OpenAI is rolling out a new audience targeting feature inside ChatGPT Ads. Advertisers can now upload raw or hashed emails and phone numbers and use that list as an audience filter for campaigns, found under Tools then Audiences in the ad manager. It was spotted live by advertisers on 7 July 2026, ahead of any formal announcement from OpenAI itself.
Why This Is a Bigger Deal Than It Sounds
Meta and Google Ads have offered customer list targeting for years. It is one of the most reliable ways to reach people who already know your business: upload your customer database, and the platform matches and targets them specifically. ChatGPT Ads getting the same capability means it is maturing into a real advertising channel with the same targeting tools marketers already know how to use, not just a new place to run a generic ad at strangers.
What South African Businesses Should Watch
ChatGPT Ads is still early and not yet a default channel for most SA marketing budgets. But the platforms that get customer-list retargeting first are usually worth testing first, because retargeting your own existing customers or leads is consistently the cheapest, highest-converting form of advertising on any channel. If you already run list-based campaigns on Meta or Google, keep an eye on ChatGPT Ads rolling this out fully. It will be worth a small test budget once it is generally available, not because it will replace your current channels, but because being early on a new targeting option rarely costs you anything but a modest test spend.