OutSoftChatGPT Shopping Assistant: What E-Commerce Teams Need to Know
In April 2025, OpenAI launched a new shopping feature inside ChatGPT that could seriously change the way people shop online. Users can now ask the AI for product recommendations—things like “best headphones under $200” or “top-rated desk chairs for home offices”—and get curated results directly in the chat. These include product details, reviews, images, and links to buy.
There are no ads. No paid placements. Just results based on product quality, relevance, and user needs.
For e-commerce businesses, this opens up a new discovery channel – one that doesn’t play by the rules of traditional search engines or ad platforms. Here’s what the feature actually does, how it works, and what steps your team can take to get your products in front of ChatGPT users.
What exactly is ChatGPT shopping?
It’s a conversational product discovery tool. ChatGPT responds to user requests for shopping help by showing a short list of suggested items, each with a summary, image, and a link to purchase—usually through a large retailer like Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart.
Users can refine the query in real time—“What if I want something eco-friendly?”—and ChatGPT adjusts its results instantly. It’s fast, natural, and based on real product data pulled from across the web.Importantly, there are no ads involved right now. OpenAI has positioned this feature as recommendation-first, meaning product suggestions are based on usefulness and public data, not who paid to show up.
https://openai.com/chatgpt/search-product-discovery
How customers use it
- They open ChatGPT—free or paid version, web or app.
- They ask for a recommendation, like “Best DSLR camera for beginners.”
- ChatGPT replies with 3–5 options, including:
- Images
- Key features
- Review summaries
- Purchase links to well-known retailers
- The user can ask follow-ups to refine the list.
- They click and buy, directly from the merchant’s site.
It’s an easier, more conversational version of Google Shopping – minus the ads.
Why this matters for e-commerce
1. It’s a new discovery channel
Think of it as “conversational SEO.” Instead of ranking in search results, your products are being surfaced through AI-driven conversations. This is especially powerful for Gen Z and younger millennials, many of whom already use AI to plan travel, compare tech gear, or even pick outfits.
2. There are no ads… yet
Since there’s no ad bidding or sponsored placement involved, it’s a level playing field—for now. Product visibility is based on the quality of data and how well it aligns with the user’s query.
3. Structured product content is key
The better your product listings—descriptions, specs, reviews, and markup—the more likely ChatGPT will pick them up and recommend them.
How to join the product feed waitlist
Right now, OpenAI is working on a more formal way for e-commerce businesses to get their product data directly into ChatGPT via structured product feeds.
They’ve launched a waitlist for merchants interested in being part of this rollout. Here’s what you need to know:
How to register
You can sign up for the waitlist via OpenAI’s merchant interest form. You’ll need to submit:
- Business name and URL
- Contact info
- Product category
- A few details on your catalog and store format (Shopify, headless, etc.)
By registering, your business will be among the first notified when the product feed program goes live. Early adopters may have a chance to directly submit product catalogs for use in ChatGPT’s recommendations.
What you can do right now
Even before direct feeds are supported, you can prepare your store to be visible through the public data ChatGPT already uses:
1. Make sure your site is crawlable
OpenAI uses a bot called OAI-SearchBot to collect data. Check your robots.txt file and make sure it’s not blocking access.
2. Use structured data
Apply schema markup (e.g. Product, Offer, Review) to your product pages. This helps AI understand your listings and pull them into recommendation models.
3. Clean up your content
Descriptions should be human-readable and descriptive. Include size, material, features, and use cases. The more specific, the better.
4. Encourage and display reviews
Reviews influence product suggestions. Make sure they’re visible on your product pages, and try to gather reviews that answer common questions.
5. Keep inventory accurate
Product availability and price mismatches are major trust-breakers. AI tools like ChatGPT will likely prioritize products with up-to-date info.
What’s next?
There’s still some uncertainty. OpenAI hasn’t fully opened up merchant access or detailed its long-term monetization strategy. But what’s clear is this: AI-powered shopping is gaining traction. Fast.
Early numbers from internal OpenAI sources (April 2025) show that millions of product queries have already been made through ChatGPT, and many of those users are converting – clicking through to buy from listed retailers.
Being part of this ecosystem doesn’t require a massive ad budget or a complete tech overhaul. It requires good content, clear structure, and awareness of how AI tools discover products.
Final thoughts
This isn’t just another sales channel. It’s a shift in behavior. The moment someone types “What’s a good mattress for back pain?” into a chatbot instead of Google, the rules of engagement change.
At OutSoft, we help e-commerce brands prepare for these changes—through smarter data, AI-readiness, and digital strategy. If you want to make sure your store is set up for discovery in the age of conversational commerce, let’s talk.
