How to Move Custom GPTs to Plugins

Custom GPTs stop working in ChatGPT on Dec 11, 2026, and OpenAI's way to keep one is to turn it into a plugin: go to My GPTs, select Migrate to plugin on the GPT, follow the steps, then test the result (OpenAI Help Center). The GPT's instructions become a skill, its knowledge files become the plugin's reference files and its connected apps come along, but custom actions and the model you picked do not. At the retirement date, "custom GPTs and their GPT pages become inaccessible"; your past conversations with them stay. FedRAMP workspaces and Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral have until Feb 11, 2027.

Quick facts

What carries over, and what does not

Source: Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026. The FAQ does not say what happens to conversation starters or to the capability checkboxes (web search, image generation, code interpreter).

How to migrate a custom GPT, step by step

1. List the GPTs you rely on. OpenAI advises starting early and allowing time for testing, especially for GPTs with custom actions (OpenAI Help Center).
2. Publish your latest changes. Migration uses the latest published version; publishing does not have to mean sharing publicly.
3. Open My GPTs and select Migrate to plugin on the GPT.
4. Review the migration details and follow the instructions to create the plugin.
5. Check the result. Read the skill made from your instructions and the reference files, then run the tasks you normally run, including hard cases. OpenAI warns the plugin "may respond differently".
6. Replace custom actions. Set up an app or a custom MCP server that does the same job, since actions are not copied.
7. Share it. In a managed workspace, select Share Plugin, which fills in the GPT's original audience, review it and select Save, then ask people to install and test it.
8. Make further changes in the plugin. The original GPT becomes read-only after migration and cannot be deleted by its creator.

Using the new plugin

0:02 Your migrated plugin appears with your other plugins. Open Plugins in the sidebar on the web, desktop or mobile to find it; it can be used automatically when relevant, or called with an @ mention, the + menu, or Plugins in the message box (OpenAI Help Center). A plugin can hold skills, connected apps, app templates and extensions together. Building a plugin from scratch instead works too: install Plugin Creator and chat with @plugin-creator, or select Plugins > Add (+).

Why can't I see "Migrate to plugin"?

OpenAI lists the usual reasons (OpenAI Help Center):

• Migration has not reached your account yet; target dates do not promise access on a given day.
• Plugins are turned off in your workspace.
• You are signed in to the wrong account or workspace (ChatGPT lets you stay signed in to two accounts at once).
• You only use the GPT. Permission to use a GPT does not allow migrating it; ask its creator.

For workspace admins

• A GPT's creator or a workspace admin can migrate a published GPT when plugins are enabled; drafts cannot be migrated directly.
• Bulk migration runs through the ChatGPT Admin plugin. Getting the full list of workspace GPTs needs a workspace Owner, and starting a bulk run does not confirm it worked, so check the results and test each plugin.
• Sharing needs the Share plugins permission, and listing in the workspace directory needs Publish plugins to workspace; members need Use plugins and a policy that allows installing.
• In Enterprise, using a migrated GPT without apps in Instant chat costs nothing extra, while actions in ChatGPT Work use credits.

Enterprise timeline: admin notice Sep 11, 2026; migration tools targeted for Sep 22; new GPT creation ended for affected Enterprise workspaces (not FedRAMP) on Oct 26; retirement Dec 11, 2026 (OpenAI Help Center). A deferral to Feb 11, 2027 does not bring back permission to create GPTs. More on ChatGPT Enterprise.

Why OpenAI is retiring GPTs

OpenAI announced on Sep 11, 2026 that it would retire custom GPTs on every plan "and provide a migration path to plugins". Plugins arrived on Jul 9, 2026, when the Plugin Directory replaced the App Directory and Skills became generally available. OpenAI's own DALL-E GPT already retired on Aug 30, 2026. GPTs had launched on Nov 6, 2023, three years before this page was written; the GPT Store followed on Jan 10, 2024.

Frequently asked questions

When are custom GPTs being retired? On Dec 11, 2026 for most ChatGPT accounts. FedRAMP workspaces and Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral have until Feb 11, 2027.

How do I migrate a custom GPT to a plugin? Open My GPTs, select Migrate to plugin on the GPT, follow the steps, then test the plugin. Only the GPT's creator or a workspace admin can do it, and it uses the latest published version.

Will my custom GPT's actions still work as a plugin? No. Custom actions do not transfer; you need to rebuild them, for example as a connected app or a custom MCP server.

What happens to my chats with custom GPTs after Dec 11, 2026? They stay accessible. The GPTs themselves and their GPT pages become inaccessible.

Can I still create a custom GPT? Not on personal plans: new GPT creation and publishing is unavailable on Free, Go, Plus and Pro, as of Nov 6, 2026. Some Business, Enterprise and Edu workspaces still allow it, but those GPTs retire too.

Can I migrate a GPT someone else made? No. Using a GPT does not give permission to migrate it. Ask its creator to migrate and share the plugin.

Sources

• Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Plugins in ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• ChatGPT Free Tier FAQ, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Switching between ChatGPT accounts, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• ChatGPT release notes, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Plugins in ChatGPT, OpenAI, Jul 21, 2026 (video)