ChatGPT Ads Policy Tracker: Which UK and US Categories Can Advertise?

Most categories cannot yet advertise on ChatGPT. OpenAI currently permits only a narrow set of categories, mostly consumer verticals. A few regulated categories are available to select pre-approved advertisers in the US only. Everything else is prohibited at launch. (Source: OpenAI Ad Policies)

How to use this tracker

This page maps each advertising category to one of four statuses:

• Permitted – OpenAI's published policy allows these ads without pre-approval (subject to creative review)

• Restricted – Available only to select approved advertisers; manual review required

• Prohibited – Not allowed under current policy

• Unclear / pending confirmation – Policy is silent or ambiguous on this sub-category; status may change

Every entry references the OpenAI source document and the date it was last checked. Do not rely on entries older than 30 days for regulated categories.

Categories Prohibited Everywhere

The following categories are prohibited across all markets, regardless of advertiser status or licensing. These restrictions apply to ad content and to the conversations in which ads may appear.

Prohibited ad categories (all markets)

Conversations where no ads may appear (all markets)

In addition to prohibited ad categories, OpenAI prohibits ads from appearing in conversations associated with:

• Child safety

• Circumventing safeguards

• Cyber abuse

• Dangerous activities

• Fraud or deception

• Graphic or exploitative sexual content

• Graphic violence

• Hate or harassment

• Illicit content

• Misinformation

• Political content

• Suicide or self-harm

• Terrorism

• Weapons

Ads are also excluded from conversations showing emotionally reliant interactions, personal or mental health discussions, and other sensitive user journeys. (Source: OpenAI Ad Policies)

UK Category Status

The UK is not listed as a launch market for ChatGPT Ads. OpenAI confirmed that ad testing began in the United States on 9 February 2026, with gradual rollout to other regions over time. (Source: OpenAI Help Centre)

The table below reflects the "All Other Countries" status, which is the applicable column for UK-based advertisers until OpenAI issues UK-specific guidance.

Health categories: UK status

Financial services categories: UK status

Legal services: UK status

General consumer categories: UK status

US Category Status

The United States is the only confirmed market for ChatGPT Ads. The programme began testing on 9 February 2026 and is the most permissive market in OpenAI's current eligibility framework. (Source: OpenAI Help Centre)

Health categories: US status

Financial services categories: US status

Legal services: US status

What Advertisers Should Check Before Building Creative

Category eligibility is a starting point, not a clearance. OpenAI reviews all ad assets before they run, including copy, images or video, and landing pages. A category marked Permitted is still subject to review.

Pre-build checklist

Before you brief creative, verify the following:

1. Confirm your category is eligible in your target market. Use the tables above. If your market is the UK, apply the "All Other Countries" column unless OpenAI has issued updated guidance.

2. Check whether your sub-category requires pre-approval. Several categories listed as Restricted are only available to a small group of approved advertisers. OpenAI has stated that it is not currently accepting open applications for approval in certain categories.

3. Review the ad content rules. Ads must be truthful and must not make unfounded claims about capabilities, pricing, outcomes, affiliations, or comparisons with other products. (Source: OpenAI Ad Policies)

4. Audit your landing page. The landing page is reviewed as part of the ad. A landing page that makes claims prohibited under OpenAI's policies will cause the ad to be rejected, even if the ad creative itself is compliant.

5. Consider conversation context. Even where a category is permitted, ads will not appear in conversations associated with sensitive topics. A financial services advertiser, for example, will not have ads placed near personal debt or mental health conversations.

6. Confirm your account age information is accurate. Ads are not shown to users under 18. Mature-content ads are restricted to eligible logged-in users.

How Surgelify Runs an Eligibility Review

Before recommending a ChatGPT Ads campaign to any client, Surgelify conducts a structured eligibility review. This is not a sales process; it is a prerequisite for responsible campaign planning.

What the review covers

• Category mapping: We identify the precise OpenAI sub-category that applies to your product or service and cross-reference it against the current policy tables for your target market.

• Approval status check: For Restricted categories, we establish whether OpenAI is currently accepting applications and what documentation or licensing evidence would be required.

• Creative risk assessment: We review your existing messaging, landing pages, and any planned claims against OpenAI's ad content rules before briefing any creative work.

• Conversation context analysis: We identify the conversation types most likely to be relevant to your audience and confirm that those contexts are not excluded under OpenAI's brand safety rules.

• Market readiness: For UK advertisers, we flag where policy is currently derived from the "All Other Countries" column and where UK-specific confirmation is still needed.

If you would like to discuss whether your category can advertise on ChatGPT, visit the Surgelify ChatGPT Ads service page. For a broader understanding of how the platform works, see our guide to how ChatGPT Ads work and our overview of ChatGPT Ads creative requirements.

Tracker maintenance

This page is reviewed monthly. Policy entries are updated when OpenAI publishes changes to its Ad Policies or Help Centre eligibility tables. Outdated policy claims are removed or corrected; they are not retained to preserve search rankings.

If you identify an error or a policy change that has not yet been reflected here, contact Surgelify via surgelify.com.