OpenAI said on October 5, 2026 that ChatGPT reaches 1.2 billion people weekly and will begin testing a visual ad format in the US later that month, with more ways for advertisers to track results. Separately, Angi announced on September 16, 2026 that it's piloting "sponsored agents" in ChatGPT, letting an Angi-branded agent appear in home-project conversations and route homeowners into Angi's request flow.
The platform homeowners use to search is starting to carry ads, and a home services lead platform is already testing a way into those conversations.
OpenAI's new ad test and audience size
OpenAI said on October 5, 2026 that ChatGPT reaches 1.2 billion people a week (OpenAI). It will begin testing a new visual ad format, shown during image generation, in the US starting later in October 2026, and is expanding its measurement partners so advertisers can track results more closely (OpenAI; Search Engine Roundtable, Oct 5, 2026). This is a test of one ad format tied to image generation. OpenAI hasn't said local businesses can buy ads in ChatGPT generally, so don't assume that's coming yet.
Angi's sponsored agent pilot
On September 16, 2026, Angi announced it's among the first brands piloting "sponsored agents" inside ChatGPT (Angi via GlobeNewswire). Under this pilot, an Angi-branded agent can show up in a ChatGPT conversation about a home project and route the homeowner into Angi's own service-request flow. That's a different mechanism than a visual ad: a branded assistant stepping into the conversation itself.
Why lead platforms move first
Lead generation platforms move fast on whatever channel homeowners search first, because their business depends on being the first point of contact. Angi testing a presence inside ChatGPT, before most local contractors have even considered AI search, fits that pattern. It's the same instinct that drove their early, aggressive push into Google search results.
Run the "who does ChatGPT recommend?" test
Before anything else, find out where you actually stand. Ask ChatGPT for a plumber, a roofer, or an HVAC company in your town, worded the way a real homeowner would ask. If it names a competitor, a lead platform, or nobody specific, that tells you where you stand in AI-generated answers, separate from how you rank in Google.
Make your site easy for AI to understand
Showing up in an AI-generated answer depends on the same fundamentals that make a site easy to understand generally: clear service pages that state exactly what you do, the specific areas you serve, and real proof, like reviews and completed jobs, tied to your name. A site that's vague about services or coverage area gives an AI system less to work with when it's deciding who to recommend.
Matt's take
A lead platform building a presence inside ChatGPT is worth watching the same way Angi and HomeAdvisor's rise on Google was years ago. It's early, and it's the kind of move that looks small right up until it isn't. The response isn't panic. It's the same response that's always worked against lead platforms on Google: be unmistakably clear about what you do and where you do it, so there's no ambiguity for a human or an AI system to fill in with someone else's name.
Run the ChatGPT test on your own business name this week. It takes two minutes and tells you more about where you stand in AI search than any guess would.
FAQ
Can local businesses buy ads in ChatGPT right now?
What is Angi's "sponsored agent" pilot in ChatGPT?
How many people use ChatGPT each week?
Sources
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