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Are custom GPTs being retired, and what should a UK small business do?

Last checked: 26 October 2026 · The AI Till, UK

Is my custom GPT already gone?

Short answer: no. Existing GPTs keep working until the retirement date.

OpenAI says the announcement gives you time to prepare. Your GPT stays usable until 11 December 2026, subject to its normal access settings. Your old conversations with custom GPTs stay in your history after retirement too, and you don't need to do anything to keep them. What goes on 11 December is the GPT itself: you won't be able to open it or run it.

For some Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral, the date is 11 February 2027. That extension does not apply to everyone, so a sole trader on Plus or Business should plan for 11 December.

When are custom GPTs retiring?

Short answer: 11 December 2026 is the standard date.

The milestones OpenAI lists for Enterprise workspaces are:

OpenAI only confirms the 26 October creation cut-off for Enterprise. For Plus, Go and Business, follow the notice in your own account. OpenAI also says migration may reach different accounts at different times.

What is a ChatGPT plugin?

Short answer: a package that holds instructions (called a skill), reference files and connected apps.

A skill tells ChatGPT how to do a task, such as writing quotes in your style. Apps connect ChatGPT to other services, such as Google Drive or QuickBooks. A plugin can hold one or both. The big practical difference is how you start it. With a GPT, you open it. With a plugin, you can pick it with @ or from the + menu, and ChatGPT may also use an installed skill on its own when your request matches what the skill is for. OpenAI warns that automatic selection won't happen on every request, so test both ways.

How do I migrate my custom GPT to a plugin?

Short answer: publish your latest edits, then go to My GPTs and choose Migrate to plugin.

1. List the GPTs you rely on. For each one, note whether you made it or someone else did.
2. Save some test prompts. Copy three or four prompts you use a lot, plus one harder job, and save a good answer from each. Conversation starters don't transfer one for one.
3. Publish your latest version. Migration uses the last published version. Drafts and unpublished edits don't move across. Publishing doesn't mean sharing it publicly; "Only me" counts.
4. Migrate. Go to My GPTs, find the GPT under Created by me, and select Migrate to plugin. Follow the steps.
5. Test it. Run your saved prompts. Check it follows your instructions, uses your price list or reference files, and gives answers in the format you need.
6. Share it again if others use it. The new plugin starts private. Your sharing settings don't carry over, so anyone who used the GPT needs access to the plugin.

Once you migrate, the original GPT becomes read-only. You can still use it until retirement, but you can't edit or delete it, so make future changes in the plugin. If you don't see the migration option yet, OpenAI says it may not have reached your account, or plugins may be switched off in your workspace. Check you're signed in to the account where you made the GPT.

What transfers to the plugin, and what doesn't?

Short answer: instructions, knowledge files and connected apps move. Custom actions, your chosen model and sharing settings don't.

If your GPT used a custom action to connect to another service, OpenAI says to check whether an available app supports what you need. Otherwise rebuilding it may need a custom MCP server, which is a technical job. Most sole traders' GPTs are just instructions and a few files, so they should move across fine, but test before you rely on it.

What does this mean for a UK trade or small business?

Short answer: if you made a GPT for quotes, customer replies or social posts, keep a copy of its instructions now and migrate before 11 December.

The safest habit, whatever happens to the migration button, is to keep your instructions outside ChatGPT:

1. Open your GPT in edit mode and copy the full instructions into a Word document or note.
2. Download or keep the original copies of any files you uploaded, such as your price list or terms.
3. Write down which features it used (web search, images, data analysis).

That way, if the migrated plugin behaves differently, you can paste the instructions into a project or a normal chat as a saved prompt. Our guide to writing a good ChatGPT prompt shows how to set one out.

If you use a GPT that someone else made, such as a public "quote writer" GPT, check the notice on it. You can't migrate it yourself, and access to the old GPT doesn't give you access to its replacement.

A prompt to rebuild a simple quote GPT as a saved prompt

You are my quoting assistant. I'm a [TRADE] in [TOWN]. When I give you job notes, write a short, friendly quote in British English. Use only the prices I give you, list materials and labour separately, add VAT only if I say I'm VAT registered, and finish with my payment terms: [TERMS]. Don't invent figures. Ask me if anything is missing.

If you want ready-made prompts and Word templates built this way, the AI Till Trades Pack has 40 AI prompts for UK trades plus editable quote, invoice and payment reminder templates. It's our own product, and it doesn't depend on any GPT. The free quote wording generator needs no ChatGPT account at all.

Limits and risks

• Dates can move. OpenAI says the milestones are subject to change. Go by the notice in your account.
• Behaviour can change. A migrated plugin may answer differently, partly because your chosen model doesn't carry over. Compare results before switching.
• Plugin access varies. You need an account where plugins are available. On business plans, an admin controls who can use, share and publish plugins.
• Credits on business plans. For Enterprise, OpenAI says converting a GPT doesn't use credits, but creating and editing plugins through Work does. Check your own plan's terms.
• Customer data. Moving to a plugin doesn't change your UK GDPR duties. Keep names and addresses out where you can. See can I put customer data into ChatGPT?.

For the wider picture, read what ChatGPT Work is, what ChatGPT Business is, is ChatGPT Plus worth it? and what else changed in ChatGPT this October.

Related questions

Are custom GPTs going away?

Yes. OpenAI plans to retire custom GPTs on 11 December 2026 and replace them with plugins. Some Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral have until 11 February 2027.

Can I still use my custom GPT now?

Yes. Existing GPTs keep working until the retirement date. If you migrate one, the original stays usable but becomes read-only.

Will I lose my old chats with a custom GPT?

No. OpenAI says your existing conversations with custom GPTs stay accessible after retirement, and you don't need to do anything to keep them.

Why can't I see Migrate to plugin?

Migration may not have reached your account yet, plugins may be switched off in your workspace, or you may be signed in to a different account from the one you made the GPT in. Only the creator, or a workspace admin, can migrate a GPT.

Do my GPT's files and instructions carry over?

Yes. Instructions become a skill and knowledge files are copied into the plugin. Custom actions, the selected model and sharing settings don't carry over, and drafts don't transfer.

Can I migrate a GPT someone else made?

No. Permission to use a GPT doesn't let you migrate it. Ask the creator whether they're making a replacement.

Can I still migrate after 11 December?

OpenAI's ChatGPT Learn guide says you'll still be able to migrate a GPT after retirement, although the GPT itself won't run. Don't rely on that: migrate and test before the deadline.

Sources

• OpenAI Help Center: custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ (read 26 October 2026)
• ChatGPT Learn: moving your custom GPT workflows to plugins (read 26 October 2026)
• Ynteractive: AI news roundup, week of 20 October 2026 (20 October 2026)

Checked 26 October 2026. Rules and prices change, so check the source before you rely on it. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.

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