New Feature: OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Shopping Research Tool To Help Users Compare Products With Personalised Guides
New Feature: OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Shopping Research Tool To Help Users Compare Products With Personalised Guides
The new feature offers interactive quizzes, deep product analysis and customised recommendations — without affiliate links.
OpenAI has rolled out a new shopping-focused research tool inside ChatGPT, designed to help users find, compare and evaluate products through highly personalised guides. The feature is now available to users worldwide across free and paid plans, offering almost unlimited usage through the holiday season.
Unlike typical online buyer guides that depend on affiliate links or commission-based rankings, the ChatGPT Shopping research tool provides organic, comparative insights based on product specifications, pricing, reviews and availability across trusted websites. OpenAI has clarified that chats will not be shared with retailers, and the recommendations are independent of commercial partnerships.
The system works in an interactive quiz-style format. Instead of producing instant answers, ChatGPT asks targeted questions about budget, design preferences, sizes, features or use-cases. As the tool gathers more information, it begins generating a curated list of 10–15 products. Users can refine the list further by selecting “More like this” or “Not interested,” ensuring the final results match their exact requirement.
The tool performs particularly well in categories such as electronics, kitchen appliances, beauty, fitness, home improvement, outdoor gear and garden accessories. It can also analyse images of clothing or accessories to find visually similar items and can generate personalised gift suggestions based on user profiles.
It not only reads product pages but also compares prices, checks ratings, reviews, features, and highlights pros and cons. For complex purchase decisions — such as laptops, headphones, appliances or fitness equipment — the tool focuses on detailed evaluation rather than quick one-line answers. For simple queries like checking prices or verifying hardware specifications, OpenAI recommends using the regular ChatGPT mode, which is faster.
Some limitations have also been acknowledged. OpenAI notes that identifying only authentic and non-sponsored reviews remains challenging. The model may occasionally make mistakes about product details or availability, so users are advised to verify key information on retailer sites before making a purchase.
The shopping research feature is powered by the GPT-5 Mini model, specifically optimised for product comparisons and decision-making tasks. Pro users will additionally benefit from Pulse integration, allowing the tool to offer better recommendations based on past interaction history.
Users can begin a shopping session either by asking a direct question—such as “Find the best gaming laptops under ₹50,000”—or by selecting “Shopping Research” from the Tools or (+) menu. Once activated, a visual interface opens to refine preferences and generate the final personalised buying guide.
The launch comes at a time when AI competition in shopping assistance is rising, with other players also aiming to shape how consumers research and buy products. OpenAI, however, has stated that it is not monetising the feature at this stage, keeping it free for extensive use ahead of the holiday season.
