February 2025: ChatGPT search becomes free to use without an account
Covers February 2025. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.
Quick answer: At the start of February 2025 OpenAI opened up ChatGPT search to anyone, with no need to log in. Because so many more people could now use it, visits from ChatGPT became a noticeable source of traffic for lots of UK websites, and AI visibility turned from an idea into something a business could actually measure.
For many small firms, this was the first time AI showed up in their own numbers. A roofer or a driveway company checking its analytics might have spotted a new name in the list of sites sending visitors.
What did OpenAI change in February 2025?
Search in ChatGPT had first been offered to paying subscribers, then to anyone who was logged in. In February 2025 OpenAI made it available to logged-out users as well. The answers it gave listed their sources, with links through to the websites they came from.
Why did it matter for UK local businesses?
chatgpt.com started turning up in the referral reports of UK businesses. The numbers were often small, but people arriving from an AI answer tended to know what they wanted and were ready to get in touch, ask for a quote or book.
What you can do with this today
- Set up a GA4 channel group that collects AI sources such as gemini.google.com, chatgpt.com and perplexity.ai.
- Compare how often AI referral visitors enquire or book against your other channels.
- Work out which pages on your site ChatGPT quotes, and make sure they stay correct and current.
Frequently asked questions
How can I track visits from ChatGPT?
Look for chatgpt.com in your GA4 referral traffic, which is often tagged utm_source=chatgpt.com, and pull your AI sources together into a custom channel.
Are visitors from ChatGPT worth having?
Often they are. There usually aren’t many of them, but they tend to be closer to making a decision.
Sources and further reading
Want help with this? We help trades and local service firms win and measure AI referrals through our AI search and GEO service. Get in touch.
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