Deadline guide
Custom GPTs are retiring on December 11, 2026. Here’s what happens to yours
OpenAI is replacing custom GPTs with ChatGPT plugins. If you built a GPT, you can migrate it — but not everything comes across. If you only use other people’s GPTs, you need to know what replaces them. All of this comes from OpenAI’s own help center.
Custom GPTs stop working on December 11, 2026 (February 11, 2027 for some Enterprise workspaces). If you built one, open My GPTs → Migrate to plugin when the option appears and test the result. Instructions, files and connected apps transfer; custom actions, the chosen model and sharing settings don’t. Your old conversations stay.
The key dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2026 | Enterprise admins notified |
| Sep 22, 2026 | Target date for the migration tool and banner to start appearing (not every account gets it the same day) |
| Oct 26, 2026 | Planned end of creating new GPTs in affected Enterprise workspaces |
| Dec 11, 2026 | Custom GPTs retire on all plans — GPTs and their pages become inaccessible |
| Feb 11, 2027 | Retirement for Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral |
From OpenAI’s “Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ”, read on Oct 3, 2026. OpenAI says dates may change; follow the notice in your own account.
What moves across, and what doesn’t
| Part of your GPT | In the new plugin |
|---|---|
| Instructions | ✅ Become a skill inside the plugin |
| Knowledge files | ✅ Copied as reference files |
| Connected apps | ✅ Added to the plugin as apps (you still sign in to each one) |
| Custom actions | ❌ Don’t transfer. Replace with an existing app or a custom MCP server |
| Chosen model | ❌ Doesn’t carry over |
| Sharing settings | ❌ The plugin starts private; going public needs a separate submission |
| Drafts and unpublished edits | ❌ Only the latest published version migrates |
| Your past conversations | ✅ Stay in your history; nothing to do |
If you built a GPT
- Finish your edits and publish the version you want to keep. Publishing doesn’t mean sharing publicly — it just saves a version the migration can use.
- When the option appears, go to My GPTs and choose Migrate to plugin. If you don’t see it, migration may not have reached your account yet, or you’re signed in to a different workspace from the one you built it in.
- Test the plugin with prompts you normally use, plus one hard case. Check it picks the right skill, uses your files and produces the format you need. OpenAI warns a plugin “may respond differently”.
- If your GPT used custom actions, plan extra time: look for an existing app in the plugin directory that does the same job, or ask a developer about a custom MCP server.
- Once migrated, the original GPT becomes read-only and can’t be deleted; make future changes in the plugin.
If you use someone else’s GPT
You can’t migrate a GPT you didn’t create. Check the notice on the GPT and whether its creator has published a replacement plugin. Having access to the old GPT doesn’t automatically give you access to its replacement. Public GPTs made in Enterprise workspaces follow that workspace’s timeline, even if you use them from a personal account.
To use a plugin once you have it, install it from Plugins in the ChatGPT sidebar, then type @ and its name, or open + and pick it. ChatGPT may also use an installed plugin automatically when it fits your request.
Save your GPT today (two minutes)
Whatever happens with the migration tool, keep your own copy: open your GPT’s Configure tab, copy the instructions into a document, and download your knowledge files. If you ever switch assistants, those instructions work as a starting point in Claude Projects or skills, or a Gemini Gem.
New to all of this? Our Plugins guide explains plugins, apps, skills and MCP in plain words, and how to check a plugin is safe before you connect it.
Sources: OpenAI: Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ · OpenAI: GPTs in ChatGPT · OpenAI Help Center: “Plugins in ChatGPT”
Quick answers
Are custom GPTs being discontinued?
Yes. OpenAI says custom GPTs are scheduled to retire on December 11, 2026 on all ChatGPT plans. Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral get until February 11, 2027.
What happened to my GPTs?
Nothing yet. Existing GPTs keep working until the retirement date. After that, GPTs and their pages become inaccessible, but your past conversations with them stay in your history.
What replaces custom GPTs?
ChatGPT plugins. A plugin can bundle a skill (reusable instructions), reference files and connected apps. Your GPT’s instructions become a skill, its knowledge files become reference files, and its connected apps carry over as apps.
Do custom actions transfer to plugins?
No. GPT custom actions don’t migrate. To keep a connection to another service you’ll need an existing app that does the job, or a custom MCP server, which takes technical setup.
Can I still create new GPTs?
For now, on most plans. OpenAI says restrictions on creating GPTs are separate from the retirement, and for Enterprise workspaces creating new GPTs is planned to end on October 26, 2026.
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