ChatGPT Search

ChatGPT search looks up the web and answers with linked sources, on every plan and even without signing in. It launched on Oct 31, 2024 after the SearchGPT prototype; ChatGPT searches on its own when a question needs it, or you choose Search from the tools menu.

ChatGPT search lets ChatGPT look things up on the web and answer with links to its sources, and as of Nov 6, 2026 it works on Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu, and for people who are not signed in (Searching the web with ChatGPT). ChatGPT decides to search on its own when a question needs current information; to force it, choose View all tools > Search, or type / and select Search. It launched on Oct 31, 2024, growing out of the SearchGPT prototype OpenAI tested from Jul 25, 2024.

Quick facts

Plans	Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, Edu, and signed out (OpenAI), as of Nov 6, 2026
SearchGPT prototype	Jul 25, 2024
ChatGPT search launched	Oct 31, 2024, Plus and Team first
Everyone, no sign-in	Feb 5, 2025
Force a search	View all tools > Search, or / then Search (OpenAI)
Location	Settings > Data controls > Location, off by default
Sites opt in by	Allowing the OAI-SearchBot crawler

How ChatGPT search works

When ChatGPT searches, it rewrites your question into search queries and sends them to search partners; OpenAI's help article links to Microsoft's and Shopify's privacy terms and says your IP address itself is not passed on (Searching the web with ChatGPT). It reads the results and writes an answer with inline citations you can open. If ChatGPT answered from its own knowledge and you want fresh results, regenerate the reply with Search the web.

Websites appear in ChatGPT search when they allow OpenAI's crawler, OAI-SearchBot, in their robots.txt (Searching the web with ChatGPT). At launch OpenAI named news partners including the Associated Press, Axel Springer, Condé Nast, the Financial Times, Le Monde, News Corp, Reuters, The Atlantic, Time and Vox Media (Introducing ChatGPT search).

How to search with ChatGPT

Ask a question that needs current facts ("weather in Denver this weekend"); ChatGPT usually searches by itself.
To make sure it searches, open View all tools and choose Search, or type / and pick Search (Searching the web with ChatGPT).
Open the citations in the answer to check the source.
For a long, multi-source report, use deep research instead.

Search from your browser

In Chrome, the "ChatGPT search extension" makes ChatGPT the default search engine; start a query with "!g" to send it to Google instead (Searching the web with ChatGPT). ChatGPT could also be chosen as a search option in Safari from Feb 14, 2025. The separate ChatGPT browser extension for Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi does more than search. OpenAI's own browser, ChatGPT Atlas, stopped working on Aug 9, 2026.

Location

Since Mar 26, 2026, you can share your device's location, including precise location, for better local results. It stays off until you turn it on at Settings > Data controls > Location, and precise location is deleted after use (Searching the web with ChatGPT). Parents can turn location sharing off for linked teens (Parental Controls).

Fast answers and inline images

For common information questions, ChatGPT may give a Fast answer instead of a full search: added on Apr 22, 2026 for all plans and for signed-out users on web, iOS and Android. Fast answers do not use your past chats or memory, and you can turn them off in Personalization settings. Answers also show more images taken from the web, a change OpenAI made for Free users on May 12, 2026, and tappable highlights that open more detail (Jan 30, 2026).

Shopping, restaurants and other results

Search shows product results that OpenAI says ChatGPT selects independently and that "are not ads" (Shopping with ChatGPT Search); the full story is on Shopping in ChatGPT. Restaurant reservations through OpenTable (worldwide), Resy (US) and Yelp (US and Canada) work on eligible consumer plans with GPT-5.6 Sol or GPT-5.6 Luna, but not in ChatGPT Work, not on Business, Enterprise or Edu, and not in voice (Searching the web with ChatGPT). Free and Go may see labeled ads in some countries; product results are separate from them.

Memory and search

Since Apr 16, 2025, ChatGPT can use what it remembers about you to shape the search queries it writes. Turn off Memory or use a temporary chat to search without it.

History

Date	Change
May 12, 2023	Web browsing and plugins in beta
Jul 3, 2023	Browsing temporarily disabled
Sep 27, 2023	Browsing back for Plus
Jul 25, 2024	SearchGPT prototype for a small group
Oct 31, 2024	ChatGPT search for Plus, Team and SearchGPT waitlist users
Dec 16, 2024	All logged-in users
Feb 5, 2025	Everyone, without signing in
Jun 13, 2025	Several searches per answer; search with an uploaded image
Mar 26, 2026	Device location sharing
Apr 22, 2026	Fast answers

Sources: ChatGPT release notes, OpenAI Help Center; SearchGPT is a prototype and Introducing ChatGPT search, OpenAI; all read Nov 6, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is ChatGPT search free? Yes. As of Nov 6, 2026, web search works on every ChatGPT plan, Free included, and for people who are not signed in.

How do I make ChatGPT search the web? Open View all tools and choose Search, or type / and select Search. You can also regenerate an answer with Search the web.

Can I make ChatGPT my default search engine? Yes, in Chrome with OpenAI's ChatGPT search extension; prefix a query with !g to use Google for it.

Where does ChatGPT search get its results? ChatGPT rewrites your question and sends it to third-party search providers and partners, then cites the pages it used. Sites appear if they allow OpenAI's OAI-SearchBot crawler.

Does ChatGPT search use my location? ChatGPT uses your device's location only if you turn on location sharing in Settings > Data controls > Location, and it deletes precise location after use.

When did ChatGPT search launch? OpenAI launched ChatGPT search on Oct 31, 2024 for Plus and Team, after the SearchGPT prototype of Jul 25, 2024; everyone could use it without signing in from Feb 5, 2025.