OpenAI is replacing Max Bid and Max CPC in ChatGPT Ads with average cost targets

OpenAI is changing how bids work in ChatGPT Ads. An official help page on bidding and pricing says Target CPA is replacing Max Bid for advertisers who create new conversion campaigns and want to work toward a specific cost per conversion, and that Target CPC is available for new click campaigns. Both changes start on 9 November 2026. Max Bid and Max CPC will retire on 1 January 2027 for existing campaigns.

OpenAI describes Target CPA and Target CPC as average-cost goals, not caps on each bid. “Some conversions may cost more and others less; actual average CPA may be higher or lower than your target,” the bidding page says. The same idea applies to Target CPC: the system can bid above or below the target in individual auctions, “aiming to deliver as many clicks as possible from your budget while working toward your desired average CPC.” The page is clear that a cost target is not a guaranteed maximum.

What changes, and when

Advertisers can begin moving existing campaigns to the new options in Ads Manager from 9 November 2026. Target CPA replaces Max Bid on conversion campaigns, and Target CPC replaces Max CPC on click campaigns. Intelligent bidding, which the same page says was formerly called Maximize Results (Autobid), still lets the system pursue results within a budget without a target average CPA or CPC.

API partners get their own timeline. Before 18 November 2026, the Max Bid and Max CPC fields keep their existing behaviour, and partners can start using the new target fields once they are available. From 18 November, OpenAI recommends the new fields. The legacy fields stay supported through 31 December, but using them to create a campaign or change an ad group’s bid type will select Target CPA or Target CPC, and the submitted values will be treated as average-cost targets rather than maximum bids. The legacy fields are due to be deprecated on 1 January 2027.

The bidding page also says the final winning auction bid sets the price you pay, across all bidding strategies, including existing Max Bid and Max CPC campaigns. Bidding goals and billing events are separate: a campaign can be optimised for conversions while charges are based on clicks or impressions. OpenAI warns that a campaign may not spend its full budget if targets are too tight, eligible opportunities are limited, or conversion signals are weak. It suggests setting targets from recent actual CPA or CPC, and notes that a $20 target after a $40 observed CPA does not mean the system can deliver purchases at half the observed cost.

A separate basics page for advertisers, which has also been updated, still says advertisers set a maximum bid at the ad-group level and still recommends starting CPC campaigns with a maximum bid of $3 to $5 US per click. The bidding-strategies page is the one that sets out the replacement timetable. This is a change to ChatGPT Ads, and is separate from Google’s Ads in AI Mode rollout.