My ChatGPT app has already been approved, but I can’t find it in the Apps directory. Our category is “Lifestyle,” but it doesn’t appear there. However, I can find it via search and use it without any issues.
Is this normal? After approval, how long does it usually take for an app to show up in the Apps directory?
Yeah, that’s definitely confusing, especially when everything looks “approved” on your end.
What’s happening here is that approval doesn’t automatically mean full placement in the category listings. The directory pages like “Lifestyle” only show a smaller, curated set of apps right now. So even after approval and publish, not every app shows up there immediately (or at all).
So the gap you’re seeing isn’t about timing as much as how visibility is handled. There isn’t a guaranteed “after X days it appears” flow for categories at the moment.
What you can do:
If you want a clearer breakdown of how this works, this doc is worth a quick read: “Submit and maintain your app” it covers publish state and distribution expectations.
This one trips up a lot of folks, so you’re asking the right question.
-Mark G.
I’m experiencing the same “issue” with my app—it’s published, but not visible in the general directory.
If I invite people to use the app and it shows some level of usage, is that a prerequisite for it to become visible?
I haven’t seen this mechanism mentioned in the official documentation, but it seems quite important.
This is a poor experience for both the developers and users. You should really improve communication around this, and generally be more transparent with how/when approved apps are surfaced.