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Everything about AI ads and AI visibility, in one place.
A Help Centre for setting up and fixing ChatGPT ads, guides to Thrad and other AI ad platforms, and practical GEO and AEO playbooks. 305 articles, each with a short answer, sources and the date we last checked the facts.
Help Centre
ChatGPT ads: set up, measure, fix.
Step-by-step answers based on OpenAI's own Help Center and policies, rewritten in plain English and checked on 12 October 2026. Start with the quickstart topics, or jump to troubleshooting.
Getting started with ChatGPT Ads19 articlesCampaigns, ad groups, ads and targeting21 articlesProduct feeds, digital products and apps14 articlesBudgets, bidding and billing11 articlesConversion tracking, reporting and integrations19 articlesTroubleshooting: fixes for common problems22 articlesAd policies and eligibility11 articles
Help Centre · Getting started
Getting started with ChatGPT Ads
- How do ChatGPT ads work?How ads in ChatGPT are placed, matched and priced: below the answer, matched by conversation context, chosen in a relevance-weighted second-price auction.
- What is OpenAI Ads Manager?OpenAI Ads Manager is the self-serve platform for ChatGPT ads at ads.openai.com. What it does in beta, what it doesn't do yet, and how to get access.
- Where is ChatGPT Ads Manager available?The 63 countries where OpenAI Ads Manager self-serve is available in October 2026, what "based in a listed country" means, and the route for other markets.
- How to create a ChatGPT Ads Manager accountStep-by-step setup of an OpenAI Ads Manager account: sign-in, business details, logo, billing, verification and team invites, plus the settings you can't change later.
- Business verification in Ads Manager: what to expectHow OpenAI verifies advertisers through Persona, how long it takes, why verification fails and how to fix it, and how it differs from account review.
- How to set up billing in Ads ManagerHow to set up the billing profile, payment method and tax ID for ChatGPT ads, and why billing details must match your business entity and country.
- Currency, time zone and country: the settings you can't changeWhy the currency, time zone and country you pick when creating a ChatGPT Ads account are permanent, and how they affect budgets, reporting and billing.
- Ads Manager roles and permissions explainedWho can do what in OpenAI Ads Manager: global admin, ads admin, ad account admin, member and viewer, how group roles combine, and how to remove access safely.
- How to set up SSO for Ads ManagerSSO options for OpenAI Ads Manager (Required, Optional, Off), where to set them, and why enabling SSO for ChatGPT doesn't turn it on for Ads.
- How agencies get access to a client's ChatGPT ads accountWhy the advertiser must create the ChatGPT Ads account, how to invite an agency, which role to give it, and what to agree before handing over access.
- Why can a new account only advertise in its home country?New self-serve ChatGPT Ads accounts may start limited to their home country. What unlocks other countries, and how to plan international campaigns.
- Pre-launch checklist for your first ChatGPT ads campaignEverything to check before you submit your first ChatGPT ads campaign: account, billing, crawler access, tracking, structure, creative and dates.
- Campaign, ad group, ad: how ChatGPT ads are structuredHow ChatGPT ads are organised into campaigns, ad groups and ads, what each level controls, and a structure that keeps reporting clean.
- Using the ChatGPT Ads Manager pluginWhat the Ads Manager plugin does in ChatGPT and Codex: drafting up to 50 ads, building feed campaigns, reporting, read-only troubleshooting, and its limits.
- Sponsored Agents in ChatGPT: what they areSponsored Agents let people chat with an AI representative of a business inside ChatGPT. Who can use them, what is known, and what to do meanwhile.
- What does a ChatGPT ad look like?The fields of a standard ChatGPT ad (advertiser name, favicon, title, copy, image, link), how product ads differ, and how users see the sponsored label.
- What users can do with ChatGPT ads, and why it matters to advertisersHow ChatGPT users hide, report and learn about ads, turn off personalisation or switch to ad-free mode, and what this means for advertisers' reach.
- ChatGPT Ads Manager: frequently asked questionsAnswers to the most common ChatGPT Ads Manager questions: beta status, benchmarks, delivery, budgets and where to get help, based on OpenAI's FAQ.
- ChatGPT ads glossary: every Ads Manager termPlain definitions of ChatGPT ads terms: context hints, oppref, oCPC, oCPM, Maximize results, bid cap, budget week, view-through, Event Quality, OAI-AdsBot.
Help Centre · Campaigns and ads
Campaigns, ad groups, ads and targeting
- Views, Clicks or Conversions: which ChatGPT ads objective?The three ChatGPT ads objectives, how each is billed (CPM, CPC, oCPC, oCPM), when to use which, and why you can't change the objective later.
- How to change a campaign's objective or billingYou can't edit a ChatGPT ads campaign's objective or billing model. How to clone the campaign instead, and what to check before switching.
- How location targeting works in ChatGPT adsHow country, region, city and postal-code targeting work in ChatGPT ads, why you must include the US explicitly, and the limits for product feed campaigns.
- Targeting by platform and device in ChatGPT adsThe five platforms you can target in ChatGPT ads (Android app, Android web, desktop web, iOS app, iOS web) and when B2B advertisers should split them.
