In February 2026, OpenAI started testing sponsored ads in ChatGPT for free and Go plan users in the United States. These ads show up below AI responses and help keep advanced features free. Paid plans like Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise do not have ads.
Here is how to manage your new sponsored response settings:
- Accessing Ad Controls
You can control your ad experience right in the GPT app or on the website:
- Go to settings and select Ad controls or Data controls, depending on your version.
- If you have a paid plan or are outside the US, you might not see these options.
- Managing Personalization (Ad Targeting)
By default, ads are personalized using your conversation topics, chat history, and past ad interactions. You can adjust these settings:
- Turn off personalized ads to stop ChatGPT from using your ad history and interests. You will still see ads but only based on your current conversation.
- You can also turn off the use of memory or past chats for ad targeting the same menu.
- Cleaning Ad Data
You can delete any data ChatGPT has collected for ads.
- Go to settings, then add controls, and choose to delete ad data.
- This will clear your ad’s history and interests. It may take up to 30 days for all systems to remove this data.
4. Interacting with ads
When you see an ad, click the ellipsis menu on it to:
- Hide the ad if it’s not relevant or you don’t want to see it.
- Report the ad if it’s inappropriate, misleading, or breaks any policies.
- You can also share a specific ad with ChatGPT to ask questions about it.
- Opting out of ads entirely
If you’d rather not see ads, you have two main options:
- Subscribe to ChatGPT Plus or Pro for a commercial-free experience.
- Go ad-free on the free tier: Select this option in settings > ad controls. You can also choose the ad-free options in settings under add controls, but this will lower your daily message limit and reduce access to some features like image generation. You will not have access to your chat conversations, memories, or personal details.
- Ads will not appear in conversations about sensitive topics such as health, mental health, or politics.
- Users under 18 will not see any ads.
OpenAI is testing ads in ChatGPT, starting with users on free and ChatGPT Go plans. The company shared this update in a blog post on Monday, February 9. Right now, the test is limited to the US and is not a full rollout. OpenAI wants to see how ads affect the user experience.
Ads are currently shown to a small group of users. Paid plans, including Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise, remain ad-free. OpenAI has not said whether or when the test will expand to other regions. This phase is to learn how ads work in ChatGPT.
OpenAI explained in the article why ads are coming to ChatGPT. Millions use the platform for learning, work, and daily decisions. Keeping the free-and-go tiers fast and reliable requires considerable infrastructure and ongoing investment. Ads help fund that work, supporting broader access to AI through higher-quality, free, and low-cost options. They enable us to improve the intelligence and capabilities we offer continually, the company said.
OpenAI also addressed whether ads will change ChatGPT’s responses. The company says ads will not affect the answers you get. Ads do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives you. Answers are optimized based on what is most helpful to you. When you see an ad, it is always clearly labeled as sponsored and visually separated from the organic results.
Many users were concerned about privacy and whether advertisers would see their chats. OpenAI responded by saying, “Advertisers cannot access conversations. Ads are designed to respect your privacy. Advertisers do not have access to your chats, chat history, memories, or personal details. Advertisers only receive aggregate information about how their ads perform, such as the number of views or clicks.” The company said.
OpenAI said ads will not be shown to all users. During our test, we will not show ads in accounts where the user tells us, or we predict they are under 18. The company explained that ads also won’t appear near sensitive topics like health, mental health, or politics. OpenAI plans to expand these safeguards as testing continues. User safety and privacy will stay a priority as the ad program grows.
Users will have control over the ads they see. OpenAI says you can dismiss ads, give feedback, and see why an ad is shown. You can delete ad-related data with one tap and manage ad personalization at any time. If you prefer not to see ads, you can upgrade to our Plus or Pro plans or opt out of ads in the free tier in exchange for free daily messages. The company said.
Source: ChatGPT Introduces Ads: Here’s How It Works And What Indian Users Should Know
