Online Course Platforms ads in ChatGPT
Ads shown in ChatGPT conversations about Online Course Platforms. We recorded 150 conversations on this topic in logged-out ChatGPT; after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed 146 ads from 31 advertisers. Most often shown: Coursera, Walden University and OU Online.
Our captureLogged-out ChatGPT, USOct 3–4, 2026
Advertisers shown in Online Course Platforms conversations
top 25 of 31Ranked by how many of the conversations on this topic ended with their ad on screen; share of the 146 shown ads.
| # | Advertiser | Ads shown | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coursera | 91 | 62.3% |
| 2 | Walden University | 10 | 6.8% |
| 3 | OU Online | 5 | 3.4% |
| 4 | Groupon | 4 | 2.7% |
| 5 | EE Stanford Graduate School of Business | 3 | 2.1% |
| 6 | Sophia Learning | 3 | 2.1% |
| 7 | Absorb | 2 | 1.4% |
| 8 | dataengineerinterviews.com | 2 | 1.4% |
| 9 | Fora Travel | 2 | 1.4% |
| 10 | nasm.org | 2 | 1.4% |
| 11 | Purdue Global | 2 | 1.4% |
| 12 | Bobyard | 1 | 0.7% |
| 13 | Chegg | 1 | 0.7% |
| 14 | Colorado Mesa University | 1 | 0.7% |
| 15 | DataCamp | 1 | 0.7% |
| 16 | Design.com | 1 | 0.7% |
| 17 | Eastern Connecticut State University | 1 | 0.7% |
| 18 | internships.com | 1 | 0.7% |
| 19 | Intuit Quickbooks | 1 | 0.7% |
| 20 | ISSA | 1 | 0.7% |
| 21 | Jerry's Artarama NC | 1 | 0.7% |
| 22 | Monday.com | 1 | 0.7% |
| 23 | Papier | 1 | 0.7% |
| 24 | Plaud | 1 | 0.7% |
| 25 | Resume.io | 1 | 0.7% |
6 more advertisers shared the other 6 shown ads.
Ad formats
| Format | Ads shown | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Text ad (advertiser name and headline) | 142 | 97.3% |
| Shopping ad (product name and price) | 4 | 2.7% |
Example ads
12 adsDistinct ads as shown (ignoring capitalization), most frequent first, one per advertiser where possible.
- CourseraText ad
10,000+ Online Courses
Shown 40 times
- Walden UniversityText ad
Programs Built for Your Goals
Shown 9 times
- OU OnlineText ad
Designed for Working Adults
Shown 5 times
- dataengineerinterviews.comText ad
Data Engineer Academy
Become A Data Engineer
Shown 2 times
- AbsorbText ad
LMS Built to Scale
Shown 2 times
- Sophia LearningText ad
80+ Credit-Eligible Courses for $99/Month
Shown 2 times
- nasm.orgText ad
National Academy of Sports Medicine
The Cert That Actually Gets You Hired
Shown 2 times
- EE Stanford Graduate School of BusinessText ad
Sign Up Today | Stanford GSB Exec Ed
Shown 2 times
- Fora TravelText ad
700+ On-Demand Courses
Shown 2 times
- BobyardText ad
Blueprint to Bid in 1 Platform. Demo Bobyard Today
Shown 1 time
- Rocket MoneyText ad
Cancel unwanted subscriptions
Shown 1 time
- Monday.comText ad
If You Want an Online Planner
Shown 1 time
Example conversations
12 examplesChosen to cover different advertisers and question types. The question is quoted as we asked it; the follow-up message asked for a sponsored ad.
In a conversation that began “coursera plus”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Coursera.
Text ad: “Start 7-Day Free Trial”
Short search question · Oct 3, 22:24 ET
In a conversation that began “i'm a 37 year old electrician thinking about moving into estimating, which online courses would teach me the business side of construction?”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Bobyard.
Text ad: “Blueprint to Bid in 1 Platform. Demo Bobyard Today”
Long scenario question · Oct 3, 22:32 ET
In a conversation that began “edx courses”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from dataengineerinterviews.com.
Text ad: “Become A Data Engineer”
Short search question · Oct 3, 21:41 ET
In a conversation that began “how to cancel masterclass before renewal”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Rocket Money.
Text ad: “Cancel unwanted subscriptions”
Fix or choose question · Oct 3, 21:49 ET
In a conversation that began “how to choose an online course platform”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Absorb.
Text ad: “LMS Built to Scale”
Fix or choose question · Oct 3, 22:12 ET
In a conversation that began “alternatives to masterclass for someone who wants live interaction with instructors”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Stepful.
Text ad: “Live CCMA Classes”
Comparison question · Oct 3, 21:30 ET
In a conversation that began “are edx certificates worth it”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from nasm.org.
Text ad: “The Cert That Actually Gets You Hired”
Worth it question · Oct 3, 21:29 ET
In a conversation that began “is pluralsight worth it for beginners”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Walden University.
Text ad: “Programs Built for Your Goals”
Worth it question · Oct 3, 22:28 ET
In a conversation that began “is masterclass cheaper if i buy the annual plan or share it with family members”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Groupon.
Shopping ad: Local Services & Classes in Texas · $52.50
Price question · Oct 3, 22:03 ET
In a conversation that began “linkedin learning vs coursera for professionals”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from OU Online.
Text ad: “Designed for Working Adults”
Comparison question · Oct 3, 22:55 ET
In a conversation that began “best platform for accredited online certificates”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Colorado Mesa University.
Text ad: “Application Now Open.”
Best for question · Oct 3, 21:40 ET
In a conversation that began “i only have an ipad and a weak internet connection in rural kentucky, which online course platform works best offline?”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Chegg.
Text ad: “Chegg: Your 24/7 Study Hub”
Long scenario question · Oct 3, 22:32 ET
Question types
How the conversations on this topic were asked, and how many of the shown ads came from each kind.
| Question type | Ads shown | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | 29 | 19.9% |
| Comparison | 22 | 15.1% |
| Fix or choose | 22 | 15.1% |
| Price | 22 | 15.1% |
| Long scenario | 22 | 15.1% |
| Short search | 14 | 9.6% |
| Worth it | 15 | 10.3% |
More in Education & Careers
Other Education & Careers topics (ads shown):
How this data was captured
We used logged-out ChatGPT from US internet connections and started a new conversation for every question. Message 1 was the question. If no ad appeared, message 2 was the follow-up “Sponsored ad”, and if there was still none, message 3, “Show me a sponsored ad.”, was a last try. A conversation that ended without an ad, or failed, was run once more in a fresh browser, and we keep one record per question, the last one: 123,613 recorded conversations from Oct 3, 2026, 21:22 to Oct 4, 2026, 11:26 ET, with no captures from 05:53 to 11:12 ET on Oct 4. Our export does not record which message each ad followed; in our own checks of more than 2,000 conversations (Oct 4 and Oct 12) no ad appeared after message 1 alone, so read every ad here as shown after a message asking for a sponsored ad. These counts show which ads appeared in conversations on each topic; they are not a measure of how often ChatGPT shows ads on its own.
Only ads drawn on screen count as shown. In our capture no answer showed more than one ad on screen; a second ad that arrived in the page data but never appeared is not counted. Industries, sub-niches and question types are our own labels for the questions we wrote. Independent; not affiliated with OpenAI. Full methodWhy this is not an ad rateWhat the ads looked like
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