Custom GPTs Retire on Dec 11: How to Migrate to Plugins

Last updated: October 2, 2026

OpenAI retires Custom GPTs on December 11, 2026. On that date, Custom GPTs stop running and leave the GPT directory, and GPT pages become inaccessible. The replacement is a plugin. A migration tool copies a GPT's instructions, knowledge files and connected apps into a plugin, and 4 things do not move: custom actions, existing conversations, the selected model and sharing settings. Existing conversations stay accessible after retirement, per OpenAI.

Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral have until February 11, 2027. Every instruction on this page reflects OpenAI's documentation as of October 2, 2026, and OpenAI states that timing and migration availability differ by account and workspace. The 2 official sources are OpenAI's Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ and the guide Moving your custom GPT workflows to plugins.

What stops working on December 11, 2026?

Custom GPTs stop running on December 11, 2026. There are 3 direct effects, taken from OpenAI's FAQ.

• GPTs stop responding. A Custom GPT cannot be opened or used after the retirement date.
• GPT pages go offline. Custom GPTs leave the GPT directory, and GPT pages become inaccessible.
• Access does not carry over. Access to a GPT does not give access to the plugin that replaces the GPT.

The retirement affects all ChatGPT plans. Until the retirement date, an existing GPT keeps working. After migration, the original GPT becomes read-only and stays usable until retirement.

What are the Custom GPT retirement dates?

There are 2 Custom GPT retirement dates.

December 11, 2026 is 70 days after this page's update date. OpenAI's FAQ lists 4 earlier dates for Enterprise workspaces.

A public GPT follows the timeline of the place where the GPT was created, not the plan of the person using the GPT, per the FAQ.

What moves to a plugin and what does not?

3 parts of a Custom GPT move to a plugin, and 5 parts do not.

MCP stands for Model Context Protocol, the standard ChatGPT uses to connect to outside tools. OpenAI's FAQ is direct about actions: custom actions do not transfer through the migration workflow, and features that depend on them do not work in the plugin until a replacement is set up.

What should you save before the retirement date?

Save 6 things from each Custom GPT before December 11, 2026.

1. Copy the instructions into a text file. The migration tool moves them, and a separate copy protects against a failed migration.
2. Download the knowledge files or locate the originals.
3. Export each custom action's schema and authentication details. The schema is the specification needed to rebuild the action as a connector or MCP server.
4. Record the conversation starters word for word.
5. Note the selected model and capability settings, including web search, image generation and code tools.
6. List the people and groups with access. Sharing must be reapplied by hand.

Conversations with a Custom GPT do not move to the plugin. OpenAI's FAQ states: "Your existing conversations with custom GPTs will remain accessible after retirement." The conversations stay readable, and the GPT itself stops answering, so copy any prompt or output needed for testing the plugin into a separate file.

How do you migrate a Custom GPT to a plugin?

To migrate a Custom GPT to a plugin, use the "Migrate to plugin" option in My GPTs. The migration uses the latest published version of the GPT. OpenAI's guide lists 4 steps for creators.

1. Open the migration option. Go to My GPTs, open "Created by me", and select "Migrate to plugin" on the GPT.
2. Review the result. Check the migrated skill and the reference files against the saved copies.
3. Test the plugin. Run the workflows the GPT handled most often, plus one difficult case.
4. Share the replacement. Share the plugin with the people who used the GPT. Sharing requires the "Share plugins" permission.

Only the creator can migrate a GPT, and in Enterprise a workspace admin can migrate it too. The FAQ gives 2 reasons the option can be missing: migration is not available on the account yet, or plugin access is turned off in the account or workspace. After migration, the original GPT turns read-only and cannot be deleted, so publish final edits to the GPT before step 1 and maintain the plugin from then on.

A migrated plugin can answer differently from the GPT. OpenAI's FAQ advises comparing familiar prompts across several cases to check that the plugin picks the right skill, uses the reference files, gives complete answers and has the tools it needs.

How do workspace admins migrate GPTs in bulk?

