OpenAI announced on Monday a major update to ChatGPT’s web search feature, aimed at improving the online shopping experience for users around the world.
The updated tool will now allow users to receive product recommendations, view images and customer reviews, and access direct links to purchase items. OpenAI said the system supports natural language queries, enabling users to ask detailed questions and get customized shopping results. Initially, the shopping search will cover categories such as fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics.
The new feature is available starting today through the default GPT-4o model for all ChatGPT users — including Pro, Plus, Free, and even logged-out users globally.
The move is part of OpenAI’s broader strategy to challenge Google’s dominance in online search and commerce. Although Google remains a leader in internet shopping, critics say the quality of its search results has declined due to the increasing influence of paid ads. OpenAI, by contrast, emphasized that the new ChatGPT shopping feature is ad-free and independent of commercial influence.
According to the company, ChatGPT users conducted over one billion web searches in the past week alone. OpenAI said its shopping recommendations are based on structured data from third-party sources, such as product descriptions, prices, and user reviews, without receiving affiliate commissions or payments for placement.
While OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has traditionally opposed advertising in ChatGPT, he recently suggested he would consider “tasteful” affiliate partnerships — though still without allowing paid priority placements in search results.
In the coming months, OpenAI plans to introduce a memory integration for Pro and Plus users, enabling ChatGPT to personalize shopping recommendations based on users’ previous conversations. However, these memory-based features will not be available in the European Union, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein due to regulatory restrictions.
The update also brings new features to ChatGPT search, including trending search suggestions similar to Google’s autocomplete, and expands ChatGPT’s capabilities to WhatsApp, allowing users to get real-time search results directly through messaging.
Previously, OpenAI tested shopping functionalities through its “Operator” AI agent platform. However, the updated ChatGPT search promises a much faster and more interactive shopping experience.
