OpenAI has just upgraded ChatGPT search, bringing a smoother and smarter online shopping experience to users worldwide. Starting today, when users search for products through ChatGPT, they’ll see curated recommendations, detailed product images, customer reviews, and direct links to where they can buy the items.
The new shopping features, available in GPT-4o for Pro, Plus, Free, and even logged-out users, make finding the perfect product easier than ever. OpenAI is first focusing on categories like fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics — with plans to expand over time.
Unlike traditional search engines that often feel cluttered, ChatGPT’s shopping experience feels more natural. Users can ask highly specific questions, and the chatbot will deliver personalized results instantly. OpenAI says the new tools were built to offer a better alternative to Google’s shopping experience, which has suffered over the years due to its heavy focus on advertising.
Interestingly, OpenAI has taken a different route. The company emphasized that it determines ChatGPT shopping results independently. There are no ads, no paid placements, and no kickbacks from purchases. Instead, results are pulled from structured metadata like pricing, descriptions, and reviews sourced from third-party websites.
CEO Sam Altman, who once stood firmly against ads in ChatGPT, recently opened up about the possibility of “tasteful” advertising. In an interview with Ben Thompson of Stratechery, Altman mentioned he’s now open to affiliate partnerships where OpenAI might earn commissions on purchases without compromising the integrity of search results.
OpenAI’s new shopping features are gaining momentum at the perfect time. The company revealed that users conducted more than a billion web searches through ChatGPT just last week, showcasing explosive growth.
More exciting updates are also on the way. OpenAI plans to soon integrate its memory feature with shopping for Pro and Plus users. This means ChatGPT will recall previous conversations to offer even more tailored product suggestions. However, these memory-driven shopping features won’t roll out in the EU, U.K., Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein, due to stricter privacy regulations.
In addition to shopping upgrades, OpenAI is rolling out trending searches within ChatGPT search. Now, as users start typing a question, they’ll see popular queries appear — similar to Google’s autocomplete feature, but inside ChatGPT.
ChatGPT search is also extending beyond the app. Users can now access ChatGPT search features directly through WhatsApp, allowing quick and updated answers by simply messaging the chatbot.
While OpenAI previously experimented with AI-powered shopping via its Operator platform, today’s upgrades make the experience faster and more interactive. Instead of waiting minutes, ChatGPT now surfaces products in real time, using natural conversation as the interface.
As OpenAI continues to close the gap between AI chat and web search, the future of shopping online might just look a lot more conversational — and a lot less cluttered.
