OpenAI is live with a retail companion it calls “shopping research” that helps consumers find viable purchase options based on detailed requirement parameters. Trained on a version of GPT‑5 mini, it can query on a virtually unlimited list of discovery constraints, sourcing only from “reliable retailers.” “Results are organic and based on publicly available retail sites,” OpenAI says, indicating there are no advertiser-boosted entries — not yet, anyway. Available on iOS, Android and the Web for logged-in ChatGPT users on the Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans, OpenAI is making nearly unlimited usage available to all plans through the holidays.

“The tool is designed for ChatGPT users who are looking for detailed, well-researched shopping guides,” reports CNBC, noting that “when users submit prompts to ChatGPT that say things like, ‘Find the quietest cordless stick vacuum for a small apartment,’ or ‘I need a gift for my four year old niece who loves art,’ they will see the shopping research tool pop up automatically.”

“We’re also making shopping research available in ChatGPT Pulse, which is currently available to ChatGPT Pro users,” OpenAI explains in a news post. “When relevant, Pulse can suggest personalized buyer’s guides proactively based on your past conversations.” For example, if you’ve been chatting about e-bikes, a Pulse card that pops up at a later time could suggest useful e-bike accessories.

Once a shopping research conversation begins, users can guide the quest by marking items as “not interested” or “more like this.” The search adapts to the input in real time.

Recommendations are based on “accuracy,” a percentage assigned on the basis of how successful a product meets the user’s requirements (assessing things like price, size, color, material, delivery timeframe and other specifications).

While users can still query the basic ChatGPT for simple product searches, shopping research “asks clarifying questions and draws its answers from reviews published on what the company considers higher-quality websites,” Bloomberg writes, pointing out that “user experiences shared on Reddit may be considered more trustworthy than paid marketing or reviews posted on a product page.”

“OpenAI has been pushing deeper into e-commerce in recent months,” observes CNBC. This fall, the company introduced Instant Checkout, allowing users to make in-app ChatGPT purchases from eligible merchants. “Shopping research users will be able to make purchases with Instant Checkout in the future,” CNBC says.