Six ad formats in AI assistants today
| Format | How it works | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsored listing in the answer | A labeled ad shown inside or below the response, matched to the conversation. | ChatGPT1, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode2, Copilot3 |
| Sponsored prompt | A suggested next question paid for by a brand. | Amazon Alexa for Shopping, formerly Rufus4; formerly Perplexity5 |
| Conversational or agent ad | The ad opens an interactive experience the user can talk to. | ChatGPT Sponsored Agents6, Copilot Showroom ads7 |
| AI-generated ad explainer | The platform's model writes an explanation of the product for the specific question. | Google Conversational Discovery ads and Highlighted Answers (testing)8 |
| Offer in the answer | A promotion or selling point surfaced at a buying moment. | Google Direct Offers8, Microsoft Offer Highlights9 |
| Visual ad in image generation | A labeled visual ad shown while an image is created. | ChatGPT (US test)10 |
How targeting differs from search ads
Search ads were built on keywords. AI assistants get long, conversational requests, so the platforms match on context instead:
- ChatGPT matches ads to the conversation, past chats and ad interactions1, and Ads Manager is reported to use plain-language "context hints" instead of keyword lists11.
- Google serves AI Overviews and AI Mode ads from existing campaigns. There's no AI-only targeting, so query expansion carries the load12.
- Microsoft uses AI Max for Search to widen matching to conversational queries on Copilot and Bing13.
What platforms promise about answers
Every platform selling these ads says they're labeled and kept apart from the answer. OpenAI's principles say ads don't influence ChatGPT's answers14, and Google labels AI Mode ads as Sponsored2. Trust is also the reason given for stepping back. Perplexity was reported to drop ads over doubts about answer independence15, and Anthropic says Claude will stay ad-free16.
What advertisers get back
On ChatGPT, advertisers get aggregate performance data such as views and clicks, not conversations1. Meta takes a different approach: it doesn't place ads in Meta AI chats, but uses those chats to target ads elsewhere on its apps17.
LLM ads aren't GEO
Generative engine optimization (GEO) is the work of getting a brand cited in AI answers for free. LLM advertising is paid, labeled placement. The two can sit side by side on the same answer, but they're bought, measured and governed differently. This tracker covers the paid side.