- Campaign start and end dates explainedHow start and end dates work in ChatGPT ads, why they may not appear on your first campaign, and the exclusive end date rule in bulk upload.
- How to structure ad groups in ChatGPT adsOpenAI's guidance on ad groups: one shared product, service, theme or need per ad group, separate groups for different messages or landing pages.
- How to write context hints, with OpenAI's examplesOpenAI's guidance on context hints: specific natural phrases about what you offer, who it helps and when it is useful, with examples and mistakes to avoid.
- What context hints can't doContext hints in ChatGPT ads inform relevance only. Why they can't exclude conversations, limit locations or guarantee delivery, and which controls to use instead.
- Negative phrases in ChatGPT adsNegative Phrases let qualifying advertisers keep ChatGPT ads away from specific contexts. What OpenAI says about them and what to do if you don't have access.
- ChatGPT ad specs: character limits and image sizeChatGPT ad creative specs from OpenAI's bulk upload checklist: title and copy character limits, square image rules and accepted image hosts.
- How to write ChatGPT ad titles and copyOpenAI's creative best practices for ChatGPT ads: clear value in the title, new information in the copy, plain language and distinct variations.
- Choosing images for ChatGPT adsHow to choose ChatGPT ad images: simple, relevant, matched to the message, square and within 1200 × 1200, with B2B ideas and rejection causes.
- Suggested ad drafts from your websiteAds Manager can prefill ad drafts from your website metadata. What it uses, what it doesn't generate, and how to review drafts before submitting.
- Landing page requirements for ChatGPT adsWhat OpenAI requires of ChatGPT ad landing pages: relevant, reachable, consistent with the ad, crawlable by OAI-AdsBot, and not behind login or app-store links.
- Adding UTM parameters to ChatGPT ad URLsHow to tag ChatGPT ad URLs with UTM parameters, how the oppref click ID is added, and how to check the full URL in the iOS in-app browser.
- How to bulk upload ChatGPT ads campaignsHow the bulk upload schema works: three tabs, required formats for objectives, dates, countries and context hints, ID rules, and account limits.
- Editing ChatGPT ads campaigns: what you can and can't changeHow to edit ChatGPT ads inline or in bulk, which settings are locked (objective, daily-to-total budget), and how bulk edits replace context hints.
- How to set up custom audiences in ChatGPT adsUpload customer lists to ChatGPT ads: accepted identifiers, SHA-256 hashing rules, the 25,000 matched-user minimum for inclusion, and processing time.
- Audience bid adjustments in ChatGPT adsHow audience bid adjustments work in ChatGPT ads: multipliers from 0.1× to 10×, highest match wins, 25,000-user minimum, and effect on the budget floor.
- Why custom audiences don't work in the EEA and SwitzerlandOpenAI tells advertisers to avoid custom audiences in EEA and Swiss campaigns because ad personalisation isn't available there. What still works.
- A complete B2B ChatGPT ads setup, step by stepA worked example of a B2B ChatGPT ads campaign: account, tracking, structure, context hints, ads, bids, budget and the first two weeks of checks.
Help Centre · Product feeds and digital products
Product feeds, digital products and apps
- How to create a product feed campaign in ChatGPT adsSet up a product feed campaign in ChatGPT ads: import a feed, choose the Product feed campaign type, filter products into ad groups, set the template and launch.
- Product feed import: upload, hosted URL or SFTPThe three ways to import a product feed into ChatGPT Ads Manager, how long processing takes, and why items expire after two weeks.
- Filtering products into ad groups with custom labelsHow to split a product feed into ad groups with filters and custom labels (ads_metadata), and why a location label doesn't limit delivery.
- Why is the Products tab empty?The Products tab in ChatGPT Ads Manager only shows products that delivered. Why it can be empty and the 7-hour delay before rows appear.
- Product images and OpenAI crawlersWhy product feed images must be crawlable by OAI-SearchBot, how CDNs and firewalls cause 403 errors, and how to fix them.
- Products missing from a feed campaignWhy products don't show in a ChatGPT ads feed campaign: expiry, ads-eligibility flags, filters, image access, policy, and how to escalate.
- Advertising digital products in ChatGPTHow to advertise digital products in ChatGPT ads: which campaign type to use, landing pages, conversion events, and the policy points for software and education.
- Promoting a SaaS free trial with ChatGPT adsHow to set up ChatGPT ads for a SaaS free trial or freemium product: ad groups by use case, sign-up tracking, oppref, and when to switch to conversion bidding.
- Mobile app campaigns with a measurement partnerHow to measure app installs and in-app events from ChatGPT ads with Adjust, Airbridge, AppsFlyer, Branch, Kochava, Singular or Tenjin.
- Advertising online courses and education in ChatGPTHow course creators and edtech companies can advertise in ChatGPT: launch-vertical status, honest claims, landing pages and tracking enrolments.
- The product ad template in feed campaignsHow the ad template works in ChatGPT ads product feed campaigns: one template per ad group, image field selection and previewing titles and descriptions.
- Why product feed campaigns only target countriesProduct feed campaigns in ChatGPT ads support country targeting and exclusions only. How to run regional promotions and local stock anyway.
- A complete e-commerce setup with product feedsStep-by-step ChatGPT ads setup for an online shop: feed via hosted URL, custom labels, product feed campaign, order_created tracking, ROAS columns.
