Carsales launches ChatGPT app to power AI car searches

Carsales has launched a dedicated app inside ChatGPT, which it describes as the first such integration by an Australian vehicle marketplace. The move adds a new way for consumers to search vehicle listings using conversational prompts in the AI tool.

The integration brings carsales listings into ChatGPT's app environment, where users can describe the type of vehicle they want and receive matches from the marketplace. Results display pricing and key listing highlights within ChatGPT, with options to click through to the full listing and contact the seller on carsales.

The launch comes as AI tools play a more prominent role in how Australians research vehicles. Carsales' Australia's Car Buyer Report 2026 found AI ranked sixth among research influences, behind more established sources such as car review and comparison platforms and manufacturer websites. The report frames AI as an added source during research, rather than a replacement for existing channels.

Separate carsales data from a Consumer Sentiment Survey found more than one in three buyers now use AI in their car search. Adoption was higher among younger cohorts, with 45% of Gen Z respondents and 53% of Millennials saying they used AI during their search. Among those using AI tools, 72% cited ChatGPT as the most-used service, according to the same survey.

Carsales Managing Director Craig Fraser said the company expects conversational interfaces to become part of early-stage car shopping. "Our research shows that discovery happens in various places and AI is adding another layer of support alongside trusted sources. Bringing carsales into ChatGPT makes it even easier for people to explore options early in their decision-making process and move seamlessly into our marketplace when they're ready to take the next step. It's another way we're helping people feel more certain in a complex decision."

Carsales is also positioning the integration as a new exposure channel for its advertisers, including dealers and private sellers. Listings surfaced in ChatGPT are live carsales listings, according to the product description.

Fraser said the integration changes how listings can be discovered. "This integration also expands visibility for our dealers and private sellers. Their live listings can now surface directly inside ChatGPT, opening up another high-quality channel to reach in-market shoppers and helping to strengthen the exposure and outcomes our partners rely on."

Discovery Channel

Marketplaces and classified platforms are assessing how AI is changing web traffic patterns and user behaviour. In conventional search, consumers often arrive via search engines, social media referrals, or direct navigation. A conversational interface shifts the starting point for some shoppers and can compress early research into a single thread of queries and refinements.

For carsales, the ChatGPT app offers a way to appear earlier in the consideration process, particularly for users who start with broad questions about price ranges, model types, body styles, running costs, or availability. Once users click through from ChatGPT to a carsales listing page, transactions and lead generation remain within the carsales environment.

Carsales has not disclosed commercial terms for the ChatGPT app, or whether sellers face additional costs tied to traffic and leads generated through ChatGPT. It also did not provide metrics on expected usage volumes for the new entry point.

AI Rollout

The ChatGPT app follows carsales' introduction of AI Voice Search in its mobile app, which lets users search using spoken language. The feature is positioned as part of a broader shift toward conversational discovery across the buying process.

Together, these changes indicate a focus on reducing friction at the top of the funnel, where buyers often struggle to translate a general idea into filters and keyword searches. Conversational input can broaden or narrow results quickly, although relevance depends on the structure and quality of listing data and how prompts are interpreted.

Carsales says it attracts the country's largest exclusive auto audience, citing Ipsos iris data. It was also recognised in Similarweb's Digital 100 list as one of Australia's fastest-growing online brands for 2025, ranking ninth in the app category, according to Similarweb.

Users can enable the carsales app via the ChatGPT app store, then use it to find listings, view key information, and navigate to carsales for full details and seller contact.