ChatGPT's web search now works without an account

ChatGPT can now search the web for people who have no account. OpenAI announced on Wednesday, in a post on X, that its search feature is open to all users without signing up or logging in.

What it does

Visit chatgpt.com and click the search button. ChatGPT answers in a chat style, like a conversation. It also pulls in information from the internet, including photos and links that show where it found the details. The links are laid out much like a regular search engine.

Search began as a feature for paying ChatGPT subscribers only. In December, OpenAI opened it to anyone logged into an account. Now the login requirement is gone.

Why it matters

A report from search optimization company Semrush found that Google still has billions more search users than ChatGPT. But ChatGPT was sending more and more search traffic to other websites. For business owners, that suggests a chatbot may become a growing source of visitors.

For everyday users, the source links are the useful part. Clicking through lets you check where a claim came from before you rely on it.

What is not known

The article does not say whether logged-out users face limits or miss features that account holders get. It also does not give any pricing details. How much this will change people's search habits remains to be seen.