- ChatGPT ads for Shopify storesOpenAI announced Shopify integration for ChatGPT ads in September 2026. What is known, and how to set up a feed campaign if your store isn't connected.
Help Centre · Budgets, bidding and billing
Budgets, bidding and billing
- How daily budgets work in ChatGPT adsDaily budgets in ChatGPT ads are seven-day averages: up to 2× on any day and 7× over the Sunday–Saturday week. Mid-day and mid-week change rules.
- Minimum daily budget for ChatGPT ads, by currencyThe minimum daily budget for ChatGPT ads in every billing currency: $25, £15, €15, 65 PLN and more, plus the bid-based minimum.
- Campaign total budgets and pacingHow campaign total budgets pace in ChatGPT ads: end date up to 365 days, a 60-day default without one, catch-up and slow-down behaviour.
- Why can't I lower my budget below my bid?With fixed bidding and a daily budget, ChatGPT ads require the budget to be at least the highest effective bid. How to lower it.
- Maximize results vs manual max bidHow the Maximize results bid strategy works in ChatGPT ads, what it doesn't guarantee, and when to use Manual: Max bid instead.
- Bid cap in conversion-optimised campaignsWhat the bid cap means in ChatGPT conversion campaigns, why it isn't a guaranteed CPA, and why there is no recommended amount.
- How the ChatGPT ads auction worksChatGPT ads use a relevance-weighted second-price auction. What that means for bids, why relevance can beat money, and what bid-strength guidance tells you.
- Payment thresholds: when your card is chargedHow ChatGPT ads charges your card when spend reaches a payment threshold, how thresholds rise, and the month-end charge.
- Invoices, receipts and VAT in Ads ManagerWhere to find ChatGPT ads invoices and receipts, how to add a VAT or tax ID, and why changes only apply to future invoices.
- Ads stopped after a failed paymentWhat happens when a ChatGPT ads payment fails: Not serving status, email notice, and how to update the card and restart delivery.
- Why spend continues after pausing a campaignWhy ChatGPT ads can still accrue spend for up to 24 hours after you pause, and why reported spend can change after delivery stops.
Help Centre · Measurement
Conversion tracking, reporting and integrations
- How conversion measurement works in ChatGPT adsHow ChatGPT ads count conversions: data sources, Pixel and Conversions API, the oppref click ID, attribution windows and modeled conversions.
- How to install the OpenAI PixelHow to add the OpenAI Pixel for ChatGPT ads conversion tracking: data source, consent, standard events, oppref and testing, with links to OpenAI's developer docs.
- Conversions API basics for ChatGPT adsWhat the OpenAI Conversions API does, when to send server events, what to include (oppref, event ID, hashed identifiers, IP, user agent) and timing.
- Deduplicating Pixel and Conversions API eventsHow to deduplicate ChatGPT ads conversions sent through both the Pixel and the Conversions API using one event ID, and common causes of double counting.
- The oppref parameter: keep it through redirectsoppref is the ChatGPT ads click reference added to landing page URLs. Why it matters for conversions and how redirects and forms lose it.
- Automatic advanced matching explainedHow automatic advanced matching in the OpenAI Pixel hashes customer details in the browser with SHA-256, why it improves matching and what to tell users.
- Conversion-optimised campaigns: requirements and billingWhat you need for a ChatGPT ads Conversions campaign: Pixel or Conversions API, a standard event, enough signal, and the choice between click and impression billing.
- Attribution windows in ChatGPT adsChatGPT ads attribution: click windows of 7, 14 or 30 days, view-through of 0 or 1 day, last-touch rules, and why changing windows only affects reporting.
- View-through conversions in ChatGPT adsWhat view-through conversions mean in ChatGPT ads, the fixed 1-day window, how clicks take priority, and how to read them sensibly.
- Modeled conversions in ChatGPT adsOpenAI may estimate attribution for unattributed conversions. What modeled conversions are, why totals change, and how to sanity-check them.
- Event Quality Score: what it measures and how to improve itThe Event Quality Score checks your ChatGPT ads conversion data daily over seven days. What each warning means and how to fix it.
- How to connect Google Analytics 4 to Ads ManagerSteps to connect a GA4 property to ChatGPT Ads Manager, what data OpenAI reads, beta limits, and why the totals aren't campaign conversions.
- How to connect ChatGPT ads to HubSpotConnect ChatGPT Ads to HubSpot Marketing Hub: requirements, steps to connect and create a Chat Card campaign, the admin setting for Business accounts, and data synced.
- Measurement partners that work with ChatGPT adsThe eight measurement partners with ChatGPT Ads integrations (Fospha, Hightouch, INCRMNTAL, LiveRamp, Northbeam, Rockerbox, Triple Whale, WorkMagic) and what each needs.
- Reporting in Ads Manager: metrics and segmentsWhat ChatGPT Ads Manager reports: impressions, clicks, spend, CTR, CPC, CPM, conversions, Order Created Sales and ROAS, and segments by device, country and platform.
- Why spend and conversions show up lateChatGPT ads data refresh times: impressions and clicks about 15 minutes, spend 7–8 hours, conversions 24–48 hours. What a $0 spend with clicks means.
