Short answer: Open OpenAI’s Ads Manager, install conversion tracking first, then create a Clicks campaign with a $3 to $5 bid, target the ZIP codes around your store and send the ad to one page, like your used SUV inventory. Run it for 14 days, then scale, fix the page or stop based on cost per lead.
The five settings at a glance
Most of the work is done before you open Ads Manager. The campaign itself comes down to five settings.
| Setting | What to pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Clicks (website visits) | You pay only when someone lands on your page |
| Location | Cities or ZIP codes about 25 miles around your store | Few buyers drive 200 miles for a $22,000 SUV |
| Bid | $3 to $5 max per click | OpenAI’s suggested starting range |
| Landing page | One page, like /used-suvs | The page must match the ad |
| Conversion tracking | Installed and tested before launch | Otherwise you are guessing |
If you are still deciding whether to run ChatGPT ads at all, read what ChatGPT ads cost and whether they are worth it first.
Step 1: Fix the page the ad points to
Most ad money is wasted after the click, not before it. Pick one page per ad and make sure it:
- Loads in under 3 seconds on a phone.
- Matches the ad exactly. If the ad says “SUVs under $25k”, the page shows SUVs under $25k.
- Has one clear action above the fold: call, text, or a short form.
- Shows price, mileage and year as text, not baked into photos.
A good /used-suvs page opens with a line like “38 used SUVs in [city], most under $25,000”, then the cars. A 2020 Toyota RAV4 LE with 41,000 miles at $23,990 should be one tap from the ad. Our vehicle page checklist covers what each car page needs.
Step 2: Create your Ads Manager account
- Go to ads.openai.com and sign up with your business details.
- Choose the countries you want to advertise in. Self-serve is open to businesses based in the countries OpenAI lists, which include the US and Australia. The legal entity that gets billed must be based in one of them.
- Add a payment method. Ads may not serve if there is a problem with it.
- Upload your logo in the size it asks for. It shows as the small icon on your ad.
Step 3: Set up conversion tracking before launch
This is the step dealers skip, and it is the reason most tests end with “we don’t know if it worked.”
Install the OpenAI pixel
OpenAI offers a JavaScript pixel and a server-side Conversions API. Put the pixel on every page, then fire a standard event when a lead happens. OpenAI’s docs name lead_created for a lead submission. Fire it on:
- A form submit (test drive, trade-in, credit application).
- A tap on your phone number or text button.
- A chat that collects a name and phone number.
Test it yourself: submit a form with “TEST” in the name and check that the event shows up in Ads Manager.
Tag the links
Add UTM tags to your ad links, for example utm_source=chatgpt&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=suvs-under-25k. ChatGPT already adds utm_source=chatgpt.com to free referral links from its answers, so your paid tag keeps ad clicks separate. Then set up an AI assistants channel in GA4 so both show up clearly, and make sure the tags carry into your CRM.
Step 4: Build the campaign
Each campaign holds ad groups, and each ad group holds ads. Set up the campaign first.
Goal and budget
Choose Clicks. You pay per valid click, which makes a small test safe. The other goals are Views (you pay per 1,000 impressions) and Conversions (optimizes toward a lead event once your pixel has data).
Set a daily budget. The minimum is $25 a day in the US and A$25 in Australia. OpenAI treats it as an average over seven days, so some days will spend more. Add a start and end date 14 days apart.
Location
Country is required. Then narrow it: OpenAI lets you add states, cities, markets and postal codes where available. Pick the ZIP codes or suburbs that make up roughly 25 miles (about 40 km) around your lot. Start with where your last 50 buyers live if you have that list.
Bid
OpenAI recommends a maximum bid of $3 to $5 per click to begin. Start at $4. If you get almost no impressions after three days, go to $5.
Step 5: Write the ad group and the ad card
Context hints
The ad group is where you describe the conversations you want to appear next to. These are “context hints,” not exact-match keywords. Write them the way a buyer talks:
- used SUVs under $25,000 in [city]
- best used family SUV for a first-time buyer
- where to buy a used Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V near [city]
The ad card
You get a title, a short description, an image and a link. Say one thing, with a number in it. Three examples that follow the rule:
Sponsored: Get your trade-in value in 2 minutes — Real offer from a [city] dealer. No haggling, no obligation.
Sponsored: 42 used SUVs under $25,000 in [city] — Every car inspected, priced online, financing for all credit.
Sponsored: Bad credit? Drive today in [city] — In-house financing. Get approved online in minutes.
Only promise what your store actually offers. A claim you cannot back up costs you the sale and gets the ad rejected. Use a real photo from your lot, not a stock image. Ads are reviewed before they serve, so allow time before your start date.
Step 6: Run a 14-day test and read the results
Pick one ad and one page. Spend a fixed daily budget for 14 days. Do not touch it for the first week.
| If you see… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Clicks but no leads | Fix the page, not the ad. |
| Very few clicks | Rewrite the title with a number and a location. |
| Leads at a cost you are happy with | Raise the budget 20% a week, not all at once. |
| Leads that never answer | Add a lead quality check before they reach your BDC. |
Proof: That last row is the one that bites. On Meta, DealerDrive scores every lead before it reaches the dealer, and one Brisbane campaign delivered 441 scored leads at $2.85 each. See how.
Mistakes that wreck a first test
- Changing the bid, the ad and the page all in week one. You will not know what worked.
- Sending the ad to the homepage.
- Running it while your BDC takes a day to reply. A lead from a 9pm ChatGPT chat goes cold by morning.
- Launching without a test lead. If the pixel is broken, 14 days of data is lost.
What to do next
Get the landing page and tracking right first; the campaign settings take about 20 minutes after that. If you would rather have someone check your page, pixel and lead flow before you spend, book a short demo and we will go through it with you.
Quick answers
Do I need an agency to advertise on ChatGPT?
No. Ads Manager is self-serve. An agency helps most with the landing page, tracking and lead quality, which is where tests usually fail.
Can I choose keywords for ChatGPT ads?
No. ChatGPT matches ads to the conversation using context rather than exact keywords, so describe your ad topic clearly with context hints and let the system match it.
What should a dealer’s first ChatGPT ad promote?
One specific, high-intent offer: a trade-in value, a price-capped inventory page or financing approval. Avoid sending ads to the homepage.
Sources
- Ads in ChatGPT: the basics (OpenAI Help Center)
- Create campaigns for ChatGPT Ads (OpenAI Help Center)
- Conversion tracking (OpenAI Ads developer docs)
- Publishers and developers FAQ (OpenAI Help Center)
- Advertise in ChatGPT (OpenAI Ads)
Book a 15-minute ads demo
We will look at your landing pages, tracking and lead quality with you before you spend a dollar on ChatGPT ads.
