OpenAI began testing a new ad format inside ChatGPT on September 16 that replaces click-throughs to external sites with branded conversational sessions. HubSpot and Shopify launched as the first integration partners the same day, giving their U.S. customers a direct channel to build and manage campaigns that keep users inside ChatGPT rather than sending them to a landing page.
How Sponsored Agents work
When a relevant ad appears in the ChatGPT interface, users can choose to enter a conversation with a Sponsored Agent. OpenAI said the agent is clearly labeled as distinct from ChatGPT's own responses and operates in a session separate from the user's original conversation. The user asks follow-up questions about a product, then follows a link to the vendor's website when ready to act. OpenAI described the current rollout as a test with "select advertisers in the United States."
Two platform integrations shipped alongside the format. HubSpot CRM customers can connect a ChatGPT Ads account, build campaigns, track performance, and follow up on leads from within HubSpot, using existing CRM context to inform ad delivery. U.S.-based Shopify merchants can create and manage ChatGPT ad campaigns through a new ChatGPT Ads app in the Shopify App Store, with product catalogs already synced through Shopify's catalog integration. International availability in supported markets begins September 23.
Ads Manager gets a natural-language interface
OpenAI also released a natural-language Ads Manager plugin for ChatGPT Work that lets advertisers create, update, and analyze campaigns through plain text prompts. A parallel AI assistance layer inside Ads Manager suggests copy and imagery based on a landing page and campaign objective. An opt-in text customization feature adapts existing headlines and descriptions to conversation context and auto-translates copy to a user's preferred language.
For marketers already working in ChatGPT Work, this means campaign management can happen from that surface without switching to a separate dashboard. The plugin is not tied to the Sponsored Agent format and is available to any advertiser on the platform today.
Why the format shift matters
The Sponsored Agent changes a basic assumption of paid advertising connected to ChatGPT. A user who clicks one does not reach a landing page. They stay inside ChatGPT and interact with a session that responds to their specific questions. OpenAI has not published performance data from the test group, so whether conversion rates justify the interaction model remains an open question.
The nearest competitive signal is whether Google extends its AI Mode ad inventory into a comparable interactive format. OpenAI named only two integration partners at launch. How quickly the Sponsored Agent API opens to additional CRM and ecommerce platforms will determine how far the format reaches beyond HubSpot and Shopify accounts.
Why this matters for marketing and sales teams
For HubSpot and Shopify users, this is configurable now. The HubSpot integration and Shopify App Store app both shipped September 16. U.S. merchants can launch campaigns without leaving their existing platforms, with Shopify's international rollout following a week later. The immediate takeaway for teams outside those platforms is the Ads Manager plugin: any advertiser using ChatGPT Work can now manage campaigns through natural-language prompts, which cuts the friction of switching between tools during a workflow. Teams evaluating AI Marketing Manager Courses may want to test the plugin against their current campaign workflows to see if the conversational interface saves meaningful time versus a traditional dashboard.
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