SearchGPT
AI SearchOpenAI's AI-powered search integrated into ChatGPT
Overview
SearchGPT represents OpenAI's entry into the search engine market, integrating web search capabilities directly into ChatGPT's conversational interface. Launched in 2024 as both a standalone prototype and integrated feature, SearchGPT aims to challenge Google's dominance by offering AI-synthesized answers rather than traditional ranked links. The tool searches current web content and provides real-time information beyond ChatGPT's September 2021 knowledge cutoff.
Unlike Perplexity, which built its entire platform around AI search, SearchGPT uses ChatGPT's existing user base and conversational AI strengths. The integration feels natural for existing ChatGPT users, allowing seamless transitions between knowledge queries and web search without switching platforms. OpenAI partners with publishers and provides clear source attribution, addressing some of the content licensing concerns that plague other AI search tools.
The search experience differs significantly from Google AI Overviews, which still prioritizes traditional search results with AI summaries on top. SearchGPT fully commits to the conversational paradigm, treating search as an ongoing dialogue rather than discrete query-response pairs.
Key features
Real-time Web Search
Searches current web content and provides up-to-date information beyond ChatGPT's training data cutoff.
Source Citations
Includes clickable links to original sources, allowing users to verify information and dive deeper into topics.
Conversational Follow-ups
Enables natural conversation flow with search results, letting users ask follow-up questions and refine queries.
AI-Generated Summaries
Synthesizes information from multiple sources into coherent, contextual responses rather than just listing links.
Visual Content Integration
Can search for and display relevant images alongside text-based results when appropriate.
Multi-source Synthesis
Combines information from multiple websites to provide comprehensive answers rather than single-source responses.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | Limited searches, basic web access, source citations |
| ChatGPT Plus | $20/month | Unlimited searches, faster responses, priority access |
| ChatGPT Team | $25/month per user | Team collaboration, admin controls, enhanced search capabilities |
| ChatGPT Enterprise | Custom pricing | Enterprise security, unlimited searches, dedicated support |
FAQ
How does SearchGPT compare to Google search?
SearchGPT provides AI-synthesized answers with conversation flow, while Google shows traditional ranked results. SearchGPT is better for exploratory research and follow-up questions, Google for specific fact-finding and comprehensive result lists.
Can I use SearchGPT for free?
Yes, SearchGPT is available in the free ChatGPT tier with limited daily searches. Plus subscribers get unlimited searches and faster response times.
Does SearchGPT show real-time information?
Yes, SearchGPT accesses current web content and can provide recent information about news, stock prices, weather, and other time-sensitive topics that weren't in ChatGPT's original training data.
How accurate are SearchGPT's sources?
SearchGPT provides source citations for verification, but users should fact-check important information. The AI can occasionally misinterpret source content or synthesize information incorrectly.
Will SearchGPT replace traditional search engines?
SearchGPT complements rather than replaces traditional search for most users. It excels at research and exploration but traditional search engines remain better for shopping, local results, and comprehensive link discovery.
Review Sentiment
2,721 reviews across 3 sources
Bottom line
Worth adding to your stack at zero cost. SearchGPT delivers conversational search feels polished, but hallucination remains a core problem limits how far you can take it.
People love
- +Conversational search feels polished and intuitive — users compare it to the iPhone of search, with natural follow-up questions and shared context across queries
- +Prominent source citations and inline attribution link back to publishers, with referral traffic valued at 4.4x higher conversion than traditional Google visitors
- +17-18% global query market share with 2.5 billion queries per day makes it the fastest-growing search platform in history
- +Excels at complex multi-step research queries where traditional search engines require multiple separate searches
- +No advertising or tracking — users appreciate the clean, ad-free experience compared to Google's increasingly cluttered results
- +Publisher licensing deals with major media outlets signal commitment to compensating content creators
Common complaints
- –Hallucination remains a core problem — users report confidently cited statistics that are fabricated or outdated, and ChatGPT is 'incapable of saying I don't know'
- –No webmaster tools or search console equivalent — publishers cannot monitor how their content appears or debug citation issues
- –Falls short on current events and real-time information compared to Perplexity, which delivers 95% citation accuracy vs ChatGPT's 88%
- –Drives 95-96% less referral traffic to publishers than traditional Google search — all AI platforms combined still account for just 1% of publisher traffic
- –Sycophantic behavior frustrates power users — when corrected, it fawns excessively and agrees even with knowingly wrong corrections
- –SEO strategies for ChatGPT Search are still experimental and rapidly evolving, making optimization unpredictable for publishers
🟠Reddit sentiment
mixed47 threads in r/ChatGPT, r/SEO, r/artificial
“For complex research queries, ChatGPT Search saves me 20+ minutes of clicking through garbage SEO spam on Google. But I still double-check every citation because it makes stuff up with zero hesitation.”
r/ChatGPT· 847 pts
“Our site lost 38% of organic traffic this year. AI Overviews and ChatGPT Search are eating our lunch. The 'referral value is 4.4x higher' stat means nothing when you're getting 96% fewer clicks.”
r/SEO· 623 pts
🔵𝕏 sentiment
mixed34 posts
“ChatGPT Search just hit 17% market share. Google's 20-year monopoly is cracking in real time. The question isn't whether AI search wins — it's whether publishers survive the transition.”
@searchliaison_watch· 2847 likes
“We ran the numbers: ChatGPT referrals convert at 4.4x Google organic. The volume is tiny but the signal is clear — AI search users arrive with higher intent and trust. Optimize for citations, not rankings.”
@randfish· 1923 likes
Last updated Feb 2026