Custom GPTs in ChatGPT are scheduled to retire on 11 December 2026, and OpenAI is helping creators move them to plugins, which can bundle reusable instructions, reference files and connected apps. FedRAMP workspaces and Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral get until 11 February 2027, and the change affects every ChatGPT plan, as of October 2026.
Your GPTs still work until the retirement date, within their existing access and workspace permissions. On that date the GPTs and their GPT pages become inaccessible, but your existing conversations with them stay in your history.
The catch: custom actions don't come with you
Most of a GPT moves across in one click. Custom actions don't. OpenAI says GPT custom actions don't transfer through the migration workflow, so any feature that depends on one won't work in the new plugin until you set up a replacement. That replacement may need a custom MCP server and some technical setup, so plan extra time for any GPT that calls an outside service.
If you're not sure what an MCP server is, my explainer on what MCP is covers it in plain words. The short version: it's the piece that lets ChatGPT talk to another tool, and it's what you'd build to replace an action.
What transfers and what doesn't
| Item | What happens, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| GPT instructions | Become a skill in the plugin |
| Knowledge files | Copied to the plugin's reference files |
| Connected apps | Added to the plugin as apps |
| Custom actions | Don't transfer, need a replacement |
| Selected model | Doesn't carry over, Enterprise defaults apply in Enterprise workspaces |
| Drafts and unpublished edits | Don't transfer, migration uses the latest published version |
| Your old chats with the GPT | Stay accessible after retirement |
The drafts point catches people out. If you've been tweaking a GPT and never hit publish, those edits are left behind. Publishing doesn't mean making it public, so you can publish privately first and then migrate.
The retirement timeline
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 11 September 2026 | Admin notice to affected Enterprise workspaces |
| 22 September 2026 | Target for the migration experience and user banner in Enterprise (a target, not a guarantee) |
| 1 October 2026 | Target for the banner in workspaces that opted into delayed banners |
| 26 October 2026 | New GPT creation ended in affected Enterprise workspaces, except FedRAMP |
| 11 December 2026 | Standard retirement date |
| 11 February 2027 | Retirement for FedRAMP workspaces and approved deferrals |
The later February date doesn't apply to every workspace. It's only for FedRAMP and for Enterprise workspaces with a qualifying, approved deferral.
Whose timeline applies to you
This is the part people don't guess. The timeline and permissions that count are those of the account or workspace where the GPT was created, even if you use it from a different account. So a GPT built inside an Enterprise workspace follows the Enterprise schedule wherever you open it, and public GPTs created in affected Enterprise workspaces are included in the Enterprise transition.
If you only use a GPT someone else made, you can't migrate it. Permission to use it doesn't give you permission to move it. Check the notice on the GPT and any guidance from its creator about a replacement, because access to the original doesn't automatically give you access to the new plugin.
After you migrate: read-only originals and private plugins
Once a GPT is migrated, the original stays usable until retirement but turns read-only, and you can't delete it. The new plugin starts private and isn't installed for anyone else, so the people who used your GPT don't get it automatically.
In a managed workspace, Share Plugin can prefill the original GPT's users, groups or workspace audience. Review that list and select Save. If you want a personal plugin to be public, that goes through a separate plugin submission process. For a wider view of how plugins work in ChatGPT, see my guide to ChatGPT plugins.
Enterprise workspaces and bulk migration
In Enterprise, a GPT's creator or a workspace admin can migrate it, as long as plugins are enabled and the GPT is published. Bulk migration runs through the ChatGPT Admin plugin, and pulling the full workspace GPT inventory needs a workspace Owner. Bulk migration runs in the background, so starting it doesn't confirm that every GPT moved. Check them one by one.
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How to move a GPT to a plugin
- Open My GPTs and sort the GPTs you created from the ones you only use.
- Finish and publish any edits you need, because drafts don't transfer.
- When migration is available for your account, select Migrate to plugin on the GPT.
- Review the migrated instructions, reference files and apps.
- Test with your usual prompts plus at least one harder case, and rebuild any custom actions.
- Share the plugin with your audience and select Save before you ask people to switch.
For the testing step, OpenAI suggests checking four things: does it pick the right skill, use the expected reference material, give complete answers or files in the format you need, and have the tools it needs.
My verdict
I'd migrate the GPTs your team relies on now, while the originals still work side by side and you can compare answers. I'd start with any GPT that uses custom actions, because that's the one that needs real build time. I'd skip migrating GPTs nobody's opened in months, since your old chats stay in your history anyway. If you're rebuilding from scratch rather than migrating, my guide to building a custom GPT for a small business still helps with writing the instructions.
Frequently asked questions
When are custom GPTs retiring?
On 11 December 2026 for most workspaces. FedRAMP workspaces and Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral have until 11 February 2027.
Is my GPT already gone?
No. Existing GPTs stay usable until the retirement date, subject to their existing access and workspace permissions.
What transfers when I migrate a GPT to a plugin?
Instructions become a skill, knowledge files are copied to reference files and connected apps are added as apps. The selected model, drafts and custom actions don't carry over.
What happens to custom actions?
They don't transfer. Features that rely on them won't work in the plugin until you set up a replacement, which may need a custom MCP server.
Will my chats with a GPT disappear?
No. Existing conversations with custom GPTs remain accessible after retirement, though the GPTs and their pages become inaccessible.
Can I migrate a GPT I only use?
No. Permission to use someone else's GPT doesn't let you migrate it. Check the notice on the GPT and the creator's guidance.