- How to export ChatGPT ads reportsThe three CSV exports in Ads Manager (current table, cumulative, daily), including view-through data, and how to build a weekly report from them.
- Tracking B2B leads from ChatGPT adsHow B2B companies track leads from ChatGPT ads end to end: lead events, oppref in forms, UTMs into the CRM, and judging quality beyond form fills.
- Conversions by ad time vs by conversion timeAds Manager reports conversions by the time of the ad event by default. When to switch to "Conversions (by conv. time)" and how it changes your numbers.
Help Centre · Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting: fixes for common problems
- "Not serving": every reason a ChatGPT ad doesn't runWhy a ChatGPT ad shows "Not serving": policy rejection, blocked crawler, verification, billing, budget, dates or paused status, and how to fix each.
- Zero impressions after launch: a checklistWhat to check when a new ChatGPT ads campaign gets zero impressions: review, status, account and billing, budget, bids, home-country limit and hints.
- Ad rejected: how to fix itStep-by-step fix for a rejected ChatGPT ad: read the reason, find the text, image or page at fault, make it consistent with policy, and resubmit or appeal.
- How to appeal a ChatGPT ads decisionHow appeals work in ChatGPT ads: the appeal link, Request Review, when to contact ads-support@openai.com, and what to include.
- Business verification failed or stuckFixes for ChatGPT ads business verification: failed (identity, ownership, affiliations), in progress (up to 7 business days), or not started.
- Domain not approvedWhy ChatGPT ads may not approve your domain (identity doesn't match the domain) and how to fix it or appeal.
- "Business or industry not eligible"What "not eligible" means in ChatGPT ads, which categories are prohibited or restricted by country, and when an appeal makes sense.
- OAI-AdsBot blocked: fixing 403 errors from Cloudflare or a WAFHow to fix ChatGPT ads landing pages that block OAI-AdsBot: robots.txt, Cloudflare and Akamai bot rules, CAPTCHAs, IP lists and resubmitting.
- 429 errors and rate limiting during uploadsLarge ChatGPT ads batch uploads can trigger rate limiting or bot protection on your site. How to spot 429 errors and upload safely.
- Image upload failedThe four reasons ChatGPT ad images fail to upload: not PNG or JPG, not square, larger than 1200 × 1200, or not publicly accessible.
- Bulk upload errors and duplicate adsCommon ChatGPT ads bulk upload errors: mismatched names, duplicate rows, blank IDs creating duplicates, over-length copy, wrong dates and blocked URLs.
- Spend shows $0 but there are clicksWhy ChatGPT Ads Manager can show clicks and impressions with $0 spend: spend reporting lags about 7–8 hours.
- Delivery stopped mid-weekWhy a ChatGPT ads campaign can stop delivering mid-week while still active: the weekly allowance (7× daily budget) was used early.
- Campaign total budget delivering slowlyWhy a ChatGPT ads campaign with a total budget slows down: it is ahead of pace, has no end date (60-day default), or bids are too low.
- Conversions not showing in Ads ManagerWhy ChatGPT ads conversions don't appear: event not configured, lost oppref, outside the window, consent, delays, or MMP and partner setup errors.
- Why Ads Manager conversions differ from GA4 or your CRMReasons ChatGPT Ads Manager conversions differ from GA4 and CRM data: attribution model and windows, time zones, consent, deduplication, view-through and modeling.
- Can't access Ads Manager or finish setupFixes when you can't access Ads Manager or finish setup: wrong login, missing admin role, Ads Admin role needed to create accounts.
- "Create account" missing or blockedWhy you can't create a ChatGPT ads account: wrong login, non-eligible billing type, the 10-account cap, or missing permissions.
- Ads can't serve in selected countriesTwo reasons ChatGPT ads don't serve in a country: a policy category allowed only in some markets, or a new account still limited to its home country.
- Sudden drop in delivery: what to check and send supportWhat to check when ChatGPT ads delivery drops suddenly, and the details to send OpenAI Ads support to get a fast answer.
- HubSpot shows the ChatGPT Ads account as RestrictedWhy the ChatGPT Ads account shows as Restricted in HubSpot and how a global admin enables HubSpot's Ads access in the OpenAI Admin Console.
- How to contact OpenAI Ads supportWhen and how to contact OpenAI Ads support at ads-support@openai.com, and the details that speed up an answer for delivery, policy, billing or feed issues.
Help Centre · Policies
Ad policies and eligibility
- OpenAI ad policy: a plain summaryA plain-English summary of OpenAI's ad policies for ChatGPT: placement rules, prohibited content, restricted categories, creative and landing page standards.
- What you can't advertise in ChatGPTProducts and content OpenAI prohibits in ChatGPT ads: adult, alcohol, tobacco, gambling, political, recreational drugs, counterfeits, scams, sensitive topics.
- Financial services ads in ChatGPTOpenAI's rules for financial services ads: US only, case by case for approved advertisers, proof of licence, and what is never allowed.
- Health and wellness ads in ChatGPTOpenAI's health advertising rules: US-only case-by-case services, banned prescription and telehealth ads, wellness without medical claims, and placement limits.
