OpenAI's built-in web search for ChatGPT. Real-time answers with inline citations.
ChatGPT Search is OpenAI's answer to Perplexity and Google. Instead of listing 10 blue links, it searches the web in real-time and gives you a conversational answer with inline citations. The key differentiator? It lives inside ChatGPT, so you can ask follow-up questions, request deeper dives, or pivot to related topics — all in the same conversation.
Who it's for: Anyone already using ChatGPT who wants real-time information without switching to Google or Perplexity.
Automatically triggers web search when your query needs current information. No need to ask it to search — it knows when it needs fresh data. Handles news, prices, events, and factual queries.
Every factual claim includes a numbered citation linking to the source. Click to verify. Citation quality has improved significantly since launch — most sources are reputable.
This is the killer feature. After getting an answer, you can ask "what about in Europe?" or "compare that to X" and it maintains context. Perplexity does this too, but ChatGPT's conversation memory is better.
For certain queries, it shows maps, product cards, weather widgets, and stock charts inline. The visual presentation is cleaner than a wall of text with citations.
ChatGPT Search is the most convenient AI search option if you're already a ChatGPT user. It's not as deep as Perplexity for research, and it's not as fast as Google for quick lookups — but it's the best option for conversational search where you want to explore a topic through follow-up questions. The fact that it's free makes it a no-brainer to try.