OpenAI Unveils Major ChatGPT Search Updates – Shopping Features, WhatsApp Integration, and Smarter Citations
OpenAI has just rolled out an exciting new batch of ChatGPT Search features that’s set to shake up how users interact with AI. From in-app shopping to WhatsApp search and improved fact-checking through multiple citations, these updates are pushing ChatGPT closer to competing directly with giants like Google.
Let’s dive into everything you need to know.
🛍 Shop Directly Inside ChatGPT
One of the most eye-catching updates? Shopping functionality is now live across all ChatGPT plans — including Free, Plus, and Pro users.
✅ Search for products
✅ Compare prices and options
✅ Buy items directly through ChatGPT
What’s impressive is that these product suggestions aren’t ads. OpenAI confirms that the results are chosen organically, using information from your current chat, past conversations, photos, pricing history, and reviews.
Imagine asking ChatGPT for “the best wireless headphones under $100” — and instantly seeing curated, relevant options you can explore and purchase without leaving the app.
🔗 WhatsApp Search: AI On-the-Go
OpenAI has also extended ChatGPT Search to WhatsApp, making it easy to access up-to-date information anytime, anywhere.
You can now text 1-800-ChatGPT (+1-800-242-8478) on WhatsApp and use the AI to look up facts, trends, and answers — even when you’re away from your computer or logged out of the app.
This feature is available to all users in regions where ChatGPT operates.
🧠 Memory Integration: Coming Soon
Another big announcement is the upcoming ChatGPT Memory feature, which will integrate tightly with shopping and search.
Soon, ChatGPT will be able to use details from your past conversations to deliver even more personalized recommendations and accurate search results.
Key points:
✅ Rolling out over the next few weeks to Plus and Pro users
✅ Excludes the UK and European countries (for now)
✅ Users can fully control what ChatGPT remembers and can adjust or delete stored data anytime
This promises a future where ChatGPT feels more like a personal assistant that remembers your preferences and shopping habits.
📚 Improved Citations & Multiple Sources
In an era of misinformation, one of the most important upgrades is ChatGPT’s enhanced citation system.
Now, when you search for information, ChatGPT pulls from multiple independent sources — not just one — making it easier to:
✅ Verify facts across different sites
✅ See which parts of an answer come from which source (thanks to a new highlighting feature)
This is especially useful for researchers, journalists, and anyone who needs reliable, multi-sourced answers.
⚡ Faster Searches & Smarter Suggestions
In addition to the big-ticket features, ChatGPT Search now includes:
✅ Trending searches — see what’s hot right now
✅ Autocomplete suggestions — get real-time recommendations as you type, speeding up your queries
These enhancements make ChatGPT Search faster, smoother, and more intuitive.
🌐 How ChatGPT Search Works (and How to Get Indexed)
Behind the scenes, ChatGPT Search leverages both Bing’s search index and OpenAI’s proprietary technology.
It uses three main crawlers:
- OAI-SearchBot (primary search crawler)
- ChatGPT-User (handles live search requests)
- GPTBot (used for AI training)
If you want your site indexed properly, make sure your robots.txt file allows OAI-SearchBot.
🚀 What’s Next for ChatGPT Commerce?
OpenAI has made it clear that its commerce features are just getting started.
In their words:
“We plan to bring merchants along on our journey as we quickly learn and iterate.”
This hints that brands and merchants may soon have new opportunities to participate directly in ChatGPT’s shopping ecosystem — potentially opening up fresh marketing and sales channels.
Adam Fry, ChatGPT Search product lead, shared:
“Search has become one of our most popular & fastest-growing features, with over 1 billion web searches just in the past week. We’ll continue to iterate and improve as we learn from real-world use.”
✅ Main Takeaways
| Feature | What You Get |
| Shopping inside ChatGPT | Search, compare, and buy products directly — no ads, just organic recommendations |
| WhatsApp search integration | Access AI answers via WhatsApp anytime, anywhere |
| Memory integration (coming soon) | Personalized results using past conversations, with full user control |
| Multiple citations | Verify facts from several sources; see which part of the answer came from where |
| Improved search tools | Trending searches, autocomplete, and faster results |
💡 What This Means for Users, Brands, and SEOs
- For users: ChatGPT is evolving into a one-stop hub for search, shopping, and knowledge.
- For brands: There’s a growing opportunity to connect products to highly engaged AI users.
- For SEOs: Ensuring your site is properly indexed (especially by OAI-SearchBot) could increase your visibility in AI-driven search ecosystems.
