Key points
- From Nov. 9, new ChatGPT Ads conversion campaigns get Target CPA and click campaigns get Target CPC, replacing Max Bid and Max CPC.
- Nov. 18: a Max Bid or Max CPC value sent through legacy API fields to create a campaign or change bid type becomes an average target.
- Max Bid and Max CPC stop applying to existing campaigns on Jan. 1, 2027; OpenAI's page gives no date for new API fields.
- OpenAI warns that a target set below recent performance can limit delivery and leave budget unspent.
Why it matters for marketers: Advertisers lose a hard per-bid ceiling on ChatGPT Ads and must manage by average cost, so targets, budgets and API integrations need review before the deadlines.
OpenAI is changing how advertisers control costs in ChatGPT Ads. According to an updated help document, Target CPA and Target CPC will replace the Max Bid and Max CPC caps. Both new options are average cost goals, not limits on each bid, so individual clicks or conversions can cost more or less than the target.
The rollout has three dates. Starting Nov. 9, new conversion campaigns can use Target CPA and new click campaigns can use Target CPC. On Nov. 18, a legacy max-bid value sent by an API partner becomes an average target. The old caps stop applying to existing campaigns on Jan. 1, 2027.
For marketers, the main shift is control. A cap limited what you could pay in any one auction. A target lets the system bid above or below it, aiming for as many results as possible from the budget. OpenAI cautions that a target set below recent performance may restrict delivery, and spend can fall short of budget. Its example: a $40 actual CPA does not become $20 just because you enter a $20 target.
Microsoft made a comparable move in August, ending Max CPC on some new campaigns, and said the setting can interfere with its bidding optimization.
Next steps are practical. Base targets on recent actual CPA or CPC, then watch average cost, spend and results as campaigns learn. If you buy through an API partner, ask which bid fields the tool uses after Nov. 18. OpenAI's page gives no date for the new API fields and does not say what target a campaign still on Max Bid will get once the caps retire, so switching early lets you set the number yourself.
Sources
This brief is our own summary. Read the full reporting at the source.