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OpenAI continues to develop ChatGPT, transforming it into an increasingly versatile assistant. With the new ChatGPT Shopping feature, the conversational tool, which already has a web search function, now offers an e-commerce option: displaying products directly in its responses, complete with purchase links. This is a major advance that could well reshuffle the deck when it comes to product searches on the Internet!
Until now, when a user expressed a need or desire to make a purchase in a query, ChatGPT could offer advice, lists or comparisons. Now, the assistant goes one step further: it directly displays product images along with their prices, customer reviews and links to purchase, in the form of an interactive carousel.
This new feature is activated when the model detects an intention to purchase, such as for queries like “best wireless headphones for sports” or “gift ideas for children.“ The algorithm relies on the text of the query, but also on other contextual elements, such as preferences entered by the user or previous conversations.
In short: ChatGPT is now capable of acting as a shopping engine, but by integrating these suggestions into the heart of a conversational exchange. A new paradigm that combines personalisation, speed and time savings for internet users!
OpenAI insists that these product suggestions are not advertising. The results displayed are taken from product feeds provided by third-party partners and organised automatically by the model, without any prioritisation or sponsored placement.
The listings are then enriched with metadata provided by merchants, but ChatGPT can add generated elements such as simplified descriptions or tags. The aim is to make reading more fluid for the user… and the act of purchasing more natural.
Even though OpenAI is currently rejecting traditional advertising models, monetising this feature remains a strategic lever to watch. E-merchants could pay a commission for purchases generated via ChatGPT.
No paid placements, then, but a potential source of revenue for OpenAI… and a high-potential visibility channel for brands. In a saturated digital world, the ability to appear in a relevant conversational response could well become a new challenge for marketing teams!
A form is already available for interested brands, and OpenAI recommends that websites update their robots.txt file to allow crawling by the OAI-SearchBot robot.
With over a billion searches conducted via ChatGPT in a week, Sam Altman’s company is showing its ambitions. The goal is clear: to offer an alternative to traditional search, with a more fluid, contextual and potentially more engaging experience.
The OpenAI teams recognise that the Shopping feature is still in its early stages. It is gradually being rolled out globally, including for users of the free version. But the prospects are enormous: in a few months, ChatGPT could become a fully-fledged shopping interface, integrated into everyday use.
E-merchants and marketers, we advise you to closely follow the development of this feature, prepare your feeds, and monitor the impact on your traffic sources! The era of commercial conversational search is upon us: it’s best to be ready before it becomes unavoidable. Want to take advantage of AI opportunities for your business? Contact our SEO agency now!
Mathilde