The dates
- 11 Sep 2026OpenAI announces the retirement
- 26 Oct 2026Enterprise workspaces stop creating new custom GPTs (planned, documented for Enterprise only)
- 11 Dec 2026Custom GPTs retire on every plan; GPT pages become inaccessible and leave the GPT directory
- 11 Feb 2027Retirement for Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral only
Source: OpenAI, Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ, 11 Sep 2026.
What happens on 11 December
Custom GPTs retire on all plans. Their pages become inaccessible and they leave the GPT directory. Only Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral keep theirs, until 11 February 2027. Each GPT migrates to a plugin, not a project or an agent.
| In the GPT | In the plugin | State |
|---|---|---|
| Instructions | A skill inside the plugin | Carries over |
| Knowledge files | Reference files for the skill | Carries over |
| Connected apps | Apps in the plugin | Carries over |
| Custom Actions | Do not transfer: rebuild as an MCP server or connector | Action needed |
| Conversations, starters, model choice, sharing settings and drafts | Do not carry over | Check |
Before the deadline
- Rebuild every custom Action as an MCP server or connector. Nothing in the migration does this for you.
- Save what does not carry over: conversation starters, the model you chose and your sharing settings.
- Plan the listing. The plugin starts private; a public listing needs the normal plugin submission, verified identity, a domain challenge, test cases and a video.
- Measure it once it is live. Plugins are chosen by agents among others, so check that yours still wins the requests the GPT served.
Check your GPT before 11 December
The free checker reads your GPT’s configuration and OpenAPI schema, shows what breaks, and builds the plugin package with an MCP server that replaces its Actions.
OpenAI’s own migration guide covers the steps inside ChatGPT. For the Actions, see how a GPT Action becomes an MCP tool.