May 1, 2025
Marketers and e-commerce leaders, take note: OpenAI is making a significant move by integrating shopping features directly within ChatGPT. Think finding and researching products as easily as asking a question. This isn’t some small tweak; it feels like a major step that could genuinely change how people discover stuff online. It’s hitting Plus, Pro, Free, and even logged-out users right now (on GPT-4o and 4o-mini), so it’s definitely time to pay attention!
So what is this going to look like?
Imagine asking ChatGPT for "cool gift ideas for a coffee lover under $50" or "help me find comfy walking shoes for travel." Instead of just text, you might now see these slick-looking carousels pop up showing actual products. Pretty cool, right? You'll get:
- Visuals: Yep, actual product pics.
- Quick Deets: Simplified titles and descriptions to get the gist quickly.
- What Others Think: AI-powered summaries of reviews from around the web, plus those familiar star ratings (coming from third parties).
- Handy Labels: You might see tags like "Budget-friendly" or "Most popular" – generated by the AI, so think of them as helpful hints, not rock-solid guarantees.
- The Buy Button (Almost): Direct links to click off to the merchant's site to dig deeper or, you know, actually buy the thing.
How products are picked (spoiler: they're not ads)
Let's get this straight, because it's important: OpenAI is adamant these are not ads. Products supposedly get picked based on how relevant ChatGPT thinks they are to your chat – what you ask for, your budget, maybe even stuff you've mentioned before (if you use Memory/Custom Instructions). It pulls in data like price and reviews from outside providers, uses its AI brain, and sticks to safety rules.
Just a heads-up, though: it's still AI. It might not show every single option under the sun, and those labels aren't gospel. Plus, pricing info comes from third parties, so it might not be the absolute lowest price instantly, and there could be small delays in updates or differences in final tax/shipping costs. Always good to double-check!
Shaking up search: what's in it for you?
This move definitely puts ChatGPT more squarely in competition with the big guys like Google, especially for that juicy online shopping traffic. OpenAI seems to be betting on a smoother, more conversational way to find products. And while they're not currently taking ad money or kickbacks for these shopping links, CEO Sam Altman has hinted they might be open to "tasteful" affiliate-style models later on (but stressed not selling top spots).
Here's what you should do to start taking advantage
So, what should you be doing about this? Here’s the lowdown:
- Let the Bot In: Check your
robots.txtfile. Make sure you're not blockingOAI-SearchBot. This little guy is specifically for surfacing stuff in ChatGPT search (it's different from their AI training crawlers). - Track That Traffic: Keep an eye on your website analytics! Look for referrals coming in with the UTM parameter
utm_source=chatgpt.com. See what kind of traffic it brings. - Get Ready for Direct Feeds: OpenAI mentioned they're exploring ways for merchants like you to send product info directly – which would mean more accurate listings! They have an interest form live now. Signing up seems like a smart move to get notified when it opens.
What's next? More shopping features!
And they're not stopping here. Plans include integrating the 'Memory' feature more deeply (for Pro/Plus users outside certain regions like the EU/UK), which could mean even more personalized suggestions based on your chat history. Plus, look out for other tweaks like trending search suggestions and maybe even doing these searches via WhatsApp.
The takeaway? Product discovery is evolving, fast. ChatGPT is becoming a real channel, not just a chatbot. For brands selling online, figuring out how to show up and look good here is becoming less of an 'if' and more of a 'when and how'. Exciting times ahead for sure!
Corporate Marketing Manager
Niels Krikke is the Corporate Marketing Manager at Seeders Zwolle. With a background in strategic marketing and a keen eye for detail, Niels is dedicated to creating effective marketing campaigns that drive results. With a focus on data-driven strategies and a passion for innovation, Niels plays a key role in developing and executing marketing initiatives that help us achieve our business goals.