- Legal services ads in ChatGPTOpenAI allows legal services ads only in the US and only from advertisers licensed in the jurisdiction. What legal-tech companies can still do.
- Housing and job ads in ChatGPTOpenAI prohibits individual housing and job listings in ChatGPT ads but allows ads for platforms that host listings. What HR tech and property platforms can do.
- Comparative and performance claims in ChatGPT adsOpenAI prohibits unfounded claims about capabilities, pricing, outcomes, affiliations or comparisons. How to write comparison ads that pass review.
- Where ChatGPT ads never appearThe conversation types OpenAI keeps ads away from: health, mental health, politics, self-harm, children, harassment and more, plus Temporary Chats.
- Ads must not look like ChatGPTOpenAI requires ChatGPT ads to be clearly distinguishable from ChatGPT and OpenAI interfaces. What that means for images and copy.
- What data advertisers get from ChatGPT adsAdvertisers get aggregated performance data only. They never receive chats, memories, names, emails, IP addresses or precise location.
- Ad personalisation in Europe: what changesPersonalised ChatGPT ads aren't initially available in the EEA and Switzerland. How ads are selected there and what it means for targeting.
AI ad platforms
Thrad and other AI ad platforms
- What is Thrad? Ads inside AI chat appsThrad is an advertising platform that places native, labelled ads inside AI assistants and chat apps. How it works, who it reaches and what to check before buying.
- Thrad ad formats: Card, Prompt, Carousel and PollThe four native ad formats Thrad launched in June 2026 for AI conversations, how each is priced and where each fits in the buying journey.
- How to set up a Thrad campaign with AutopilotHow Thrad Autopilot builds campaigns from a URL or product feed, what you approve (budget, schedule, bid ceiling, markets) and how it optimises.
- Thrad pricing and benchmarks: what is claimedThrad's published pricing and benchmarks (CTR 1–5%, CPC from $0.50, CPM from $10), its managed-service minimum, and how to treat vendor-reported numbers.
- Due diligence before buying ads in AI chat appsQuestions to ask any AI chat ad network, illustrated by The Capitol Forum's March 2026 reporting on Thrad: inventory, partners, privacy and labelling.
- Thrad vs ChatGPT ads: which should you test?A side-by-side comparison of Thrad and ChatGPT ads: who sells the inventory, formats, targeting, minimums, measurement and transparency.
- Measuring Thrad campaignsHow Thrad measures campaigns (pixel, UTMs, dashboards, Addendum framework) and how to verify results independently in GA4 and your CRM.
- Thrad in India and Southeast AsiaThrad's May 2026 partnership with NeugenM to sell AI chat ad inventory in India, South Asia and Southeast Asia, and what it means for advertisers there.
- AI ad platforms in 2026: the landscapeWhere you can buy ads in or next to AI answers in 2026: ChatGPT ads, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, Microsoft Copilot, Amazon DSP pilot, Thrad, and Perplexity's exit.
- Buying ChatGPT ads through agencies and ad tech partnersThe ways to buy ChatGPT ads besides self-serve: OpenAI Ads Solutions, agency holding groups, and technology partners such as Adobe, Criteo, Kargo, Pacvue and StackAdapt.
- ChatGPT ads timeline: every milestone in 2026A dated timeline of ChatGPT ads in 2026, from the first US test in February to self-serve in 63 countries, new formats and measurement tools.
- Ads in Google AI Mode and AI OverviewsHow ads appear in Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, which campaigns qualify, which markets have them and what advertisers can't control.
- How to get ads into Microsoft CopilotCopilot ads are bought through Microsoft Advertising. How campaigns become eligible, which markets, and how B2B teams use LinkedIn profile targeting.
- Amazon DSP campaigns in ChatGPTOn 10 September 2026 Amazon Ads opened a pilot extending Amazon DSP campaigns into ChatGPT. What is known and who it is for.
- Perplexity ads are ending: what to do insteadPerplexity launched ads in November 2024 and plans to wind them down by the end of 2026. Why it matters and how to stay visible in Perplexity organically.
GEO and AEO
Get named in AI answers, organically.
Why AI visibility matters, how assistants choose sources, and a practical strategy for being cited by ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Copilot, from research findings to robots.txt.
GEO and AEO
Why GEO and AEO matter
- What is GEO (generative engine optimization)?GEO, generative engine optimization, is the practice of making content more visible in AI-generated answers. Where the term comes from, what works and what doesn't.
- What is AEO (answer engine optimization)?AEO, answer engine optimization, structures content so AI assistants and answer features can find, understand and quote direct answers. How it differs from GEO and SEO.
- Why GEO and AEO matter nowWhy AI visibility matters for B2B: half of software buyers start research in AI chatbots, chatbots change vendor choices, and AI summaries reduce clicks.
- How AI assistants choose which sources to useHow AI search features pick and cite sources: query fan-out, web search indexes, crawler access, and why training data and live retrieval are two different routes.
- What the GEO research paper actually foundThe results table from the GEO paper (Aggarwal et al.): which content changes increased visibility in generative answers and which, like keyword stuffing, hurt.
- Why keyword stuffing hurts in AI searchIn GEO research, keyword stuffing was the only tested method that reduced visibility in generative answers. What to do instead.
