ChatGPT browsing with Bing
OpenAI re-enabled live web browsing in ChatGPT using Bing as the retrieval layer, with citations back to source pages.
What changed
After withdrawing an earlier browsing beta over paywall-bypass concerns, OpenAI relaunched browsing in ChatGPT backed by Bing search, giving the assistant access to current web content with source links. Sites could control access through robots.txt directives for OpenAI's user agents. It marked the beginning of measurable referral traffic from an AI assistant, and a new class of visibility that conventional rank tracking did not capture.
Timing
Rollout began 27 September 2023. No completion date was announced. Rankings typically remain unstable for the whole rollout window, so measurements taken inside it are not a reliable read on the outcome.