Paid distribution

Direct answer

Paid search remains the commercial foundation; ads are now eligible inside Google's AI Overviews, AI Mode and ChatGPT ad formats are in testing, Copilot serves ads, and Perplexity's program is reported wound down (as of 2026-07-14).

Page purpose

Maintain the dated map of paid surfaces across search and answer interfaces.

Claims

• Fact · High confidence · checked 2026-07-14

  Search, Shopping and Performance Max ads are eligible to appear within AI Overviews in English on mobile and desktop in 12 countries, and above or below AI Overviews in more than 200 markets, with no separate bidding for the placement.

• Fact · High confidence · checked 2026-07-14

  Google announced Gemini-powered ad formats for AI Mode on 2026-05-20. Conversational Discovery ads and Highlighted Answers are testing in the US on mobile and desktop.

• Fact · High confidence · checked 2026-07-14

  OpenAI announced ads in ChatGPT in January 2026 and began US testing on 2026-02-09, showing labeled sponsored units to Free and Go tiers only.

• Fact · Moderate confidence · checked 2026-07-14

  Perplexity launched advertising in November 2024, stopped accepting new advertisers in October 2025, and is reported (early 2026) to have wound the program down in favor of subscriptions.

• Fact · Moderate confidence · checked 2026-07-14

  Microsoft serves ads inside Copilot conversations, and in January 2026 announced Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents rolling out in the US.

• Forecast · Moderate confidence · checked 2026-07-14

  Paid placement will continue moving into AI answer surfaces, and eligibility will initially extend existing campaign types rather than introduce separately biddable inventory.

Sources

• About ads and AI Overviews Google Ads Help · 2026-07-14 · primary
• A new generation of ads for the AI era of Search Google — The Keyword · 2026-05-20 · primary
• Testing ads in ChatGPT OpenAI · 2026-01 · primary
• Conversations that Convert: Copilot Checkout and Brand Agents Microsoft Advertising · 2026-01-08 · primary
• Perplexity pulls the plug on ads, citing trust concerns for AI Campaign US · 2026-02 · secondary

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