landing page and campaign goal. Advertisers can also opt in to text customisation, which adapts headlines to the conversation and translates ad copy into the user’s language.
  • HubSpot and Shopify. HubSpot users can connect a ChatGPT Ads account, build ads, track results and work leads inside HubSpot. Shopify merchants get a ChatGPT Ads app that uses their existing Shopify catalogue. It launched for US stores on 16 September, and OpenAI said it would reach other ChatGPT Ads markets from 23 September.

A week later, on 23 September, OpenAI extended ChatGPT Ads to seven more Asian markets and said it now runs in more than 60 countries.

Why it matters

Until now, a ChatGPT ad was a small listing below an answer: a title, a description, an image and a link. Sponsored Agents turn the click into a conversation, so the business’s AI can answer questions about size, fit or care before the person reaches the website. That is the same job a good WhatsApp agent or salesperson does, moved inside ChatGPT.

The integrations matter more for most advertisers today. Shopify and HubSpot are where many small businesses already keep their products and leads. Running ChatGPT Ads from those tools should cut out much of the manual setup and send leads straight into the CRM the sales team already uses.

What it means for UAE businesses

The UAE has been on OpenAI’s self-serve Ads Manager list since the MENA rollout on 31 August 2026, and it is still there after the latest update. Three practical points follow:

  • Plan for manual setup for now. OpenAI announced the Shopify app for all ChatGPT Ads markets, but in September we could not find it or the HubSpot integration for UAE accounts. Campaigns, the pixel and conversion events still go in by hand through Ads Manager.
  • Get ready for the integrations anyway. When they arrive, Shopify stores can feed their catalogue straight into campaigns, and HubSpot users can work ChatGPT enquiries in the same pipeline as Google and Meta leads. A clean catalogue and CRM now make that switch easy.
  • Sponsored Agents are not open here yet. A business that already runs a well-trained AI agent on WhatsApp or its website will be ready when access widens. Decide now what that agent may and may not say.

Restrictions still apply: finance, health and legal services are generally prohibited outside the US. Our ChatGPT Ads guide covers what setup involves, writing context hints and what it costs in the UAE.

Frequently asked questions

Can UAE businesses use Sponsored Agents in ChatGPT? Not yet. OpenAI is testing them only with selected US advertisers and is not taking early access requests.

Is the ChatGPT Ads Shopify app available in the UAE? Not in our experience yet. OpenAI said the app would open to merchants in all ChatGPT Ads markets, including the UAE, from 23 September 2026. As of September we found no Shopify or HubSpot integration for UAE accounts, so check the app listing before you plan around it.

Do I need HubSpot or Shopify to run ChatGPT Ads? No. Any eligible business can sign up for Ads Manager directly. The integrations are an extra route for businesses that already use those tools.

Do Sponsored Agents change ChatGPT’s answers? OpenAI says the agent conversation is separate from ChatGPT’s independent answers and from the user’s original chat.

Sources

Note: ChatGPT Ads is in beta and OpenAI changes features and availability often. This post reflects OpenAI’s published information and our own UAE accounts at the time of writing, and results vary from business to business.

If you want ChatGPT Ads set up for your store or connected to your CRM, book a free strategy call.

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How it works

Where your ad shows up

ChatGPT ads appear under the answer, matched to what the person is asking about. Tap a conversation to see which of our ads it would match.

How do I advertise my business inside ChatGPT?

Through OpenAI Ads Manager. You create a campaign with a budget, add ad groups with context hints describing relevant conversations, then write ads with a title, description, image and landing page.

Sponsored JR HQ Advertise On ChatGPT Get your ChatGPT ads set up and managed with JRHQ.
  • Shown below the answer, clearly labelled, never inside it
  • Free and Go users, adults only. Plus, Pro and Business are ad-free
  • Matched to the conversation, not to exact keywords
How it's set up

Anatomy of a ChatGPT campaign

This is the exact structure we run for JRHQ.

  1. Campaign

    JR HQ campaign

    • Objective: views (CPM), clicks (CPC) or conversions
    • Daily or total budget
    • Countries and platforms to target
  2. Ad group

    6 ad groups, one per service

    • Context hints: the conversations your ad fits
    • Maximum bid (CPC or CPM)
    • One theme or offer per group
  3. Ad

    1 ad per group, each with its own landing page

    • Title and one-line description
    • Image creative
    • Landing page URL with UTM tags
Real context hints from our ChatGPT ads ad group
“Businesses asking how to advertise inside ChatGPT”“Advertisers exploring OpenAI ads and new AI ad placements”“UAE companies looking for an agency to manage their ChatGPT ads”

What would your budget buy?

AED 370
USD 4.00
5%
Estimated each month
0clicks About 0 visits a day from ChatGPT.
0 enquiries a month
AED 0 ad spend a month

Estimate. OpenAI suggests starting click bids at USD 3 to 5, and the minimum daily budget is AED 65. Real costs depend on the auction. USD 1 = AED 3.6725.

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