- Can smaller brands win in AI answers?Evidence that smaller or lower-ranked sites can gain visibility in AI-generated answers, and the practical steps for challenger brands.
- How Google AI Overviews and AI Mode choose linksWhat Google says about AI Overviews and AI Mode: query fan-out, eligibility (indexed and snippet-eligible), no special optimisation, and reporting in Search Console.
- Does Google need special markup for AI features?Google says there are no extra requirements, special files or schema needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. What that means for llms.txt and schema.
- Do AI Overviews reduce clicks?Pew Research found users clicked results less often when Google showed an AI summary. Google says AI Overview clicks are higher quality. What to make of both.
- How ChatGPT search finds and cites pagesHow ChatGPT search surfaces websites: OAI-SearchBot, search partners and query rewriting, why opting out removes you, and why GPTBot is separate.
- Which websites AI assistants cite mostStudies of millions of AI citations show Reddit, Wikipedia, YouTube and LinkedIn among the most-cited domains. What the numbers say and what they mean for B2B.
- Why LinkedIn content gets cited by AILinkedIn ranks among the most-cited domains in AI answers. How B2B teams can publish on LinkedIn in a way AI can quote.
- YouTube in AI answers: why video matters for GEOYouTube ranks among the most-cited sources in AI answers. How B2B teams can make product videos citable with titles, descriptions and transcripts.
- Training data vs live search: two routes into AI answersAI assistants answer from what the model learned and from live web search. Why both matter, how quickly each changes, and what controls each one.
- Why AI answers change every time you askAI assistants give different answers to the same question. Why answers vary and how to measure visibility fairly despite it.
- Ten GEO myths, checked against the evidenceCommon claims about GEO and AI search checked against Google's documentation, OpenAI's crawler docs and the GEO research paper.
- Why GEO matters especially for SaaSSoftware buying research increasingly starts in AI. Why SaaS companies are especially exposed, and which pages matter most for AI answers.
- Zero-click research in B2B: what it changesMore B2B research ends inside AI answers without a click. What zero-click research changes for traffic, attribution and brand.
- How AI "knows" your company: brands as entitiesAI systems describe companies by combining many sources. Why consistent names, descriptions and facts across the web shape what AI says about you.
- AI Mode vs AI Overviews: what is the difference?How Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode differ: when each appears, query types, models, links and what that means for visibility.
GEO strategy
Organic visibility in AI answers: strategy
- How to build a GEO strategy in six stepsA practical six-step framework for organic visibility in AI answers: questions, baseline, access, pages, third-party sources and measurement.
- How to map the questions buyers ask AIHow to build a list of the questions buyers ask AI assistants, grouped by type and stage, using sales calls, support tickets and search data.
- Add quotations: the strongest tactic in GEO researchAdding quotations raised visibility in generative answers by about 41% in GEO research. How to use real expert and customer quotes well.
- Add statistics that AI can quoteAdding statistics raised visibility in generative answers by about 31% in GEO research. How to add sourced, specific numbers without padding.
- Cite your sources: why it helps in AI answersCiting sources raised visibility by about 28% in GEO research, and by about 115% for lower-ranked sites. How to cite well on product and content pages.
- Answer-first writing for AI and humansPut the answer in the first two sentences, then evidence and detail. How answer-first structure helps AI assistants and busy buyers.
- Writing FAQ sections AI will quoteHow to write FAQs that answer engines can quote: real buyer questions, complete one-paragraph answers, consistent markup, and why FAQ rich results are limited.
- Definition pages: owning "what is" questionsHow to write definition pages that AI cites for "what is X" questions in your category: one-sentence definition, context, examples and sources.
- Making your pricing page readable for AIPrice questions are among the first buyers ask AI. How to make pricing pages answerable: numbers, what affects price, what is included, plain text.
- Integration pages that AI can citeBuyers ask AI which tools work with their stack. How to build integration pages that answer those questions with specifics.
- Comparison and alternatives pages done fairlyHow to write comparison and alternatives pages AI will cite: factual tables, who each product suits, dated facts and honest trade-offs.
- Use-case pages for problem questionsBuyers often ask AI about a problem before they know the category. How use-case pages capture those questions.
- Original research as a GEO assetPublishing your own data gives AI, journalists and analysts a reason to cite you. How to run small, credible studies.
- Digital PR for AI citationsAI answers lean on third-party articles and lists. How digital PR earns mentions in the sources AI assistants cite.
- Review sites and AI answersSoftware review platforms are a common source for AI answers about B2B products. How to build review presence that AI can use.
- Getting into "best X" lists, ethicallyList articles feed many AI answers to "best X" questions. How to find the lists that matter and request inclusion honestly.
- Case studies AI can citeHow to write customer stories that AI assistants can quote: named customer, starting point, what changed, the number, and the time frame.
- Product documentation as an AI sourcePublic product documentation answers detailed how-to and integration questions in AI. How to make docs crawlable and quotable.
- Freshness: dates and updates for AI searchWhy dated facts and visible update dates help buyers and AI systems, and how to run a quarterly content refresh.
- Expert authorship and trust signalsNamed experts, clear company information and sourced claims help readers and AI judge content. How to add trust signals without fluff.
