U.S. Marketers Manually Track ChatGPT Competitor Ads

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

Marketers in the United States are manually tracking competitor advertising within ChatGPT responses due to the absence of a public ad library from OpenAI, requiring a systematic approach to data collection.

This manual method involves repeated query execution and detailed data capture to understand competitor strategies on the platform, which began displaying ads to U.S. Free and Go users on Feb. 9, 2026, according to industry observers.

ChatGPT advertisements appear as ‘Sponsored’ cards positioned below the AI-generated answer. These cards typically include the advertiser’s name, a favicon, a headline, a brief description, and a direct link to the advertiser’s site.

Unlike platforms such as Meta or Google, OpenAI does not currently provide a public repository or library of advertisements, necessitating a manual process for competitive analysis, Trendos reported.

To effectively track competitor ads, users must first develop a comprehensive list of relevant search queries. These queries should encompass direct comparisons, recommendations, prompts related to switching products, use-case suitability, pricing inquiries, and long-tail scenarios, reflecting actual buyer language.

Once the query list is established, users need to run these prompts multiple times, ideally between 20 and 30 runs, across various times of day and different sessions. This repeated execution helps to capture a representative sample of ads shown.

For each ad impression, four key data points must be recorded: the ad’s title, its description, the final destination URL, and an estimation of its impression share. Capturing impression share requires consistent tracking over time to identify ad frequency and prominence.

By spring 2026, more than 600 advertisers had reportedly joined the ChatGPT ad program, indicating a growing advertising ecosystem on the AI platform.

The manual tracking process allows marketers to uncover insights into competitor messaging, offers, and target audiences, despite the lack of automated tools from OpenAI.

Source: Search Engine Journal