OpenAI rolls out shopping research feature in ChatGPT

OpenAI has introduced ‘shopping research’, a tool in ChatGPT designed to help users compare products and make purchase decisions through a guided, conversational process.

The feature lets users describe what they need, such as choosing between bikes or finding a quiet cordless vacuum, and receive a personalised buyer’s guide based on information gathered from across the internet.

Shopping research is being rolled out on mobile and web for logged-in users on Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans. OpenAI said nearly unlimited usage will be available across plans during the holiday period.

According to the company, hundreds of millions of users turn to ChatGPT for help comparing products. The new tool is aimed at more complex decisions that involve trade-offs, budget limits and feature analysis.

The feature is also available in ChatGPT Pulse, currently limited to Pro users. Pulse may offer proactive suggestions based on earlier conversations, such as recommending accessories after discussions about e-bikes.

Users can start by selecting the shopping research option or by entering a shopping-related question. Purchases are completed on retailer websites, though OpenAI said direct in-chat checkout will come later for supported merchants.

The company said the tool uses a version of GPT-5 mini trained with reinforcement learning for shopping tasks, designed to pull details from trusted sites, cite sources and update results in real time based on feedback.

The company said chats are not shared with retailers, and results are based on publicly available information. It added that the system may still make mistakes about details like price or availability, and encouraged users to verify information on merchant sites.

OpenAI said it will continue expanding the tool, covering more categories and improving personalisation.