ChatGPT Ads are coming, and the most important detail is not the media buying. It’s the design constraints. OpenAI says ads are not live externally yet, but testing is planned in the US “in the coming weeks” for logged-in adults on ChatGPT Free and ChatGPT Go, with placements clearly labelled and shown at the bottom of answers, separate from the organic response.

If OpenAI sticks to its stated “ad principles”, mission alignment, answer independence, conversation privacy, user choice and control, and long-term value, then this is not a typical attention auction. The winning ads will behave like a helpful next step, not interruption marketing. That changes the playbook: relevance is contextual and multi-turn, trust signals matter more than persuasion tricks, and attribution will get messier as AI answers pre-sell users before they ever click.

For marketers and agencies, the early advantage will come from three assets: (1) answer-first AEO/GEO content that makes you citable across AI surfaces, (2) offer governance that protects margin, and (3) incrementality measurement that proves lift instead of paying for demand you would have won anyway.

AI search is shifting from “answers” to “assisted buying.” Google AI Mode is starting to surface product recommendations, incentives, and even checkout flows inside the conversation, powered by the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) and pilots like Direct Offers. This guide explains what’s changing, why it matters for ecommerce and performance teams, and how to respond without destroying margin. You’ll get a practical framework for feed readiness, offer governance, and incrementality measurement in the new AI commerce funnel.