From the GPT Store to the Plugin Directory

Status as of November 5, 2026. OpenAI is retiring custom GPTs and their GPT Store pages on December 11, 2026 (February 11, 2027, for certain Enterprise workspaces with an exemption). Personal accounts can no longer publish new GPTs. Discovery and publication now happen increasingly through the Plugin Directory.

Two storefronts, one transition

The GPT Store served as the public showcase for GPTs: thousands of specialized assistants created by the community, open to any logged-in ChatGPT user. It is in its final weeks. Its successor is the Plugin Directory, accessible via Plugins in the sidebar on the web, desktop app, and mobile. This lesson teaches you how to evaluate what you find there and what it takes to publish.

Discovering GPTs and plugins

GPTs remain accessible until their retirement via Explore GPTs in the sidebar or at chatgpt.com/gpts, complete with categories and search. The Plugin Directory is organized differently: categories like Popular or New & Noteworthy, and four tabs: Public, Your workspace, Personal (your plugins and those shared with you), and Installed. Some plugins carry the OpenAI Verified badge, signaling a quality and reliability review by OpenAI; OpenAI notes that this badge does not replace your organization’s security and privacy review.

Evaluate before you adopt

Adopting a GPT or plugin isn’t trivial: you’ll entrust it with your questions, sometimes your documents, and a plugin may connect to your accounts. Before integrating one into your routine, take time for a quick evaluation. Does the description clearly state what the tool does, or is it vague? Who published it: an identified publisher, a verified domain? Which applications does a plugin connect to, and with what permissions? Then test it with two or three requests from your daily work, and verify the outputs on a case you know well. For a GPT, keep in mind it will disappear on December 11: don’t build a lasting process on it without planning its replacement.

Publishing: what’s still possible

For GPTs, public publishing is no longer open to personal accounts; in Business, Enterprise, and Edu workspaces, it depends on settings and permissions. For existing GPTs, the requirements remain what you know: a creator profile (name, website of a verified domain, verified social profiles), a valid privacy policy for any public action, a category, and compliance with OpenAI’s usage policies.

For plugins, sharing starts within your account or workspace: Only those invited, Anyone in this workspace with the link, or Visible in workspace directory. Publishing to a workspace directory does not publish to the public directory. To reach all users, you must submit the plugin: a ZIP package, automated checks to fix, an OpenAI review, a verified developer identity, then publication at your chosen time. The listing matters as much as ever: a short, precise name, a description that states a problem and an outcome, and example prompts that make people want to try it.

Your turn

Evaluate three tools. In your field, choose one GPT in Explore GPTs and two plugins in the directory, including one with the OpenAI Verified badge if possible. For each, note what the listing promises, who published it, the data or accounts it requests, then test it on two real requests. Conclude: would you adopt it, and for the GPT, what would be its replacement after December 11?

Official sources: Sharing and publishing GPTs (OpenAI Help Center: publishing, creator profile, privacy policy) · GPTs in ChatGPT (Explore GPTs, retirement) · Plugins in ChatGPT (directory, tabs, OpenAI Verified, sharing) · Submission (OpenAI developer documentation: public directory)

Key takeaways

• The GPT Store disappears with GPTs on December 11, 2026; the Plugin Directory takes over
• Browse the directory by categories and tabs: Public, Your workspace, Personal, Installed
• Evaluate before adopting: publisher, requested permissions, tests on cases you know well
• Publishing a GPT is no longer possible on a personal account; a public plugin requires submission and review
• The OpenAI Verified badge reassures about quality but does not replace your organization’s review