Amazon buys ChatGPT ads to send shoppers to storefronts

Amazon has bought advertising placements on ChatGPT that send users to its online storefront, according to Business Insider, even as the company continues to limit how AI platforms access its product data.

The move highlights a split approach. Business Insider reported that Amazon has updated its code to block several crawlers, including those from OpenAI, stopped supplying product feeds to Google Shopping, and obtained a court order to block Perplexity‘s AI agent. At the same time, Amazon is paying to appear inside ChatGPT as a shopping destination.

E-commerce analyst Juozas Kaziukenas shared a LinkedIn screenshot showing an Amazon-sponsored placement for kitchen products and described the purchase as "symbolic." An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment, according to Business Insider.

Paid presence on a restricted platform

The arrangement places Amazon on ChatGPT as an advertiser while the company restricts the platform’s access to its catalog through technical and legal measures. The source article said this reflects a dual-track strategy: controlling organic product-data exposure while using paid placements to reach users already on the platform.

OpenAI moved product feed management into the ChatGPT Ads Manager in June 2026, according to ppc.land. The change lets retailers connect structured catalogs and automatically create sponsored placements at scale.

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Contrast with other retailers

Business Insider reported that rivals such as Walmart have embraced ChatGPT as an organic referral channel. Modern Retail reported in September 2025 that ChatGPT drove less than 3% of Amazon referral traffic, down nearly 18% month-over-month after Amazon’s crawler blocks took effect. Over the same period, ChatGPT drove roughly 20% of Walmart‘s referral clicks.

The source article said Amazon’s decision positions it as a reluctant paid participant on a platform it declines to feed organically.

What comes next

The source article pointed to several areas to watch: whether more large retailers buy ChatGPT placements while keeping data-access restrictions in place, whether OpenAI changes ad product terms affecting how commerce links appear, and whether Amazon expands Rufus ad inventory as an alternative to third-party AI commerce channels.

The source article described the development as "symbolic", but also as a notable commercial signal because a top-3 global retailer is buying paid placements on a competing AI platform while blocking that platform’s access to its data.

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