ChatGPT Shopping: how can brands get discovered?

A consumer wants to buy a pair of headphones for working from home. They have a specific budget, want effective noise cancellation and prefer a lightweight model.

They could use a search engine, visit several online retailers and compare product pages.

Alternatively, they could describe these requirements directly to ChatGPT, ask for a comparison between different models and gradually narrow down their options.

This is the idea behind ChatGPT Shopping: product discovery becomes a conversational process in which users express their needs, preferences and constraints.

The change is particularly relevant during the consideration stage of the purchasing journey.

According to data shared by OpenAI for the 2026 holiday season, approximately 43% of shopping-related conversations on ChatGPT analysed between 21 September and 18 October involved comparing and evaluating alternatives.

Similarly, Criteo's research published on 22 October 2026, based on a global survey of 10,500 consumers, highlights growing interest: 59% of respondents find AI-powered chatbots helpful when shopping online.

For ecommerce brands, this creates another opportunity: being visible while potential customers are still deciding what to buy.

How does shopping on ChatGPT work?

In March 2026, OpenAI introduced a more visual product discovery experience, featuring product cards, images, prices and the ability to compare different options.

Users can start with a general request, such as a gift idea, or specify particular characteristics: price range, materials, dimensions, features or intended use.

ChatGPT interprets this information and can suggest relevant products, accompanied by details and links to retailers.

During the conversation, users can introduce additional preferences, exclude an option or request a more detailed comparison.

For more complex decisions, Shopping Research is also available, helping users build a personalised buying guide through several stages of research and evaluation.

This type of experience changes how products can be discovered.

A request such as "I'm looking for a compact coffee machine that's easy to clean and suitable for a small kitchen" contains information that goes beyond a single keyword.

For ecommerce businesses, it becomes important to clearly describe product features, benefits and use cases, allowing products to be assessed against the user's specific requirements.

How does ChatGPT select the products it displays?

According to OpenAI's official documentation, ChatGPT selects products by considering the user's request, the conversational context and the available information.

Relevant signals may include descriptions, prices, availability, reviews and other product metadata.

Relevance depends on the characteristics requested.

If someone specifies a maximum budget, price may become more important. If they are looking for a product suited to a particular need, features and usage information may play a greater role in the selection.

When several retailers sell the same item, ChatGPT may display different merchants, considering factors such as availability, price, quality and whether the retailer is the manufacturer or primary seller.

A fundamental distinction is that organic shopping results are separate from paid advertisements.

OpenAI specifies that product recommendations are not sponsored and that commercial partnerships do not determine which products appear in organic results.

Being included through a product feed or commercial integration also does not guarantee that a product will appear in every relevant conversation.

Visibility depends on the information available and how relevant that information is to the user's request.

Product feeds and AI shopping: why does catalogue data matter?

To make product discovery more accurate, OpenAI also uses structured information supplied by merchants.

One of the main tools is the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), a standard that allows businesses to share catalogue information for use in shopping experiences.

Through ACP product feeds, merchants can provide information such as product identifiers, titles, descriptions, images, prices and availability.

Additional attributes may cover variants, shipping, returns and reviews.

For ecommerce businesses, this makes the quality of existing catalogue information particularly important.

A product page with a generic title and minimal description provides fewer details than one specifying materials, distinctive features, recommended uses and available variants.

Keeping this information updated also matters, particularly when prices and stock levels change rapidly.

During Black Friday, for example, a product may still appear in the catalogue even though a particular variant has sold out or a promotion has ended.

Inconsistent information can create friction between the recommendation a user receives and what they actually find on the retailer's website.

Direct product feed submissions to OpenAI are currently subject to an access process for approved partners. Products may still be discovered through other public sources and existing integrations.

Shopify and ChatGPT Shopping: what changes for merchants?

Shopify provides one of the clearest examples of integration between ecommerce and AI shopping.

OpenAI has confirmed that Shopify product data is already integrated into ChatGPT through Shopify Catalog, without individual merchants needing to create a separate feed for this integration.

For eligible stores, the functionality is managed through Shopify's Agentic Storefronts.

According to Shopify's official documentation, the ChatGPT channel primarily operates as a product discovery environment: users discover products within the conversation and complete their purchase through the retailer's online checkout, either in an in-app browser or a new tab.

This allows merchants to retain their existing checkout, customisations and payment methods.

However, it is important to distinguish organic visibility in ChatGPT results from eligibility for Shopify's commercial channel.

