ChatGPT can connect to custom MCP servers so you can use their tools, including write actions such as updating a CRM, inside conversations. As of October 2026 full MCP support is for ChatGPT Business and Enterprise/Edu on the web, admins and owners create and publish the connections, and you add a server from Plugins without turning on Developer Mode.
MCP is the Model Context Protocol. A server can expose tools on their own, and MCP apps add an interactive interface on top. If you want the background first, my explainer on what MCP is covers it. This page is about getting one working in your ChatGPT workspace.
Who's allowed to create, test and publish
This is the part that stalls most teams. The permission rules differ by plan, and on Business only admins and owners can do any of it.
| Plan | Create and test | Publish for the workspace |
|---|---|---|
| Business | Admins and owners only | Admins and owners only |
| Enterprise/Edu | Admins and owners, plus members granted it through role-based access control | Admins and owners only |
| Pro | Can build apps with the Apps SDK and connect custom servers with read and fetch permissions only | No full MCP |
The creation permission is called Create plugins with MCPs. To see who holds the admin or owner role, go to Workspace settings, Members. There are no geographic restrictions, but connecting custom MCP servers is web only, not mobile.
The sign-in catch: offline_access
Here's the one that causes the most support tickets. If your server uses OAuth, check that your OAuth or OpenID Connect provider issues refresh tokens. The usual way is the offline_access scope, and your provider's .well-known discovery endpoints should list offline_access in scopes_supported or a similar field.
If OAuth is set up without offline_access, ChatGPT may lose access once the original authorisation expires, because it can't renew the token, and your users may have to sign in again. The fix is to turn on offline or refresh access in your provider's admin console or tenant settings, then recreate the app so ChatGPT fetches the updated settings.
Connecting a server through Plugins
- Check you're an admin or owner, or that you've been granted the permission on Enterprise/Edu.
- Go to Plugins, select the plus button, then Add custom MCP server.
- Enter a name and an optional description.
- Under Connection, enter your server's public HTTPS MCP endpoint URL, or select Tunnel and choose a Secure MCP Tunnel or enter its tunnel_id.
- Configure authentication for your server.
- Review the risk warning and tick the I understand and want to continue checkbox.
- Select Create as a plugin, then review the tools and details it discovered.
You no longer need Developer Mode in the current Plugins experience. You acknowledge a risk warning for each server instead, and your account and workspace policies still apply. ChatGPT connects to remote servers only, so a server on a private network or a developer machine needs Secure MCP Tunnel.
If your workspace still uses the older custom app flow
- Admins and owners go to Workspace settings, Apps, Create. Other authorised users go to their own settings, Apps, Create.
- Add the endpoint and details, pick the authentication method, select Scan Tools and wait for the scan, then select Create.
- The app shows as a draft in Workspace settings, Apps, Drafts, or under Enabled Apps in user settings with a Dev label.
- To publish, admins open the Admin console, select the workspace, open Plugins and select Manage Legacy Apps, then Drafts and Publish.
Testing before anyone else sees it
Install the plugin, start a new conversation, type @ in the prompt box and select it. Try a range of prompts and use the server's tools, including write actions, and confirm them when ChatGPT asks. It asks based on the app's permissions and the context of the action, and some especially risky actions may be blocked outright.
Only connect servers you trust, because untrusted ones can expose you to risks including prompt injection. You're responsible for checking that any server is safe and appropriate before you publish it, whether you built it or someone else did.
Once published, the app appears in the workspace's approved apps list, and users find it through Settings, Plugins. In a chat you can select one or more apps for a single message, or use several first-party and third-party apps in one prompt, for example pulling internal data and then creating a ticket from it. App selection applies to that message only, so @mention the app again when a follow-up needs new data.
Next on the same topic: ChatGPT Refund.
What happens after you publish
Once an admin approves a connection, ChatGPT uses a frozen snapshot of the server's tools. Changes the developer makes later aren't applied until an admin reviews and publishes an update. If a tool changes in a way that isn't backward compatible, calls can fail, and nobody gets an automatic prompt or notice. Admins refresh the tool list from workspace app settings.
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Enterprise/Edu admins get extra controls: Configure Actions to switch individual actions on or off, and Configure Access to choose which groups can use the app. New actions from a refresh are off by default. Deep research can use custom apps for read and fetch actions, not write actions. To see how this fits with the wider set of add-ons, read my guide to ChatGPT plugins.
My verdict on custom MCP in ChatGPT
I'd connect a custom server if your team keeps copying data between ChatGPT and an internal tool, and an admin or owner can own the setup and testing. I'd check offline_access before anything else, because it's the difference between a connection that lasts and one that keeps asking people to sign in. I'd skip it if one of the existing apps already does the job, which is OpenAI's own advice too.
Before you decide, have a look at ChatGPT Browser.
For the rest of the series, see the ChatGPT Prompts and Limits: 30 Guides to Fun Prompts, Photo Edits and Daily Caps.
Frequently asked questions
Which ChatGPT plans can connect a custom MCP server?
Full MCP support is available for ChatGPT Business and Enterprise/Edu on the web, as of October 2026. Pro users can connect custom servers with read and fetch permissions only.
Do I need Developer Mode?
Not in the current Plugins experience. You add the server from Plugins and acknowledge a risk warning for each one instead.
Why does my MCP connection keep asking me to sign in?
Your OAuth provider is probably not issuing refresh tokens. Enable the offline_access scope, check it's listed in the discovery metadata, then recreate the app.
Who can publish a custom MCP connection?
Only admins and owners, on both Business and Enterprise/Edu.
How do I test an MCP plugin?
Install it, start a new conversation, type @ in the prompt box, select the plugin and try different prompts, including write actions.
