OpenAI has announced plans to retire Custom GPTs. This won’t happen all at once: the phaseout will affect both creators and users over time. In this article, we’ll explain what will happen to your Custom GPTs, the timelines for different account types, and what you can do now to minimize potential losses and prepare for the transition to new tools. You’ll learn how to preserve your work and keep using AI assistants effectively.

What exactly is OpenAI retiring, and who will be affected?

According to the Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ | OpenAI Help Center, OpenAI has officially announced plans to retire Custom GPTs. This means the features that let you create custom versions of ChatGPT with unique instructions and knowledge bases will gradually be phased out and eventually disappear. It’s important to understand that this isn’t an immediate shutdown, but a planned change that has already begun for some user groups. The transition affects all ChatGPT plans, with differences depending on whether you have a personal or business account.

For personal ChatGPT accounts—including Free, Go, Plus, and Pro—creating and publishing new Custom GPTs is already unavailable, according to Criando e editando GPTs | OpenAI Help Center. So if you were hoping to create your own assistant, that window has closed. Existing GPTs in these accounts are still available to use, however, and can be edited as long as you meet the current plan requirements and have the necessary permissions, according to إنشاء GPTs وتحريرها | OpenAI Help Center. This gives users some time to adapt, but doesn’t change the fact that further changes are coming.

The situation is different for Business, Enterprise, and Edu workspaces. Creating, editing, and publishing Custom GPTs is still possible, but depends on each workspace’s settings and permissions. The detailed dates and administrative guidance for the transition currently apply mainly to Enterprise accounts. Other plans may follow the same schedule, but specific dates for Business and Edu haven’t been confirmed, according to Обжалование ограничения на публикацию GPT | OpenAI Help Center. This leaves some uncertainty for administrators and users on these plans.

Who will be affected? Both creators and users. Creators will lose the ability to make new GPTs in personal accounts and will need to migrate existing ones in Enterprise. Users, meanwhile, may lose access to tools they rely on. If you use a public GPT created in an affected Enterprise workspace, it may also be affected, regardless of which account you use to access it. GPTs can only be created and edited on the web; mobile apps let you use them, but not create them.

How to apply this

  1. Identify your ChatGPT account type: personal or a business workspace such as Enterprise, Business, or Edu.
  2. If you have a personal account, note that creating new Custom GPTs is already unavailable.
  3. If you have a business account, check your workspace’s Custom GPT settings and permissions.
  4. If you use a public GPT, find out which workspace created it so you can assess the risk of it being retired.

When are the changes planned, and what do we know about the transition period?

OpenAI has announced not only the retirement but also a phased timeline, although the details currently apply only to Enterprise workspaces. If you use Enterprise, you have specific dates to plan around. Exact dates haven’t been set for other plans—personal, Business, and Edu—but the overall direction suggests it’s wise to prepare for similar changes.

For Enterprise accounts, the timeline is as follows: administrators were due to receive notifications about the upcoming changes on September 11, 2026. The migration interface and an informational banner for users were then targeted to launch on September 17, 2026, though availability may vary, according to Обжалование ограничения на публикацию GPT | OpenAI Help Center. Starting September 25, 2026, creating new Custom GPTs will no longer be possible in affected Enterprise workspaces. Existing Custom GPTs in Enterprise are scheduled to stop working on December 11, 2026, according to the Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ | OpenAI Help Center.

What does this mean for you? If you create Custom GPTs in Enterprise, you have a clear deadline for finishing edits and planning the migration. This is critical: once migration begins, you won’t be able to edit the original GPT. Keep in mind that these Enterprise dates are targets and may change, so it’s essential to check OpenAI’s official sources regularly. No specific dates have been announced for personal, Business, or Edu accounts, but the overall approach to retiring Custom GPTs may be similar. It’s best to start preparing now.

How to apply this

  1. If you have an Enterprise account, review OpenAI’s official timeline and note the key dates.
  2. Watch for notifications from OpenAI in your workspace, especially if you use Business or Edu.
  3. Be aware that once migration begins, your existing GPTs will become read-only.
  4. Don’t put off preparing for the changes, even if your plan doesn’t have specific dates yet.

What will happen to existing GPTs, their settings, and user access?

What happens to existing Custom GPTs depends on your account type and when the migration process begins. In Enterprise workspaces, existing GPTs will continue to work until December 11, 2026, as long as you have the required access rights and workspace permissions, according to the Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ | OpenAI Help Center. However, once you start migrating, the original GPT will become read-only. You won’t be able to edit it after the migration begins, but it will continue to work until it is fully retired.

OpenAI plans to help users move their workflows from Custom GPTs to plugins. That sounds promising, but there’s an important caveat: the available sources don’t promise that all data and settings will transfer automatically, according to Обжалование ограничения на публикацию GPT | OpenAI Help Center. Your GPT’s instructions, knowledge files, connected apps, and other detailed settings will likely need to be reviewed and adapted manually in the new plugin environment. Don’t assume everything will transfer on its own.

