ChatGPT Ads Manager: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your First Campaign on ChatGPT

Starting in September 2026, companies in Italy will also be able to create their own advertising campaigns within ChatGPT. The tool is called ChatGPT Ads Manager And, compared to Google Ads or Meta, it has a different logic: no keywords, no interest lists. If you start it without a method, you risk burning through your budget in the first few days. In this guide, we'll look at How to create a campaign on ChatGPT Ads step by step, with the mistakes to avoid.

What is ChatGPT Ads Manager?

ChatGPT Ads Manager is OpenAI’s self-service dashboard for creating, managing, and measuring ad campaigns that appear under ChatGPT responses. It is accessible from ads.openai.com, is still in beta and, after opening to European markets at the end of August 2026, it will also allow you to launch campaigns targeting Italy.

Ads are shown to plan users Free and Go, never to those using Plus, Pro, or Business plans, and never to accounts identified as minors. Each ad is labeled as sponsored and remains separate from the generated response: the AI doesn't "mention" your brand, it displays you under the conversation.

If you want a general overview of the channel first (who sees the ads, how the auction works, what changes compared to the classic search), start with our guide to ChatGPT Ads and Advertising on ChatGPT. Here we focus on the operational part.

How is a campaign structured on ChatGPT Ads?

The structure is reminiscent of Google Ads, with three nested levels:

• Countryside: here choose your goal, budget, dates, countries and platforms.
• Ad group: here you choose the bidding strategy and write the context hints, that is, the description of the contexts in which your ad is relevant.
• Announcement: title, description, image and URL of the landing page, with their variations.

The real difference lies in the middle level: you don't buy keywords, you describe situations. That's where you win or lose a campaign.

How to Create a Campaign on ChatGPT Ads: Steps

Here is the sequence we use to set up a first campaign, based on the OpenAI official documentation.

1. Create an account and complete verification

Register at ads.openai.com, enter your business information and payment method. Before you can go online, you need: advertising account validation and active billing: those who have already gone through this report verification times of a few days, so don't wait until the day before a launch.

2. Choose your goal (and choose well: it doesn't change)

You have two options:

• CPM: you pay every 1,000 impressions, useful for awareness and launches.
• CPC: you pay for each valid click, the most sensible option to start with.

The objective cannot be changed after creation: to change it you must create a new campaign.

3. Set budget and dates

You can choose a daily budget or a total budget. For a first campaign, we recommend a daily budget: the total budget doesn't distribute spending evenly and can be exhausted within a few days. OpenAI recommends a minimum daily budget of around €25. Also remember that spending data can be delayed by 7-8 hours, so a "zero" in the dashboard doesn't mean zero costs.

4. Choose geographic areas and platforms

You can bet on a whole Village or narrow your targeting to regions And individual cities: for Italy, at the moment, the following are missing: province. You can include desktop and mobile web, iOS apps, and Android apps. There's no age or interest targeting: the ad groups do the fine-tuning.

5. Create ad groups and write context hints

Create a group for every need or use case, not just one for the entire company. In each group, write the context hints (we'll discuss them in detail below) and choose how to make the offer. There are two options:

• Maximize resultsAds Manager automatically adjusts your bids to get the most out of your budget. It's the most convenient way to get started.
• Manual: Max CPC: You set the maximum amount you're willing to pay per click. A higher bid allows you to win more auctions.

With manual bidding, Ads Manager shows an indicator next to the amount that tells you if your bid is competitive for that ad group. In the example below, a maximum CPC of €2.60 is already competitive:

6. Prepare ads and variations

Each ad has the advertiser's name, favicon, title, description, image and destination URLs. Load multiple variations with different angles (price, speed, warranty, experience) and always link to the most relevant page, never the generic homepage.

7. Check and launch

Before activating, check billing, campaign and ad status, dates including today, and approved ads under review. Then let it run for at least a week or two before drawing any conclusions.

How do you write context hints that work?

I context hints These are phrases that describe your product, who it's for, and the situation in which it's useful. These phrases help ChatGPT understand when your ad is relevant to a conversation. They aren't keywords and they aren't targeting rules. OpenAI clarifies which do not guarantee the appearance of the ad and do not impose geographical or time limits. They work when they are specific, accurate and linked to a real need"Accounting software for small businesses that need to reconcile online and in-store sales" is a good hint, but "accounting, management, invoicing software" is not. Each hint should express a single idea, in a natural sentence, and should be updated on pricing, promotions, and areas served. If two use cases require different messaging or landing pages, they should be placed in separate ad groups.

Three practical rules that we apply:

• parts from real customer questions (emails, sales calls, FAQs) and transform them into situations;
• avoid generic phrases about the audience (“for modern companies”): they do not make the offer more relevant;
• Don't write instructions (“only show to people in Milan”): they will be ignored.

How to measure campaign results?

Ads Manager reports impressions, clicks, spend, CTR, average CPC, average CPM, and conversions. To have reliable conversions you have three tools: the measurement configured in Ads Manager, the Pixel OpenAI with the Conversions API and UTM parameters in URLs, which allow you to read traffic also in Google Analytics 4.

If you install the pixel, manage it in the cookie banner Like any other advertising tracking, with the user's consent. And make sure your site isn't blocking crawlers. OAI-AdsBot and OAI-SearchBot, otherwise the ads may have problems in review.

The most common mistakes in the first campaign

• A single ad group with all the services inside: the context hints get diluted and the system doesn't understand where you are relevant.
• Generic landing: The user arrives from a very specific conversation and finds the homepage. The click is wasted.
• Wrong target: choose CPM to "save" when you need contacts. And the goal doesn't change.
• No tracking: without UTM and conversions you don't know if the channel is working, and after a month you decide by feeling.
• Judging too soon: with small budgets you need at least two weeks of data.

If your site isn't ready to convert incoming traffic, the problem isn't the campaign: it's the page. In that case, it's best to start with an intervention on the website before investing in advertising.

Does it make sense to manage ChatGPT Ads yourself?

For a small test, yes: the tool is designed for self-service. But the channel is new, the documentation changes frequently, and the difference lies in the structure, context hints, and measurement. Those who plan the first few months well collect data that others don't yet have. If you want to compare it with the channels you already use, also read our comparison between ChatGPT Ads and Google Ads and the guide to ChatGPT Ads credits.

In short: ChatGPT Ads Manager can be learned in an afternoon, but mastered with a method. Structured for needs, concrete hints, dedicated landing pages, and measurement from day one.

The information contained in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and does not replace the advice of a professional. The law is constantly evolving, and its application may vary depending on the specific case. Before making any decisions, always check the latest official sources and, for your specific situation, consult a lawyer or qualified advisor. BigFive assumes no responsibility for decisions based on this information.