- GEO in several languages and marketsAI assistants answer in the user's language and market. How to run GEO across languages without duplicating weak pages.
- GEO for regional B2B servicesHow regional B2B service firms (IT services, agencies, consultancies) get named in AI answers for "near me" and city-level questions.
- A 90-day GEO planA week-by-week 90-day plan to improve AI visibility: baseline, technical access, priority pages, sources and measurement.
- Competitor gap analysis in AI answersHow to find which competitors AI names instead of you, which sources support them, and what to fix first.
- Refreshing old content for AI answersHow to turn old blog posts into pages AI can quote: answer-first rewrite, add numbers and sources, merge duplicates, update dates.
- Should your company have a Wikipedia page?Wikipedia is heavily cited by ChatGPT, but companies need genuine notability and must follow conflict-of-interest rules. What to do instead if you don't qualify.
Technical AEO
Technical AEO: crawlers, schema and indexing
- robots.txt for AI crawlers: a practical setupA practical robots.txt for AI search and ads: allow search crawlers (OAI-SearchBot, Googlebot, Bingbot) and ads crawlers, decide separately about training crawlers.
- OAI-SearchBot vs GPTBot vs ChatGPT-UserThe difference between OpenAI's crawlers: OAI-SearchBot for search, GPTBot for training, ChatGPT-User for user-initiated visits, OAI-AdsBot for ads.
- What Google-Extended controls, and what it doesn'tGoogle-Extended lets sites limit use of their content for AI training and grounding in some Google systems. It doesn't control appearance in Google Search or AI Overviews.
- CDNs and firewalls blocking AI crawlersBot protection often blocks AI search and ads crawlers with 403 errors. How to find and fix it without opening your site to abuse.
- JavaScript, rendering and AI crawlersGoogle advises keeping important content in text form. Why server-rendered HTML is the safe choice for AI search and ad crawlers.
- Structured data: keep it consistent with the pageGoogle requires structured data to match visible content. How to use Organization, Product, Article and FAQ markup without contradictions.
- Organization schema for B2B companiesWhich Organization structured data fields help AI and search describe a B2B company: legal name, logo, sameAs, address, contact, VAT ID.
- FAQPage and HowTo schema in 2026Google limited FAQ rich results in 2023 and stopped showing HowTo rich results. Why FAQ and HowTo markup can still be useful, and how to keep it honest.
- SoftwareApplication schema for SaaSHow SaaS companies can describe their product with SoftwareApplication structured data: category, operating system, offers and ratings rules.
- IndexNow: telling search engines about changesIndexNow notifies participating search engines, including Bing, when URLs change. Why that helps AI search that relies on fresh indexes.
- XML sitemaps and lastmod for AI discoveryAccurate XML sitemaps with honest lastmod dates help Google and Bing find new and updated pages that AI answers rely on.
- nosnippet, data-nosnippet and max-snippet for AI featuresGoogle's preview controls (nosnippet, data-nosnippet, max-snippet, noindex) also limit what appears from your pages in AI Overviews and AI Mode.
- Internal linking for AI discoveryGoogle lists internal linking as a best practice for AI features. How to link product facts, comparisons and guides so crawlers find them.
- Reading server logs for AI bot activityHow to check server or CDN logs for OAI-SearchBot, GPTBot, ChatGPT-User, Googlebot and Bingbot, and what the patterns tell you.
- Verifying AI crawler IP addressesOpenAI publishes IP lists for its crawlers. How to use them with user-agent checks to allow real bots and block impostors.
- llms.txt: what it is and what it isn'tllms.txt is a proposed Markdown file that summarises a site for language models. Who supports it, what Google says, and how to write a useful one.
- Page experience and AI searchGoogle lists a strong page experience among best practices for AI features. What that means for speed, mobile usability and intrusive pop-ups.
- An AEO checklist for B2B websitesA 20-point AEO checklist for B2B sites: crawler access, indexing, answer-first pages, product facts, structured data, sources and measurement.
AI visibility measurement
Measuring AI visibility
- Share of answers: the core AI visibility metricShare of answers is the percentage of sampled AI answers that name your brand for a fixed set of buyer questions. How to calculate and report it.
- Types of AI visibility tracking toolsWhat AI visibility tools do (prompt tracking, citation tracking, sentiment, competitor share) and the questions to ask before buying one.
- Tracking referrals from every AI assistantHow to group visits from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, Gemini and Claude in analytics, and why many AI visits still appear as direct.
- Search Console and AI featuresGoogle reports AI Overviews and AI Mode traffic inside the Performance report under the Web search type, combined with other results. How to read it.
- How to sample AI answers properlyA repeatable method for sampling AI answers: fixed prompts, several runs, logged-out sessions, fixed location, and recorded citations.
- A monthly AI visibility report templateWhat to put in a monthly AI visibility report: share of answers, competitors, citations, accuracy issues, AI referrals and actions taken.
- Tracking how accurately AI describes youHow to check whether AI assistants describe your product, pricing and fit accurately, and how to fix wrong facts at the source.
- Measuring the quality of AI-referred trafficHow to judge AI-referred visits by outcomes: key events, qualified leads and pipeline, not sessions, with notes on small samples.
From the blog
100 articles on AI ads for B2B.
