What you see, and the likely cause
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The GPT is not under My GPTs | You are signed in to another account or workspace. OpenAI says the timeline and permissions of the account where a GPT was created are the ones that apply to it | Switch to the account or workspace you made it in |
| No Edit GPT, or your changes do not stick | The GPT was migrated to a plugin, which makes the original read-only, or your plan or workspace role no longer allows editing | Make changes in the plugin, or check your plan and role |
| No Create button, and Duplicate is missing | Personal accounts (Free, Go, Plus and Pro) cannot create new GPTs, and duplicating a GPT needs that same permission | Copy the setup instead: copy a custom GPT |
| You cannot edit it on your phone | OpenAI lists creating and editing GPTs as a web feature; its mobile apps support using GPTs, not building them | Open chatgpt.com in a browser |
| A GPT someone else made has gone | Its creator may have moved it to a plugin or changed who can use it. A replacement plugin starts private, and access to the GPT does not give you access to the plugin | Read the notice on the GPT and ask its creator |
| It answers differently than before | When a GPT's model is no longer available, OpenAI switches the GPT to a similar current model | Try a few prompts you know and adjust the instructions |
| An action stopped after you migrated | Custom actions do not transfer to plugins | Rebuild it: what to save from an action |
| Knowledge files are gone from the editor | OpenAI documents no cause. Users have reported it on OpenAI's forum since January 2025 | What to try for knowledge files |
The account rule, the migration rule and the actions rule are in OpenAI's retirement FAQ (Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ). The rules on creating, duplicating and editing on the web are in Creating and editing GPTs, and the model switch is in GPTs in ChatGPT.
Find a GPT you made
- Check the account. If you use more than one account or workspace, sign in to the one where you made the GPT.
- On chatgpt.com, open Explore GPTs in the sidebar (or go to chatgpt.com/gpts) and select My GPTs.
- Open the GPT and select Edit GPT. If there is no Edit GPT, the GPT may have been migrated: OpenAI says a migrated GPT stays usable until the retirement, but it is read-only and its creator cannot delete it.
What changes on December 11, 2026
- Custom GPTs and their GPT pages become inaccessible on the retirement date that applies to you: December 11, 2026 for most accounts, February 11, 2027 for FedRAMP workspaces and workspaces with a qualifying, approved deferral (Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ).
- Your conversations with custom GPTs stay accessible after the retirement, OpenAI says. They do not move into a plugin.
- You can still migrate a GPT you made after the retirement, though the GPT itself no longer runs (Moving your custom GPT workflows to plugins).
So from December 11, the answer to "where did my GPTs go?" is the retirement. Your chats stay in your history. The GPT's instructions and files then exist only in a plugin you migrated it to, or in a copy you saved yourself.
Save it while it still runs
- Copy the setup. In the editor, copy the name, description, instructions and conversation starters.
- Gather the knowledge files. Use the copies you uploaded; OpenAI describes no download button for them.
- Save each action's schema and note its authentication method.
- Ask for your data export now under Settings, Data controls, Export data, for your chats with the GPT. OpenAI says an export can take up to 7 days to arrive, and the download link expires 24 hours after you get it (Exporting your ChatGPT history and data).
- Pack it. Skillcase puts it all in one backup, with a skill for Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT and your chats as Markdown.
Pack your GPT before December 11
Paste your GPT's setup, add its knowledge files and your ChatGPT export, and download a backup you can open anywhere, a skill for Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT, and your chats as Markdown. Free, in your browser, and nothing is uploaded.
Questions
Where did my custom GPTs go?
Before December 11, 2026 they have not been removed. Sign in to the account or workspace where you made them, then open Explore GPTs and My GPTs. From December 11, OpenAI retires custom GPTs and their pages become inaccessible; your chats with them stay in your history.
Are custom GPTs already gone?
No. OpenAI's FAQ says existing GPTs remain usable until the retirement date: December 11, 2026, or February 11, 2027 for FedRAMP workspaces and workspaces with an approved deferral.
Why can't I edit my custom GPT?
A migrated GPT is read-only, and editing needs an eligible plan and the right workspace permissions. OpenAI lists editing as a web feature. Changes to a migrated GPT go in its plugin.
Will my chats with a GPT disappear?
OpenAI says existing conversations with custom GPTs remain accessible after the retirement. To keep a copy outside ChatGPT, request your data export. See save your custom GPT chats.
Sources: OpenAI Help: Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ; OpenAI Help: Creating and editing GPTs; OpenAI Help: GPTs in ChatGPT; OpenAI Help: Sharing and publishing GPTs; OpenAI: Moving your custom GPT workflows to plugins; OpenAI Help: Exporting your ChatGPT history and data; OpenAI Developer Community: Files in custom GPT knowledge base disappeared (January 22, 2025). Last checked: October 28, 2026. Skillcase is an independent tool by Peak Apps Studio and is not affiliated with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or Ollama.