User access also comes with some caveats. If you use a public GPT created in an affected Enterprise workspace, it will stop working according to that workspace’s schedule—even if you access it from a personal account. What’s more, access to a public GPT doesn’t guarantee automatic access to its replacement plugin. So even if the creator moves the GPT’s functionality to a plugin, you may need to request access again or find it in its new format.

There’s also an important detail about moving personal workspaces to Enterprise or Edu. In this case, personal GPTs that were previously published or shared by link are converted into GPTs visible in the destination workspace, according to Начало работы с управлением удостоверениями и подготовкой пользователей в ChatGPT Enterprise, Edu и ChatGPT для преподавателей | OpenAI Help Center. GPTs that were strictly private before the move remain private. Workspace owners can view and update the visibility of these migrated GPTs, giving them some control over the data after migration.

How to apply this

  1. Save the important instructions, settings, and files used by your Custom GPTs so you have them ready for a manual migration.
  2. Explore ChatGPT plugins to see how your current workflows could be adapted.
  3. Creators: be prepared for your original GPT to become read-only once migration begins.
  4. Users: if you rely on public GPTs, find out in advance whether alternatives or migration plans are available.

What should creators and users do before the transition?

There’s no need to panic, but it’s too late to put off preparing. OpenAI has made clear that both creators and users of Custom GPTs need to take action. The upcoming changes call for careful planning to preserve valuable work and keep workflows running smoothly. The key is not to wait for things to sort themselves out, but to make a plan.

If you create Custom GPTs, focus on a few key steps. First, finish any necessary changes and updates before migration begins, because the original GPT will become read-only afterward. Second, OpenAI strongly recommends preparing the workflows you want to preserve for migration, according to Обжалование ограничения на публикацию GPT | OpenAI Help Center. This may mean saving key instructions, knowledge files, and descriptions of connected apps. Third, if the migration interface is available—the target launch date was September 17, 2026, but availability may vary—migrate your GPTs to plugins. Most importantly, test the replacement after migration and make sure it works as expected and retains the necessary functionality.

Custom GPT users have a few steps to take as well. If you use multiple accounts or workspaces, check exactly where the GPT you rely on was created and review the notifications for that workspace, according to the Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ | OpenAI Help Center. This will help you understand when and how the changes will affect that GPT. Remember, access to a public GPT doesn’t guarantee automatic access to its replacement plugin, so find out in advance what alternatives exist or may be offered. That way, you can switch to new tools quickly and avoid interruptions.

Keep in mind that OpenAI plans to help with migration to plugins, but that doesn’t mean all data and settings will transfer automatically. You’re still responsible for saving and checking them manually. The sooner you start preparing, the fewer surprises you’re likely to face.

How to apply this

  1. Creators: Finish any necessary changes to your Custom GPTs before migration begins.
  2. Creators: Prepare the key instructions and files you want to preserve as text documents.
  3. Creators: When the migration interface is available (target launch: September 17, 2026), migrate your GPT to plugins.
  4. Creators: Test the new plugin after migration and make sure all its features work as expected.
  5. Users: Find out which workspace created the Custom GPT you use regularly and check that workspace’s official notifications.
  6. Users: Look into alternatives to your favorite GPTs so you’re ready if they’re retired.

Frequently asked questions

Will the ability to create new GPTs end before access to existing ones?

Yes. In Enterprise workspaces, the ability to create new Custom GPTs is scheduled to end on September 25, 2026. Existing GPTs in these accounts will continue to work until December 11, 2026. This gives creators time to finish current projects, but they won’t be able to start new ones. Creating new GPTs is already unavailable for personal accounts.

Will files uploaded to a GPT and custom instructions be preserved?

OpenAI plans to help users migrate workflows from Custom GPTs to plugins. However, official sources don’t promise that all data and settings—including uploaded files and detailed instructions—will transfer automatically. Creators are strongly advised to save all important instructions, knowledge files, and descriptions of connected apps manually so they can restore them in the new plugin environment.

Will the retirement of Custom GPTs affect ChatGPT Business and Edu accounts?

Yes. The transition affects all ChatGPT plans, including Business and Edu. However, official sources currently provide detailed dates and administrative guidance only for Enterprise accounts. For Business and Edu, the ability to create, edit, and publish GPTs will depend on each workspace’s settings and permissions. Similar changes may be expected, but no specific dates have been set.

Can I move a Custom GPT to another tool without losing its settings?

OpenAI offers a process for migrating Custom GPTs to plugins, but doesn’t guarantee that all settings will transfer automatically, even within its own ecosystem. Moving to third-party tools or platforms will require manual adaptation. There’s no direct export or automatic conversion to a format compatible with other AI assistants. You’ll need to recreate the instructions and upload the files again.

Where can I check the official dates and terms for retiring Custom GPTs?

Check the OpenAI Help Center for the latest official dates and terms for retiring Custom GPTs. The FAQ on Custom GPT retirement is the primary source of information. Keep in mind that the Enterprise dates are targets and may change, so check the original source regularly to stay up to date.