Strategy, ABM, budgets and industry guides. Browse the blog by topic.
- How to build an ABM target account list that works with AI ads
- The B2B dark funnel now includes AI chats
- Intent data vs AI buyer questions: which signal is stronger?
- The limits of IP-based ABM targeting in a remote-work world
- ABM metrics that still work when AI is in the journey
- Orchestrating ABM: AI ads, LinkedIn and sales outreach together
- ABM platforms vs AI ads: a cost comparison for planning
- What to do after you identify an account from AI traffic
- Turning account signals into sales meetings: an SDR playbook
- ABM for small B2B teams using AI ads
- How to run ABM when the ad platform can't target accounts
- AEO vs GEO vs SEO: what each means for B2B
- Attribution for AI ads in long B2B sales cycles
- Where AI ads fit in the B2B buying journey
- Early benchmarks for B2B AI ads
- How to make the case for AI ads to your CEO or board
- How much of a B2B marketing budget should go to AI ads?
- AI ads for data and analytics platforms
- AI ads for developer tools and APIs
- AI ads for B2B and higher-education edtech
- AI ads for long enterprise sales cycles
- AI ads for ERP, supply chain and logistics software
- AI ads for fintech and finance software
- Is there a first-mover advantage in AI ads for B2B?
- AI advertising glossary for B2B marketers
- AI ads for HR and recruiting software
- AI ads for legal tech
- AI ads for marketing technology companies
- How MSPs can win local buyers in AI answers
- Pipeline metrics for AI ads: what to measure beyond clicks
- Which AI assistants show ads in 2026?
- AI ads for B2B services firms: consultancies, agencies and integrators
- How to run a quarterly review of AI ads and AI visibility
- What a weekly AI ads report should show
- The risks of AI advertising for B2B, and how to manage them
- How to calculate ROI on B2B AI ads, with an example
- Closing the loop: using sales feedback to improve AI ads
- Can a small B2B company afford AI ads?
- Do B2B buyers trust sponsored answers in AI chats?
- AI ads vs AI visibility: do you need both?
- AI ads vs content syndication for B2B lead generation
- AI ads vs retargeting for B2B
- AI ads vs review-site advertising for software buyers
- Paid AI ads vs SEO: where should the first dollar go?
- Ads in Google AI Overviews: what B2B advertisers can and can't control
- Which buyer questions should you track in AI?
- Is traffic from AI assistants better quality? What the data says
- Which sources does AI cite for B2B software, and how do you get listed?
- AI visibility audit: a checklist for B2B websites
- How a new B2B product gets into AI answers
- What to do when ChatGPT says something wrong about your product
- Should B2B sites allow AI crawlers?
- Why Bing indexing matters for ChatGPT visibility
- Why consistent brand descriptions matter for AI answers
- A B2B paid channel mix for 2027 with AI ads in it
- How to set up a ChatGPT Ads Manager account for a B2B company
- Should you run ChatGPT ads in-house or with an agency?
- How to use customer lists in ChatGPT ads
- ChatGPT ads for B2B: the 2026 field guide.
- CPC, CPM or conversion bidding: which should B2B use in ChatGPT ads?
- How to split a B2B ChatGPT ads budget across campaigns
- How to write context hints for B2B ChatGPT ads
- How to set up conversion tracking for ChatGPT ads
- How to write ChatGPT ads for B2B, with examples
- How much do ChatGPT ads cost for B2B?
- Connecting ChatGPT ads to HubSpot: what the integration does
- What landing page should a ChatGPT ad send B2B buyers to?
- 9 mistakes B2B teams make with ChatGPT ads
- Can my B2B company advertise in ChatGPT? The ad policy explained
- What can you target with ChatGPT ads in B2B?
- How to judge a ChatGPT ads test: a B2B scorecard
- ChatGPT ads in the UK: what B2B advertisers need to know
- ChatGPT ads vs Google Ads for B2B
- ChatGPT ads vs LinkedIn Ads for B2B: which fits?
- ChatGPT ads vs Microsoft Ads and Copilot for B2B
- Who sees ChatGPT ads, and why does it matter for B2B?
- How to track ChatGPT traffic in GA4
- Is company identification legal in the UK and US?
- Getting identified companies into your CRM without the noise
- How to write a category comparison page AI will cite
- Advertising in Microsoft Copilot: a B2B view
- Why AI traffic hides in "direct", and how to find it
- Why display ads underperform in B2B, and where they still work
- How does B2B software get recommended by ChatGPT?
- How to score identified companies against your ideal customer profile
- How accurate is company identification? Match rates explained
- Should B2B sites use llms.txt? What we know
- Modelled conversions in ChatGPT ads: how to sanity-check them
- Company identification vs person-level identification
- Perplexity ads are winding down: what it means for B2B
- The product facts page: give AI the details it needs
- What is programmatic ABM, and how does it work?
- Do Reddit and communities matter for B2B AI visibility?
- Does schema markup help AI search?
- Real-time account alerts in Slack or Teams that sales actually uses
- How to track AI visibility: share of answers, positions and citations
- A UTM convention for ChatGPT ads
- What are AI ads? A plain guide for B2B marketers
- Which companies come from ChatGPT?
- How important are AI ads for B2B?
