This site requires JavaScript to be enabled

Reference Guide: Custom GPTs Transitioning to Plugins

88 views

Article Body

Overview

OpenAI is retiring Custom GPTs and transitioning reusable workflows to Plugins. For the CSU ChatGPT Enterprise environment, Custom GPTs will remain available through February 11, 2027. This CSU-specific retirement date is later than OpenAI's standard December 11, 2026 retirement date.

Plugins are reusable packages that can combine skills, reference files, and connected applications. A skill provides reusable instructions for completing a task, while applications can connect ChatGPT to supported tools and information.

Most CSUB ChatGPT users do not need to take action. Users who created Custom GPTs that they want to continue using should prepare to migrate and test those GPTs as Plugins before the CSU retirement date.

Table of Contents

  1. Transition Timeline
  2. What GPT Creators Need to Do
  3. What Changes During Migration
  4. What Other ChatGPT Users Need to Know
  5. Related Articles
  6. Primary Contacts

Transition Timeline

  • October 1, 2026 - CSUB users will begin seeing an in-product notification explaining that Custom GPTs are being retired and identifying the CSU-specific retirement date of February 11, 2027.
  • October 26, 2026 - Creation of new Custom GPTs ends. Existing, unmigrated GPTs can continue to be edited and used during the transition.
  • February 11, 2027 - Custom GPTs retire for the CSU ChatGPT Enterprise environment. GPTs that need to remain available should be migrated and tested before this date.

Note: OpenAI's standard Custom GPT retirement date is December 11, 2026. The CSU has been granted an extension through February 11, 2027.

What GPT Creators Need to Do

If you created a Custom GPT that you want to continue using, prepare it for migration to a Plugin.

  1. Identify the Custom GPTs you still need and prioritize the workflows you rely on most.
  2. Review each GPT's instructions, knowledge or reference files, connected applications, intended audience, and any Custom Actions.
  3. Finish important changes before migration. The GPT must be published before it can be migrated; publishing does not require making the GPT public.
  4. Save several familiar prompts and at least one more difficult example that can be used to test the replacement Plugin.
  5. Open My GPTs, locate the GPT under Created by me, and select Migrate to plugin when the migration option is available.
  6. Review the migrated Plugin's instructions, reference files, applications, and available tools.
  7. Test the Plugin using your saved prompts and verify that it produces the expected results.
  8. Share the replacement Plugin with the appropriate users or groups after testing, if applicable.

Note: If Migrate to plugin is not available or you need assistance migrating your Custom GPT, contact the CSUB ChatGPT support team or the ITS Service Center using the contact information below.

What Changes During Migration

A migrated Plugin should be reviewed and tested before replacing the original Custom GPT. Migration does not reproduce every GPT capability or setting exactly.

  • Instructions - GPT instructions become a skill within the Plugin.
  • Knowledge Files - GPT knowledge files are copied into the Plugin's reference files and should be reviewed after migration.
  • Connected Applications - Connected applications are added to the Plugin as applications where supported.
  • Custom Actions - Custom Actions do not transfer automatically. Workflows that depend on Custom Actions may require a supported application or a separately developed MCP integration.
  • Model Selection - The GPT's selected model does not transfer to the Plugin.
  • Previous Conversations - Existing conversations with the GPT are not migrated into the Plugin.
  • Sharing - Existing GPT sharing does not automatically transfer. A migrated Plugin starts private and must be shared separately with its intended audience.
  • Original GPT - After migration, the original GPT remains usable until retirement but becomes read-only. Future changes should be made to the Plugin.

What Other ChatGPT Users Need to Know

If you use ChatGPT but did not create a Custom GPT, no migration action is required for most users.

  • You may see an in-product notification beginning October 1, 2026 explaining the Custom GPT transition.
  • If you use a Custom GPT created by someone else, you do not need to migrate it yourself.
  • The GPT creator or a ChatGPT workspace administrator is responsible for migrating a GPT that needs to be retained.
  • Access to an existing GPT does not automatically provide access to its replacement Plugin.
  • After a replacement Plugin is made available to you, it may need to be installed before use unless it has been installed for you by an administrator.

For additional information about Plugins and the Custom GPT transition, review the following OpenAI resources:

No related articles are currently documented.

Primary Contacts

For questions about Custom GPTs, Plugins, or assistance with migrating a Custom GPT, contact the CSUB ChatGPT support team:

For general technical assistance or to submit a support request, contact the ITS Service Center:

Authored by Chase Hill
Last modified 1 week ago