A 30-day ChatGPT Ads test, judged on cost per enquiry.
On 23 September 2026, OpenAI announced that ChatGPT Ads are rolling out in Malaysia. Nobody here has months of results yet, us included, so we start small: check whether OpenAI will accept your business, then run a 30-day test with a fixed spending limit from an account in your name.
What you are buying
A small labelled unit under ChatGPT's answer: your business name, a short headline, one image and a link. It only shows when the conversation fits. OpenAI says ads are kept separate from the answers, and that advertisers never see anyone's chats. Instead of keywords, you write context hints: plain phrases describing the conversations your offer suits. The system weighs those against the chat, your ad and your landing page.
Who can advertise in Malaysia
OpenAI's ad policy, last updated on 10 September 2026, currently focuses on household and consumer goods, local services, travel and entertainment, and digital products and education. In Malaysia it generally refuses health and financial services, and it refuses legal services. Gambling, alcohol and ads for a specific property for rent or sale are refused everywhere. A cafe, an aircon servicing company or a tuition centre falls inside what OpenAI accepts, though every ad still goes through its review. A dental clinic or an insurance agent will generally be refused for now, and a single condo listing is refused outright. We check your business and landing page against the policy before you pay us anything.
How the 30-day test runs
The account sits in your business's name and OpenAI bills you in ringgit, directly. We set a campaign-total budget, which OpenAI calls the stricter of its two budget controls, so the whole test runs against one spending limit agreed up front. Tracking goes in before launch and counts WhatsApp clicks, call-button taps and form enquiries, not page views. On day 30 you get spend, clicks, enquiries and cost per enquiry, next to your Google Ads numbers if you run them. If the cost per enquiry does not fit your margins, we stop there. If it does, the work continues month to month with no minimum term, and the account and its data stay yours either way.
How ChatGPT Ads differ from Google Ads
Both run on an auction and a budget you control. The difference is what starts the ad, how you steer it, and what you learn afterwards.
What starts it
Google AdsA search someone types into Google
ChatGPT AdsA conversation someone is having with ChatGPT
How you steer it
Google AdsKeywords, match types and a negative keyword list
ChatGPT AdsContext hints, your ad text and your landing page; there are no keywords
How the winner is picked
Google AdsAd Rank: your bid, the ad's quality and the search itself
ChatGPT AdsAn auction that weighs your bid by how relevant the ad is to the conversation
Where the ad sits
Google AdsAbove or below the search results, marked Sponsored
ChatGPT AdsUnder ChatGPT's answer, labelled and kept apart from it
Who can see it
Google AdsAnyone searching on Google
ChatGPT AdsAdults on the Free and Go plans; not Plus, Pro, Business or Enterprise, not under-18s, not sensitive chats
Local targeting
Google AdsA radius around your shop, or a town or state
ChatGPT AdsCountry for every campaign; finer options vary by country and are not yet confirmed for Malaysia
What you learn
Google AdsMany of the actual searches that brought each click
ChatGPT AdsViews, clicks, spend and conversions; never the conversations
Who can advertise
Google AdsMost businesses, with extra rules for some trades
ChatGPT AdsMainly consumer categories; health and financial services generally refused here, legal services and single-property ads refused
What ChatGPT Ads management includes
- A policy check on your business and landing page before any spend
- Ads Manager account set up in your business's name, billed by OpenAI in RM
- Context hints written from the questions your customers ask you on WhatsApp, by phone and on Google
- A landing page that matches the ad, built or fixed if yours is not ready, since OpenAI reviews it too
- Several headline and image variations per ad group, written to OpenAI's short text limits
- OpenAI's measurement pixel wired to WhatsApp clicks, call-button taps and form enquiries, tested before launch
- Day-30 report: spend, clicks, enquiries, cost per enquiry, and whether to carry on
ChatGPT Ads, honestly answered
How much do ChatGPT ads cost in Malaysia?
Two numbers, kept apart. The spend goes to OpenAI and is billed in RM; the minimum daily budget for a ringgit account is RM5.50. You can pay per click or per 1,000 views, or pick a conversions goal, where the system aims for enquiries but you still pay per click or per 1,000 views, never per enquiry. We have not found any published Malaysian click prices yet, because the market here is new, and we would rather show you the real number from your own test than guess one. Our management fee is fixed, agreed in writing before launch, never a percentage of spend.
Will ChatGPT recommend my business if I pay for ads?
No. OpenAI says ads are kept separate from ChatGPT's answers, so buying ads does not change what ChatGPT says about you. Getting named inside the answer is different work: real reviews, consistent directory listings, structured data and pages that answer the exact question. That is our AI-visibility service. The two sit well together, because the questions we track for AI visibility make good context hints.
Who sees ChatGPT ads?
Ads may appear for adults on the Free and Go plans. Subscribers on Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise see none, and neither do under-18 accounts. OpenAI also keeps ads out of sensitive conversations, mental health among them, so not every chat that touches your trade can carry one.
Should I try ChatGPT Ads or Google Ads first?
Google Ads, for most local businesses that need calls this week. Someone searching Google for aircon service in Subang is usually ready to book, and Google's search-term report shows many of the searches that turned into a lead. A ChatGPT chat often comes earlier, while someone is still comparing options; your own test will show whether that holds for your trade. If your Google Ads already bring leads at a cost you are happy with, ChatGPT is a good place to test next.
Can I show ChatGPT ads only to customers near my shop?
Every campaign targets by country. OpenAI also offers state, city and postcode targeting in some countries and says the options vary by country, and we have not yet confirmed what Malaysian accounts get. So during setup we check what your account offers and tell you before launch. For a shop that serves one neighbourhood, that check decides whether ChatGPT Ads is worth testing at all.
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