The dates OpenAI gives
| What | Date | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Custom GPTs retire | December 11, 2026 | The standard date |
| Custom GPTs retire | February 11, 2027 | FedRAMP workspaces, and affected Enterprise workspaces with a qualifying, approved deferral |
| No new GPTs | Already in effect | Personal accounts (Free, Go, Plus and Pro) cannot create or publish new GPTs |
| No new GPTs | October 26, 2026 | Affected Enterprise workspaces (FedRAMP excepted) |
OpenAI says these dates may change, and that the notice in your own account or workspace is the one that applies to you (Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ).
What stops on the retirement date
- Custom GPTs stop running and leave the GPT directory (Moving your custom GPT workflows to plugins).
- The GPT pages become inaccessible, so a link to a GPT stops working (Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ).
- Until then, existing GPTs keep working, and you can still edit a GPT you have not migrated, even though new GPTs cannot be made (Moving your custom GPT workflows to plugins).
What stays
OpenAI's FAQ says your existing conversations with custom GPTs stay accessible after the retirement. They do not move into a plugin, though: OpenAI's migration guide says conversation starters and previous chats may not copy. If you want those chats outside ChatGPT, a data export is the way to keep them; see how to save your custom GPT chats.
What replaces GPTs
Plugins. OpenAI describes a plugin as a reusable package that can hold skills (instructions for how to do a task) and apps (connections to other services). Its migration turns a GPT's instructions into a skill and copies its knowledge files, but custom actions, the selected model and sharing settings do not carry over. The details are in migrating a custom GPT to a plugin.
Save these before December 11
- Copy the setup. In My GPTs, open your GPT's editor and copy its name, description, instructions and conversation starters. They are not listed in what OpenAI's data export holds.
- Find your knowledge files. Gather your own copies of the files you uploaded to the GPT.
- Save each action's schema. OpenAI's guide says to save the action schema, authentication method and non-secret connection settings before migrating, because custom actions have to be rebuilt.
- Ask for your data export. In Settings, Data controls, Export data. OpenAI emails a download link that expires 24 hours after it arrives (Exporting your ChatGPT history and data).
- Pack it. Put it all into one backup with Skillcase: a ZIP you can open anywhere, a skill for Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT, and your chats with the GPT as Markdown.
A GPT you use but did not make cannot be copied: only a GPT whose editor you can open shows its instructions and files. OpenAI's guide says to ask the GPT's creator or a workspace admin to migrate it. Your own chats with it are in your data export.
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
When exactly do custom GPTs stop working?
OpenAI's retirement FAQ gives December 11, 2026 as the standard date, and February 11, 2027 for FedRAMP workspaces and affected Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral. OpenAI says the dates may change.
Can I still make a new GPT?
No, on personal accounts: OpenAI says Free, Go, Plus and Pro accounts cannot create or publish new GPTs. You can still use, and edit, the GPTs you already have until the retirement date.
Will my GPT chats be deleted?
OpenAI's FAQ says existing conversations with custom GPTs stay accessible after the retirement. They do not move into a plugin, so export your data if you want a copy outside ChatGPT.
Sources: OpenAI Help: Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ; OpenAI: Moving your custom GPT workflows to plugins; OpenAI Help: Sharing and publishing GPTs; OpenAI Help: ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu release notes; OpenAI Help: Exporting your ChatGPT history and data. Last checked: October 27, 2026. Skillcase is an independent tool by Peak Apps Studio and is not affiliated with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or Ollama.