Workspace admins migrate GPTs in bulk through the ChatGPT Admin assistant in ChatGPT Work. OpenAI's guide lists 4 steps.

1. Open @ChatGPT Admin in ChatGPT Work.
2. Run the GPT report to see which GPTs exist and which matter most.
3. Give the migration command, in the form "Migrate [GPT IDs or descriptions] to plugins".
4. Share each replacement by hand. Bulk migration does not carry sharing settings over.

2 workspace permissions control distribution: "Share plugins" for sharing with people and groups, and "Publish plugins to workspace" for listing a plugin in the workspace directory.

How do you replace custom actions?

To replace custom actions, rebuild each action as a supported connector or a custom MCP connection. Custom actions are the largest manual job in the migration, and there are 3 parts to the work.

• Check for an existing connector. A supported connector for the same service removes the need to build anything.
• Build an MCP server for an internal or unsupported API, using the schema saved from the action.
• Reconnect and retest each workflow that called the action.

A GPT that calls a customer relationship management (CRM) system, a spreadsheet or an internal API through an action loses that function in the migrated plugin until the replacement exists. Plan the action work first, since a plugin without the action passes a basic test and fails on real tasks.

How does sharing a plugin differ from sharing a GPT?

Sharing a plugin differs from sharing a GPT in 3 ways.

• A migrated plugin starts private. No previous user of the GPT gets access automatically.
• Sharing and installing are separate steps. A person who receives a shared plugin installs the plugin before using it, unless a workspace admin installs the plugin for them.
• Public distribution needs a submission. Making a personal plugin public goes through OpenAI's plugin submission process, per the FAQ.

A creator with a public GPT has no automatic public replacement on December 11, 2026. Start the plugin submission early. OpenAI added review tracking and clearer feedback to plugin submission at DevDay, covered in our OpenAI DevDay 2026 recap.

What should you do if you use someone else's GPT?

Ask the GPT's creator or a workspace admin to migrate the GPT, then install the replacement plugin the creator shares. That is OpenAI's guidance for users who did not build the GPT. A user cannot migrate a GPT another person created. Using the replacement takes 2 things, per the FAQ: access to the plugin, and an account where plugins are available. Connected apps need separate authorization.

For a public GPT with no reachable creator, check the notice on the GPT for the creator's guidance, and look for a published plugin that does the same job.

How do plugins differ from Custom GPTs?

Plugins differ from Custom GPTs in structure: a plugin bundles skills, reference files and connected apps, and works inside regular ChatGPT conversations instead of in a separate GPT chat. OpenAI's FAQ says plugins "bring reusable instructions, reference files, and connected apps together".

The same plugins connect OpenAI's always-on agents to more than 4,000 apps. Our OpenAI Dots explainer covers that use.

What is the fastest migration sequence?

The fastest safe sequence has 5 stages and fits inside the 70 days before retirement.

1. Inventory (week 1). List every GPT, the owner, the users and whether the GPT uses custom actions.
2. Back up (week 1). Save the 6 items listed above for each GPT.
3. Migrate simple GPTs (week 2). Run "Migrate to plugin" on GPTs without actions, then test and share.
4. Rebuild actions (weeks 3 to 6). Replace each action with a connector or MCP connection, then migrate and test those GPTs.
5. Switch users (weeks 7 to 9). Share and install the plugins, tell users the date, and stop pointing people to the old GPT links.

Frequently asked questions

When do Custom GPTs retire?

Custom GPTs retire on December 11, 2026. Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral retire Custom GPTs on February 11, 2027.

Do Custom GPT conversations move to the plugin?

No, existing GPT conversations do not move to the plugin. OpenAI states that existing conversations with Custom GPTs remain accessible after retirement.

Do custom actions migrate automatically?

No, custom actions do not migrate. Each action must be rebuilt with a supported connector or a custom MCP connection.

Can users of my GPT use the new plugin automatically?

No, a migrated plugin starts private. The creator shares the plugin, and each user installs the plugin.

Can I keep using my Custom GPT after migrating it?

Yes, the original GPT stays usable until the retirement date, in read-only form.