In short. ChatGPT conversion bidding requires one active standard conversion event setting from the same ad account and a compatible daily-budget campaign.
Definition: Conversion bidding in ChatGPT ads uses a campaign objective of
conversionsand an attached active standard conversion event setting. The setting selects one event from a data source in the same ad account, while the ad group uses click billing and themaximize_conversionsstrategy.
Key facts
- OpenAI requires conversion tracking and one active standard conversion event setting from the campaign's ad account; custom events cannot be optimization goals, according to the Bidding & Budgets documentation.
- Conversion tracking separates the data source, the conversion event setting, and the campaign that uses the setting for reporting and optimization, as described in Conversion Tracking.
- OpenAI lists standard events for app installs, appointments, checkout, content views, leads, orders, page views, registrations, subscriptions, and trials in Supported Events.
Which conversion events qualify?
The supported event names include app_installed, app_opened, appointment_scheduled, checkout_started, contents_viewed, items_added, lead_created, order_created, page_viewed, registration_completed, subscription_created, and trial_started. Their documented data types are customer_action, contents, or plan_enrollment, depending on the event. The same page also lists custom, but defines it as a user-defined event outside the standard taxonomy. The bidding documentation limits optimization goals to standard conversion event settings, so a custom setting is not eligible for conversion bidding. OpenAI also documents app_installed and app_opened as Conversions API events with action_source set to mobile_app; the JavaScript Pixel does not currently support them. This event taxonomy comes from OpenAI's Supported Events documentation.
What tracking objects must exist?
Conversion tracking starts with a data source that receives events from a website or server. A conversion event setting selects which event from that source counts as a conversion, and a campaign attaches the setting for reporting and, when configured, optimization. Sending an event and creating the setting are separate operations. A standard event should describe the action when a suitable name exists, such as order_created for a completed purchase or lead_created for a lead submission, according to Conversion Tracking.
The source has two identifiers with different uses. The returned pixel_id initializes the Measurement Pixel, sends server events, and checks recent events. The source id is used in source_ids when creating the conversion event setting. A server-only integration still needs a Pixel ID, although it does not require installing the browser Pixel.
How must the campaign and ad group be configured?
The campaign uses bidding_type: "conversions" and exactly one active standard conversion event setting. For Maximize Results, the campaign needs a daily budget. The ad group uses click billing and maximize_conversions, omits max_bid_micros, does not configure audience bid multipliers, and includes an Idempotency-Key when it is created. OpenAI's documented request shape is:
{
"billing_event_type": "click",
"strategy": "maximize_conversions"
}
The Bidding & Budgets documentation says Maximize Results adjusts bids toward conversions using the daily campaign budget. Conversion campaigns optimize for the selected action and bill for valid clicks. A fixed bid can also use a conversions objective, but it supplies max_bid_micros instead of using the maximizing strategy.
How can the setup be checked?
Inspect the campaign for the conversions objective, its daily budget, and one active standard event setting from the same ad account. Inspect the ad group for billing_event_type: "click" and strategy: "maximize_conversions", with no max_bid_micros or audience bid multipliers. OpenAI's conversion-tracking documentation states that a setting selects an event from a source and does not send events itself, so event delivery and setting creation are separate checks. The same documentation shows order_created as the purchase event example and identifies the returned setting ID as the value connected to a campaign.
Related terms
- Ads in ChatGPT
- How does Maximize Results differ from fixed bidding in ChatGPT ads?
- How are conversion attribution windows selected for ChatGPT ad reports?
FAQ
Can you use a custom event for conversion bidding?
No. OpenAI lists custom events for measurement, while the bidding documentation requires an active standard conversion event setting as the optimization goal.
Must you install the browser Pixel?
No. A server-only integration still needs a Pixel ID, but OpenAI says it does not require installing the browser Pixel. The server sends events through the Conversions API.
Does conversion bidding pay for conversions?
No. Conversion campaigns optimize for the selected action and bill for valid clicks. The ad group uses billing_event_type: "click".
Sources
- OpenAI Developers, "Bidding & Budgets", undated
- OpenAI Developers, "Conversion Tracking", undated
- OpenAI Developers, "Supported Events", undated
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