The dates that matter
OpenAI has scheduled custom GPTs to retire on December 11, 2026, and says the change affects all ChatGPT plans. Existing GPTs keep working until then, and your existing conversations with GPTs stay accessible after retirement.
Enterprise workspaces get an earlier cutoff: creating new custom GPTs ended on October 26, 2026, although existing GPTs can still be edited. Workspaces with a qualified, approved deferral have until February 11, 2027.
Other plans, OpenAI says, are expected to follow the same timeline. Check the notices in your own workspace.
Source: OpenAI Help Center: Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ
- Oct 26, 2026Enterprise: creation of new custom GPTs ended
- Dec 11, 2026Custom GPTs retire on all plans
- Feb 11, 2027Retirement for Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral
What OpenAI's plugin migration keeps, and what it drops
OpenAI's path moves each GPT into a ChatGPT plugin. According to OpenAI's FAQ, this is what happens to each part of a GPT.
| Part of your GPT | In OpenAI's plugin migration | Rebuilt as a Copilot agent |
|---|---|---|
| Instructions | Become a skill inside the new plugin | Rewritten as agent instructions (up to 8,000 characters) |
| Knowledge files | Copied into the plugin's reference files | Moved to SharePoint or OneDrive with your permissions |
| Connected apps | Added to the plugin as apps | Rebuilt as Copilot Studio connectors or MCP servers |
| Custom actions | Do not transfer | Rebuilt as Copilot Studio connectors or MCP servers |
| Selected model | Does not carry over | Copilot's models, including Anthropic models where enabled |
| Sharing settings | Do not carry over; a migrated personal plugin starts private | Shared with the right people or published to your organization |
| Drafts and unpublished edits | Do not transfer; only the latest published version moves | Whatever you capture before the deadline |
| The original GPT | Becomes read-only and can't be deleted by its creator | Retired once the agent is live |
Either way, every GPT your team depends on needs some rework. The question is where that rework lands. See six Copilot agent examples rebuilt from typical GPTs.
Your three options
Most companies end up with a mix: a few GPTs worth keeping in ChatGPT, many worth moving, and some worth retiring.
Migrate to OpenAI plugins
Fits teams staying on ChatGPT. Plan time to rebuild custom actions, re-share each plugin, and check results on the new default model.
Rebuild as Microsoft Copilot agents
Fits companies that run on Microsoft 365. The agents sit next to your files, mail and meetings, and you can drop a second AI subscription.
Retire the GPT
Fits GPTs nobody uses any more, or ones Copilot already covers out of the box. Archive the instructions and files, then let it go.
A checklist to finish before December 11
1. List every GPT your team relies on
On ChatGPT Enterprise, the admin console's GPTs page shows ownership and actions. On other plans, ask each owner.
2. Publish the drafts you want to keep
OpenAI's migration only moves the latest published version. Drafts and unpublished edits do not transfer.
3. Capture each GPT's setup
Copy the instructions, conversation starters and the list of knowledge files and actions from the GPT's configuration view. There is no documented export.
4. Collect the original files
Find the original knowledge files in the owner's folders. They will be needed wherever the GPT is rebuilt.
5. Note every custom action
Record which systems each GPT calls and how it signs in. Custom actions do not transfer, so they have to be rebuilt.
6. Decide the destination for each GPT
Plugin, Copilot agent or retire. Rebuild the business-critical ones first, and test them on real prompts before people switch.
Six steps, nothing lost
Each step has an owner and a sign-off, so nothing quietly breaks along the way.
- AssessWe inventory who uses what: assistants, prompts, files, integrations and spend.
- MapEvery piece gets a home in Microsoft 365, or a reason to retire it.
- RebuildAssistants, connectors and prompt libraries are rebuilt and tested before anyone switches.
- PilotA small group works in the new tool first. We fix what they flag.
- TrainShort sessions built around your team's real tasks, the old way next to the new way.
- Switch overEveryone moves, chat history is archived, and old licenses are retired.
Questions we hear most
When do custom GPTs stop working?
OpenAI has scheduled custom GPTs to retire on December 11, 2026, across all ChatGPT plans. Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral have until February 11, 2027. See OpenAI's retirement FAQ.
Will we lose our conversations with GPTs?
No. OpenAI says existing conversations with custom GPTs remain accessible after retirement.
Can we still create new GPTs?
On ChatGPT Enterprise, creating new custom GPTs ended on October 26, 2026. Existing, unmigrated GPTs can still be edited. OpenAI hasn't published a creation cutoff for other plans.
Can we export our custom GPTs?
OpenAI doesn't document a way to export a GPT's configuration or knowledge files. Capture the instructions, conversation starters and actions from each GPT's configuration view, and keep the original files.
What happens to the original GPT after migrating it to a plugin?
OpenAI says the original GPT becomes read-only after migration, and its creator can't delete it.
Do our custom actions carry over?
Not in OpenAI's plugin migration: custom actions do not transfer through the workflow. In a Copilot rebuild they become Copilot Studio connectors or MCP servers.
Is eMazzanti affiliated with OpenAI?
No. eMazzanti Technologies is an independent IT services company and a Microsoft partner, and offers this service with Messaging Architects. Neither is affiliated with or endorsed by OpenAI.
Who does the work
eMazzanti Technologies is an IT services company and Microsoft partner, and runs AI migrations together with Messaging Architects. A few things we have done before:
Microsoft partner
Named Microsoft's SMB Worldwide Partner of the Year, with Modern Work and Azure specializations.
A New Jersey Best Place to Work
Named one of New Jersey's Best Places to Work for 2026 by NJBIZ, based on a confidential survey of our own team.
We teach Copilot
eMazzanti runs Microsoft Copilot Master Classes for business teams. The training step of every migration comes from the same people.
The migration process was flawless, with zero downtime, and their cost-effective solutions have significantly enhanced our operational efficiency.
There's absolutely no hesitancy for me to recommend eMazzanti to anyone.
Keep reading
See your plan before you commit to anything.
The chat at the top builds a migration outline for your team in about two minutes. When you are ready, an eMazzanti migration lead walks through it with you.