To sell through this integration, Shopify currently requires stores to sell to customers in the United States, although the business itself may be based elsewhere. Feature availability can therefore vary between markets and merchants.

For Shopify ecommerce businesses, it is still worth reviewing catalogue eligibility, Agentic channel settings and the quality of product information.

How can brands prepare product pages for ChatGPT Shopping?

Structured information is an important component of product discovery, but content quality remains equally valuable.

A product page should help potential customers quickly understand what they are buying, which needs the product addresses and what distinguishes it from the alternatives.

Product titles are a useful starting point.

Descriptions that are too generic can make it difficult to identify important details such as materials, models, dimensions or intended uses.

Product descriptions should also contain specific information, avoiding duplicated or excessively promotional wording.

For example, a fashion retailer might include fit, fabric composition, suitable occasions and care instructions.

An electronics retailer should prioritise verifiable technical specifications, compatibility, battery life and actual functionality.

This information can benefit both customers and systems that compare products against specific requirements.

Another important area covers reviews, images, availability, variants and return policies.

Shopify's product discovery guidance recommends maintaining complete, well-structured information within Shopify Catalog.

Traditional SEO activities also contribute to overall website quality: accessible pages, clear content, consistent data and a well-organised catalogue provide a useful foundation.

Optimising for AI shopping therefore also involves content quality and product data management, integrated into the everyday management of an ecommerce business.

ChatGPT Ads: what role does advertising play?

Alongside organic product discovery, brands can explore the advertising opportunities offered by ChatGPT Ads.

The distinction matters: advertisements are clearly labelled as sponsored and displayed separately from ChatGPT's generated responses.

For advertisers, the main differentiator is conversational context.

Campaigns can reach users who are evaluating alternatives, exploring a category or looking for a solution to a specific need.

This calls for creative assets focused on concrete benefits, use cases and product features, with messages that match the destination page.

Advertising capabilities are also evolving rapidly.

On 26 October 2026, OpenAI introduced a multi-image format for ChatGPT Ads in open beta, allowing advertisers to use several images within a single advertisement.

Product catalogue-based campaigns are also available for retail advertisers managing large or frequently updated assortments.

For a deeper look at how the platform works and the opportunities it offers, we have already explored ChatGPT Ads in Europe and its Ads Manager, as well as the integration between ChatGPT Ads and Criteo.

For ecommerce brands, organic visibility and advertising are two activities that should be planned and measured separately, even when they contribute to the same purchasing journey.

Peak Season: why prepare before Black Friday?

The holiday shopping season makes conversational product discovery particularly relevant.

Throughout November, consumers look for gift ideas, compare alternatives, check prices and assess which offers provide genuine value.

According to OpenAI, during Black Friday 2025, product-search activity on ChatGPT in the United States increased by 94% compared with matched weekdays across the previous four weeks.

This figure relates to a specific market and comparison period, but suggests the role the platform can play during Peak Season product research.

For ecommerce businesses, preparation should begin with updated catalogues, accurate product availability, clear promotional information and consistent landing pages.

Brands using ChatGPT Ads can complement these activities with seasonal campaigns focused on specific categories, gift ideas or priority products.

Planning should also account for delivery deadlines, return conditions and benefits genuinely available during the promotion.

Measurement deserves attention too.

Useful indicators include referral traffic from ChatGPT, engaged sessions, conversion rate, attributed orders and revenue generated.

Attribution data may be incomplete, particularly when a purchasing journey spans multiple devices and channels. It is therefore advisable to compare available analytics data with information from ecommerce and advertising platforms.

ChatGPT Shopping: what should brands do today?

AI shopping introduces another point of contact between consumers and products, particularly during the discovery and comparison stages.

To begin improving visibility on ChatGPT, the main priorities are:

• Catalogue: check the completeness and accuracy of product titles, descriptions, prices, images and availability.
• Content: improve product pages with features, benefits, use cases and information that helps customers make informed decisions.
• Integrations: review the opportunities available through Shopify Catalog or supported product feeds.
• Advertising: assess ChatGPT Ads as a separate channel, with dedicated objectives, creatives and measurement.
• Performance: monitor traffic, conversions and the quality of visits generated by AI shopping experiences.

For ecommerce businesses, getting discovered on ChatGPT means making products understandable, relevant and up to date in the contexts where customers are looking for recommendations.

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2026 approaching, preparing catalogues and content for product discovery could provide an additional opportunity to reach consumers who are already actively considering a purchase.