OpenAI Swaps Max Bid and Max CPC for Target CPA and Target CPC in ChatGPT Ads
OpenAI has told advertisers in ChatGPT Ads that from Monday 9 November they can set a cost target in Ads Manager when creating a campaign or updating an existing one. Target CPA arrives for conversion campaigns and Target CPC for click campaigns, each replacing the older maximum-based option for new campaigns built in Ads Manager.
The difference is in how bids are set. Max CPC capped what an advertiser paid in a single auction, while Target CPC lets the system bid above or below the target in each auction and aims to deliver as many clicks as possible from the budget at the average CPC the advertiser chooses. Target CPA works the same way for conversions, with bids and delivery adjusted towards an average cost per purchase or lead.
Existing campaigns keep running as Max Bid or Max CPC campaigns, and advertisers can switch strategy when they choose. Both legacy options retire on 1 January 2027, at which point remaining conversion campaigns move to Target CPA and remaining click campaigns to Target CPC. Maximise results, the autobid setting, now sits under the name intelligent bidding.
OpenAI's guidance is to start moving campaigns from 9 November and to check conversion signals first, confirming that Pixel or the Conversions API is sending the selected event to the linked data source and clearing any Event Quality Score warnings. It also advises setting targets from recent actual CPA or CPC, since targets that are too tight or weak signals can hold back delivery and leave budget unspent.
Reported by Search Engine Roundtable ↗
Topics: ChatGPT, AI advertising, Measurement